October 2018 | ISHN Magazine

Among the articles in the October 2018 issue of ISHN Magazine, we have a list of ways to inspire improved employee safety habits with safety incentive programs, some perspective on OSHA compliance, and much more.

Tesla's journey to be the world’s safest factory — 10 takeaways

Tesla raises the bar

Dave Johnson

October 2, 2018

How would you feel working as the head of safety and health for one of the world’s most scrutinized companies? Your CEO is one of the most talked-about executives in the world. How many CEOs make the cover of Rolling Stone?

Reaping rewards: There are many ways to recognize workplace safety achievements

Theresa McEndree

October 8, 2018

Employees have come to expect to be rewarded for a variety of professional achievements or practices, including safety and industrial hygiene. In fact, 79 percent of employees want rewards programs, and 73 percent think rewards encourage engagement, according to research.

International silica standards: Countries must update exposure limits

Perry Gottesfeld

October 8, 2018

Although U.S. OSHA updated its occupational silica standard in 2016 for the first time in 45 years, relatively few countries have followed suit. Aside from a handful of European countries, some Canadian Provinces and Mexico, most other countries do not have as stringent of a standard as the current U.S. Permissible Exposure Limit of 0.05 mg/m^3.

Behavior checklist for behavior-based coaching

Critical behavior checklist for effective behavior-based coaching

Assessing exposure, severity & probability

E. Scott Geller

October 8, 2018

Behavior-based coaching is essential for any mission to keep people safe. It’s human nature to get distracted or complacent on the job, and to deviate from performing the prescribed safe operating procedure (SOP).

Hand protection purchasing & usage

Exclusive CLEAReport by Clear Seas Research

Maureen Paraventi

October 8, 2018

Within industries there are multiple hazards that require multiple types of hand protection. That’s one of the key findings of the 2017 PPE Hand Protection CLEAReport from Clear Seas Research, which took a deep dive into the factors that influence hand protection purchasing decisions.

Hearing protection purchasing & usage

Exclusive study by Clear Seas Research

Benita Mehta

October 8, 2018

The study, by Clear Seas Research, was conducted to understand the PPE hearing market by identifying brand usage, exploring important attributes of brand selection for PPE and identifying purchase process trends.

Protective clothing for extreme environments doesn’t have to be uncomfortable

No need to be miserable

M.B. Sutherland

October 8, 2018

While protecting against a hazard is your first and most obvious concern when choosing protective clothing, it might be just as important to consider the environment. If workers are uncomfortable, they can be tempted to cut corners on safety.

Not your father’s bulky, heavy work boots

Footwear sheds weight

Sally J. Smart

October 18, 2018

With more options than ever before, safety footwear is anything but a one-size-fits-all purchase. As you evaluate your footwear program, there are many things to think about, such as job-site hazards, seasonal weather exposure and material durability.

Complying with OSHA’s walking-working surface standard

Fall protection beyond construction

Karen Hamel

October 15, 2018

When OSHA revised the walking-working surface standard in 2016, part of the goal was to make the general industry standard more consistent with existing construction standards.

How to deal with disruptions, contractors & temporary workers

The trouble with turnarounds

Jason Fox

October 8, 2018

When turnaround season comes to your facility, managers and turnaround personnel face a big dilemma: How do you successfully and safely complete the turnaround on a tight schedule?

6 steps to ensure an effective hazcom program

Greg Duncan

October 8, 2018

OSHA’s hazard communication standard requires employers with hazardous chemicals in the workplace to implement a formal hazard communication program that includes processes for managing and maintaining safety data sheets, container labels, chemical inventory lists, a written HCS plan, and employee training on OSHA’s standard specific to the employer’s work environment.

Preventing battery acid & anhydrous ammonia exposures

Don’t risk nasty exposures

Samantha Hoch

October 9, 2018

From the oil industry to mining, agriculture to research, any working environment that puts employees in close proximity to occupational hazards such as potentially harmful chemicals must make workplace safety a priority. The food processing and packing industries are no exception.

Inspect hand & power tools before using

Here’s a pre-work checklist

Flavio Simon

October 26, 2018

Workers who use hand and/or power tools can expose themselves and co-workers to personal injuries and illnesses such as: lacerations, crushes, burns, amputations; fractures and musculoskeletal disorders; skin and pulmonary illnesses; sight and hearing damage; and electrical shocks.

How to develop a robust oversight management program

When contractors come on site

Jason Massey

October 31, 2018

From R&D specialists to the disposal crew, products and projects often require a village of workers onsite. While some of these workers may be part of your organization, successful businesses often require third-party contractors to better manage resources and deliver quality results.

Safety can’t afford failing to communicate

Flyers and email alerts aren’t enough

Gene Nichols

October 9, 2018

Establishing a safe workplace requires more than PPE and policy. Training and performance management are critical, but only go so far, and all the visual cues, scrolling monitors and pithy slogans in the world won’t make your workplace sustainably safe and healthy.

Corrie Pitzer on safety’s coming revolution

The ‘third wave’ of safety

Corrie Pitzer

October 9, 2018

Corrie discusses Safety I, Safety II, and Safety III. Safety I is the current practice—injury prevention. It is slowly evolving into Safety II, which emphasizes human performance and systems controls. Safety III holds out the promise of reinventing the profession.

The constant pressure for construction workers to work in pain

It’s always been there - will it ever go away?

Dave Johnson

October 4, 2018

Perhaps you read about the NIOSH study published in late August that found construction workers die of drug overdoses (not while on the job) at a rate six times higher than the general work population. Heroin was the main killer, followed by prescription opioids.

Why you need an industrial hygienist along during OSHA site sampling

Dan Markiewicz, MS, CIH, CSP, CHMM

October 16, 2018

An OSHA health compliance officer (an industrial hygienist -- IH) recently put me in an ethical dilemma. While conducting “side-by-side” air sampling as the employer’s representative during an OSHA inspection, I observed that the OSHA IH was not sampling for asbestos correctly.

Part 1 of 2

The case for process safety management beyond OSHA compliance

Deborah Grubbe James B. Porter Jr.

October 8, 2018

Process safety management (PSM) is a term that is most frequently used in highly hazardous industries like oil refining, gas processing and chemical manufacturing. However, PSM could apply to any industry where people are working in and around any hazardous equipment or environment.

How I quickly assess safety cultures

Look at primary, secondary & misleading markers

Dr John Kello

October 29, 2018

In his mega-popular book Blink, Malcolm Gladwell centers his thesis on the claim that experts come to the point where “they just know.” They develop intuition, based on diligent practice. So experts get the answer without having to go through a step-by-step process of analysis.

NFPA studies fatal & non-fatal electrical injuries

Lessons learned the hard way

Dave Johnson

October 4, 2018

Nearly three workers die every week (as calculated over a five-year period) from exposure to electricity – a total of 739 deaths during that period. One-fifth of the victims were self-employed. Most fatalities (417) were caused by direct exposure to electricity, such as touching a live wire.

Capturing food dust: Mitigate cross contamination at the source

Chris Fluharty David Steil Kevin Tucker

October 11, 2018

Cross contamination is a serious challenge for food processing facilities that manufacture both allergen-free and gluten-free products and those for general consumption. Everything in the facility must be free from contaminants to ensure the safety of these food products.

‘Safety culture’ is a messy concept

Too many interpretations lead to haphazard applications

Timothy Ludwig Ph.D.

October 4, 2018

The term “Safety culture” has become like the term “engagement” in popular management writings. There is no common agreement on the term. We are left with (mis)interpretations of terms like “safety culture,” which lead to haphazard attempts at changing organizations toward improvement.