Loading ...August, 2006
Best Practices of Effective Committees
Over the years, I have written extensively about what we call in Canada Joint Health and Safety Committees. One of the things I do is interview leaders of successful committees and gather up their best practices. I am writing a book summarizing my findings that will be published this fall. Here’s a small taste of [...]
Some Final Words on Age-Based Discrimination
Last week, we asked you to describe your experiences with age discrimination. Here is what you had to say.
Age Discrimination Is Not a Problem for Me
I am of the 60+ set and work as a contract safety advisor in construction. I do not feel that I am discriminated against at all. In fact the [...]
10 Reasons Your Trainees Aren’t Listening to You
Yesterday, I took a step toward fulfilling a lifelong dream. I took my very first sailing lesson. It was a disaster. I was all alone when my boat capsized. As I hit the lake, I remembered the advice my trainer gave me as I pulled from the dock: “Don’t panic.” So I didn’t. I found [...]
Using Measurement to Optimize Your Safety Culture, Part 1 of 4
Have you ever wondered why the game of darts is so popular? What is it about that yellow and black cork target and those feathered projectiles that so many people find appealing? Why does a dartboard hanging on the wall – in a bar or even a conference room – exert a magnetic pull and [...]
How to Prevent Pallet Jacks from Causing Injury
A pallet jack may not be the most hazardous piece of equipment in your workplace. But its simple appearance can be dangerously
deceiving. Manual pallet jacks have been the culprit behind crushed toes, scraped knuckles and pulled backs. Improperly stored and these devices also pose tripping hazards. If your facility uses pallet jacks, share these safety [...]
The Hexavalent Chromium Standard
The heading “New OSHA Regulations” isn’t one we get to use very often. After all, OSHA hasn’t promulgated a whole lot of new standards in recent years. But OSHA rulemaking is not completely dead. On February 28, after seemingly endless delay, OSHA finally published a new standard addressing a hazardous substance known as hexavalent chromium [...]
What to Say in E-mails And What Not to Say
Earlier this year, SafetyXChange ran an article containing eight tips for writing better e-mail notes. The tips were helpful in terms of using e-mail to communicate more clearly. But there’s another dimension to communicating via e-mail: Its impact on the actual business relationship. I’d like to set out some guidelines to address this aspect of [...]
Fighting to Keep Safety from Becoming a Casualty of Growth
Those of us who work in a fast paced manufacturing environment know the drill. You’re only as good as what you shipped this week. It’s all about goals, targets, schedules, reschedules, urgent requests, budgets, benchmarks and competitive incentives. Did you make your number, hit the target, meet the forecast? What’s going to ship next quarter? [...]
Responding to Contact Lens Emergencies, Part 4 of 4
Wearing contact lenses in an industrial setting poses a number of hazards. In the first three parts of this series, we looked at what employees and employers must know to address these hazards. We discussed how to make the decision to wear lenses and how to care for them. Hopefully, the guidance set out will [...]
