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February, 2006
Tips to Avoid Getting Burned
With spring still at least three weeks away, you can expect to get more mileage from those portable heaters. Just be careful. Electric or fuel-powered heaters create hazards such as electrical shock, carbon monoxide poisoning, fires and explosions. In 2001, two out of three reported home heating fires and associated [...]
Whats the Difference Part 1 of 3
In his Jan. 19, 2006 article about fall protection, Dave Gouthro referred to “voluntary” standards published by organizations such as the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the Canadian Standards Association (CSA). Some of you expressed confusion. Aren’t ANSI fall protection standards mandatory, you asked. We promised to explain the difference between an OSHA rule [...]
The Unreturned Phone Call
Dear SafetyXChange Members,
The unreturned phone call is a part of life, something that people have had to live with since Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. But it assumes a special significance when it happens while we’re conducting a job search. You desperately want to call back the employer or contact; but [...]
Helping Supervisors Win at Monkey in the Middle
As a kid, did you ever play “Monkey in the Middle?” Maybe you called it “Dodge Ball” or “Prison Ball.” The game involves one or more players stuck between two lines of ball-throwing opponents. Once a player is hit, he or she is “out.” The winner is the last one standing. [...]
Reflections on Safety and Business Values
On January 2nd, 2006, 12 coal miners lost their lives in West Virginia. A 13th suffered critical injuries. Before the month was through, two more West Virginia miners lost their lives after fire trapped them in the mine they were working in. Now, as is usually the case after events [...]
Nick O’Shay Faces His Critics
EDITOR’S NOTE: Nick O’Shay is a fictional character. But the points he makes are real. And so are the responses he provokes from SafetyXChange members. Here’s one of them.
The Background: In last week’s article, Nick talked about his encounter with a power company executive who tried to use industry standards as [...]
Part 2 of 2, ANSI Z.10 and the American Way
Last week’s article took a brief look at two of the leading safety management systems: OHSAS 18001 and ILO-OSH 2001. At the end of the piece, I made reference to the recently published U.S. standard, ANSI Z.10. Let’s now take a closer look at the new American standard.
Does the World Need ANSI Z.10?
Many organizations [...]
The Case of the Industry Standard Alibi
FEBRUARY 13, 2006:
You don’t want to tick off an OSHA inspector. Trust me on this one.
We don’t expect you employers out there to be our friend. But we expect cooperation and respect. I’m not talking just about how you deal with us when we show up at your site. I’m also [...]
The 3 Golden Rules
Dear SafetyXChange Members,
With Valentine’s Day approaching, I’d like to talk about the subject that is nearest and dearest to my heart. At least to my professional heart. That subject is networking. Here are what I call the three golden rules of networking.
Rule 1: Script an Introduction
Like the shampoo commercial says, you [...]
Blended Learning: Developing the Right Mix for Your Company
It’s been an instructor’s conundrum since the beginning of time – finding an instructional technique that maximizes comprehension and enhances the learning experience. Why is it so difficult?
In part, it’s because people process and learn new information in different ways. This challenges the trainer to develop the right mix to [...]


