Loading ...February, 2009
The Zero Tolerance Myth, Part 4 of 4
Zero tolerance has become the policy of choice for dealing with employees who engage in workplace violence. But while it might be attractive as a statement of principle, zero tolerance can be hard to apply in actual situations. I’ll wrap up this series by explaining the practical problems of zero tolerance and how to craft [...]
CASE OF THE MONTH
When companies settle charges with OSHA, they typically agree to take measures to “abate” safety hazards. But a recent settlement agreement between OSHA and a New York construction contractor may take abatement measures to a new and creative level.
OSHA cited Broadway Concrete for 15 willful and repeat violations because of fall hazards at a condominium [...]
MODEL POLICY ON WORKPLACE VIOLENCE
Definition. Workplace violence means more than just physically assaulting a person. It means the attempted, threatened or actual conduct of a person that causes or is likely to cause injury to another person in the course of employment. It includes, among other things:
Actual physical assaults or attacks
Threats or intimidation
Harassment, abuse or bullying
Gestures of a violent [...]
Overcoming Rejection
Most people think “rejection” is an ugly word. Getting rejected is a put down, an affront to one’s dignity. And so it is. But everybody gets rejected. Everybody. But not everybody handles rejection the same. The successful people in this world are successful not because they don’t get rejected but because they recover from rejection.
I’d [...]
Maybe the Worst Is Over
If you’re like me, you’re sick and tired of all the bad economic news and desperate for a sign that things are starting to turn around. Maybe I’m grasping at straws, but I think I might have found some.
The HR mega-consulting firm Watson Wyatt just released a survey suggesting that many companies have put the [...]
Strategies for Supervisors, Part 2 of 3
Last week, we discussed how organizational change can adversely affect the health and safety of your employees. This week we’ll look at how safety leaders can minimize the harm by identifying and addressing the negative influences that shape the attitudes and behaviors of all levels of employees.
Identify the Signs
As we discussed last week, organizational change [...]
8 Quick Quotes on Attitude
1. Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.
Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
2. Our attitudes control our lives. Attitudes are a secret power working twenty-four hours a day, for good or bad. It is of paramount importance that we know how to harness and control this great force.
Tom Blandi, French [...]
True Stories Safety Trainers Would Rather Forget
Manual Labor
Here’s a training blooper submitted by a SafetyXChange member who asked to remain anonymous to avoid embarrassing his colleague.
A safety engineer on our staff reported an occupational back injury that resulted in time off from work. Another safety engineer investigated the injury and found that the accident had been caused by lifting a box [...]
