Loading ...May, 2008
Helping Baby Boomers Overcome Challenges, Part 1 of 3
Forget Freedom 55. Today’s workers are putting off retirement for many reasons. Some have to work longer to put children through college. Others wouldn’t know what to do with themselves if they were retired. For employers, this is a welcome trend. After all, many companies are finding it difficult, if not impossible, to find qualified [...]
The Difference Between Programs and Systems, Part 1 of 3
Many safety professionals refer to their activities as a safety “program.” I submit that these activities are not a program but a “system.” More precisely, they are-or should be-a systematic amalgamation of programs. What’s the difference between a program and a system? And what’s the big deal about how we label things? Allow me to [...]
The Co-Existence of Motorists and Bicyclists
No, this isn’t a Jack Kerouac stream-of-consciousness look at road trips. But with Canada and the US. observing vehicle-related awareness campaigns this month, it’s a good time to discuss safety among the denizens of the road.
Can’t We All Just Get Along?
The roads are long but they’re also narrow. And, while I give bicyclists the widest [...]
OSHA Rules vs. ANSI and CSA Standards: What’s the Difference? Part 1 of 4
Many people in the industry get confused about the effect of standards published by organizations such as the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the Canadian Standards Association (CSA). Are these standards really voluntary? And what’s the difference between an ANSI standard on, say, fall protection and an OSHA rule that addresses the same topic?
This [...]
An Action Plan for Your First 100 Days
It’s a principle that applies to any person who assumes a new position of leadership, whether it’s the President of the United States taking the oath of office or a safety professional just hired (or promoted to) the position of EHS Director: Those first 100 days are crucial. Here’s some help to ensure that your [...]
Registered Environmental Designations, Part 2 of 2
In Part 1 of this environmental professional certification series, we looked at the Registered Environmental Manager (REM) for Americans. Let’s now look at the Canadian Certified Environmental Practitioner (CCEP) designation.
The CCEP certification is the only designation of its kind in Canada to provide practitioners with formal recognition through the Canadian Environmental Certification Approvals Board (CECAB).
Three [...]
Shiftworkers, Training and the Bottom Line, Part 2 of 2
A recent study* by the international consulting firm Circadian Technologies demonstrates that providing shiftwork lifestyle training can improve shiftworkers’ quality of life, which translates into reduced costs for employers. Let’s take a look at the study and its implications for your own programs.
The Circadian Study
The study focused on a group of heavy equipment operators that [...]
Helping Workers with ADHD
A couple of months ago, I offered some tips for supervisors and trainers on how to train workers with learning challenges, such as ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). I explained that ADHD affects more than just children; it’s a neurobehavioral disorder that five percent of the adult population never outgrows. And since it affects about [...]
Read-And-Sign Doesn’t Equal Compliance
How many of you have handed a 200-page health and safety manual to workers and told them to read it? Then, you stuck a waiver in their face and demanded they sign it. Something like: “I hereby acknowledge that I have read and fully understood all of the information contained in this manual,” yada yada, [...]
Coming Home from a Stint Abroad
The author Thomas Wolfe said you can’t go home again. But Thomas Wolfe was self-employed. He didn’t work in today’s global economy where so many men and women take jobs in a foreign land. The following exchange that took place on the ExecuNet “Ask the Expert” forum illustrates some of the problems they face when [...]
