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May, 2005
Managing Mercury Exposure Risks, Part 1
Many workplaces and processes use devices or materials that contain mercury, especially in the healthcare industry. For example, there’s mercury in thermometers, manometers, paint, fluorescent light bulbs and batteries. Mercury exposure poses a health risk to employees and others at the workplace.
This series will show you how to do two things to protect your employees [...]
Handling the Emotions of a Job Search
Preface
Here’s an excerpt from an article written by an ExecuNet member who recently landed a position after a 13-month job search. Beverly’s story is valuable because it deals with a part of job searching that the manuals don’t tell you about: The emotions.
The Challenge
Okay, you’ve just resigned, quit or have been downsized, [...]
How to Train Your Accident Investigators
Accidents are bound to happen no matter how hard you try to prevent them. Investigating those accidents and using the results to identify root causes and corrective action is key to an effective safety program. But if your safety program is like so many others, you probably don’t have anybody trained to perform these functions [...]
Embedded Operating Costs: Are They Really Part of the Cost of Injuries
Point: Not Necessarily
By R. A. Bernard
Like many safety professionals, I’ve long argued that direct costs alone don’t paint a true picture of what organizations pay when injuries occur because they don’t account for losses such as loss in productivity, loss of the investment made in training the injured worker and administrative costs like the [...]
The OSHA Multi-Employer Worksite Policy
Like most employers, you probably use outside consultants like engineers, hygienists and ergonomics specialists from time to time. Or, maybe you’re a consultant yourself. What kind of OSHA liability do consultants have? A recent case from the State of Washington is a good illustration of how OSHA and the courts answer this question.
What Happened
The Port [...]
The Employers Perspective: Older Workers Are an Underrated Resource
I once worked as a supervisor for a private security company. One day a man named Bernie whom I had known for a number of years came to me and asked for a job. Bernie was a spry 75-year old who was getting bored with retirement. Since I was short-handed and he was able to [...]
The Fourth R: Results
This is the concluding installment of the series on the secrets of successful safety committees. It deals with the fourth and final “R”: Results.
The Importance of Results
Committees don’t get a free pass just because they serve a noble cause. A committee is like any other part of an organization: It needs to produce [...]
Three Assumptions Not to Make
All of us have an interest in getting injured employees back to work as soon as possible. Although, physically, employees must heal at their own rate, we as safety professionals are in a position to speed up the return to work process. But we often miss our chance to do so. More often than not, [...]
5 Safety Tips for Using Portable Ladders in the Workplace
Because portable ladders are so commonly used, both at work and at home, many employers assume that their employees are familiar with them and know how to use them properly. That’s a bad assumption. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), improper use of portable ladders is a major source of [...]
Finding a Job When Youre Over 40
Preface
Last week, I received the following note from a SafetyXChange member:
“Ms. Franzoni:
“I’m a contractor working with the federal government and am currently searching for a new job due to the fact that all indications are my contract will not be renewed for the next Fiscal Year because of budget constraints. At any rate, [...]