Editorial Comments

Editor's Note

Saving a culture: Going from worst to first

December 3, 2019

U.S. Navy Captain Mike Abrashoff was given command of the USS Benfold at age 36, making him the youngest commanding officer in the Pacific fleet. His challenge was daunting: the destroyer with 310 sailors was a notable loser, with low morale and the highest turnover in the Navy. Many safety and health pros early in their careers face the challenge of establishing their credibility.

Are toxic cultures rampant?

Survey paints discouraging picture

Dave Johnson

November 3, 2019

Google “safety culture” and you get about 1,600,000,000 results in 0.95 seconds. Safety and health managers have long known the importance of culture – the organization’s values, beliefs and leadership - on safety, morale, productivity, engagement, presenteeism and absenteeism. Culture has been at the top of safety and health issues for the past ten years at least.

Editor's Note

OSHA – the good, the bad, the future

“Our Savior Has Arrived” once said safety pros. That was long ago.

Dave Johnson

October 1, 2019

We’re coming up on an anniversary: in 1970 Congress passed and President Richard Nixon signed into the law the Occupational Safety and Health Act, creating the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, OSHA.

Editor's Letter

Crossing a street… Incidents are so random sometimes

Dave Johnson

September 12, 2019

At 10:30 in the morning the avenue is not busy. Rush hour has passed. The light changed, I got the pedestrian right of way signal, and started to casually walk to the island in the middle of the road. A line of cars and trucks waited at the intersection to turn left onto the avenue once pedestrians were all clear. I saw an SUV or pickup, I can’t recall, beginning to make its turn early – heading straight at me.

New York City doubles down on traffic fatalities & injuries

Meeting the promise of “Vision Zero”

Dave Johnson

August 1, 2019

Since 2014, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio has set a goal, or more specifically a “vision,” that traffic deaths and injuries on city streets is, in his words, “not acceptable and… serious crashes will no longer (be regarded) as inevitable. We won’t accept this any longer.”

Help stop a suicide: Rates dramatically increasing in the workplace

Dave Johnson

July 8, 2019

“Today we’re going to talk about something bigger than PPE, policies and practices. Something we’ve never discussed before. Can’t really fit it into a toolbox. It’s called life.

Neglect leaves OSHA short-staffed and leaderless

Desperate hours at the agency?

Dave Johnson

June 18, 2019

In OSHA’s 48-year-old history, the agency has experienced desperate hours on a regular schedule. The agency opened its door in 1971. Before the decade was out a “STOP OSHA” lobbying movement was underway. In 1979, Republican Senator Richard Schweiker of Pennsylvania proposed an “OSHA Improvements Act” which would have exempted from inspections all employers, large or small, regardless of industry, with good safety records. It was defeated in 1980.

reporting serious injuries and fatalities

Knockin’ on heaven’s door

It’s a sound no one wants to hear in safety – to the harm of protecting workers

Dave Johnson

April 23, 2019

In 2017, 5,147 workers in the U.S. were killed on the job, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, down slightly from 5.190 in 2016. The fatal injury rate in 2017 was 3.5 per 100,000 full-time employees. Three or four people out of 100,000. Not close to one percent. Meaning most everyone escapes being touched by a work-related death.

Weekly news round-up

April 20, 2019

NIOSH uses robotic arms to test healthcare PPE, teen workers get safety info from OSHA and FairWarning sheds a light on the hazards faced by small farmers in the U.S. These were among the occupational safety and health stories featured on ISHN.com this week.

The danger of taking tiredness for granted

Fatigued? Tell me about it…

Dave Johnson

March 22, 2019

Last month in Seattle the National Safety Council's Campbell Institute held a conference where one of the major topics was, "Fatigue: Managing the Hidden Risk." My question: What's so "hidden" about fatigue? Everyone you talk to in today's 24/7 wired world is fatigued, tired, beat. Just ask them.