Loading ...September, 2009
Why Safety Professionals Should Take Their Work Home
There’s a Simpsons episode in which Homer, the plant safety official, is in his kitchen at home complaining that his bosses don’t consider him “safe enough.” As he’s saying this, Homer’s sticking a metal fork into an electric toaster, sending sparks flying!
Although the humor is broad, the point is well-taken: Being a safety professional is [...]
Safety Geek Meets Law Enforcement
I am forwarding a return email from a safety colleague. I sent her the safety geek article and admitted that I was guilty of 18 of 25 and maybe more if I was totally honest.
“Bill, the story about the cop was me last Christmas during the ride programs. At night, I came over the hill [...]
Sign Up for our Compliance Summit
Do you like SafetyXChange and the compliance information it provides? And are you Canadian or involved in the management of a Canadian operation? If you answer YES to these questions, you should look into signing up for our OHS Compliance Summit in Toronto on October 14 and 15. We’ve put together an amazing array of [...]
Safety Rewards that Yield Safety Improvements, Part 3
“Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone.”
–Gladys Browyn Stern
Safety rewards can come in different shapes and sizes and don’t need to have a huge monetary value. There’s a famous story about a Hewlett Packard employee who burst into his manager’s office with the solution to a stubborn problem. The manager, desperate to acknowledge the achievement, [...]
3 Reasons Not to Name an ‘Employee of the Month’
Employee of the Month programs are a perfect embodiment of the dysfunctions that can rob reward systems of their effectiveness. The three things I dislike about Employee of the Month:
Ineffective Motivation. Being named Employee of the Month may be more of an embarrassment than a reward especially for employees who don’t like public recognition.
Zero Sum [...]
How to Help Prevent Suicides in the Workplace
Preliminary data from the 2008 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program has revealed a disturbing trend: suicides committed in the workplace are on the rise. In 2008, 251 incidents were reported, being the highest level of workplace suicides since the CFOI program began in 1992 and 28% higher than what was recorded in the [...]
A Virtual Training Symposium from ASSE
In a time of budgetary belt-tightening, it’s often hard for safety professionals to get the training, or even the networking, needed to learn about new or best approaches. Professional development is left to whatever you can pick up from a friend or happen to read in an article (hopefully something from SafetyXChange!).
To help fill this [...]
6 Keys to Successful Negotiation
For some strange reason, Glenn made me promise not to talk about handbags today. I agreed. So what I will talk about is a skill that you men and women of safety use every day: negotiation.
Negotiating, 101
Life is about transactions whether you’re looking for a new job, asking for a raise, buying some bling or [...]
WW I Ends: September 25, 1939
Having to wage war on both its eastern and western fronts was the undoing of Germany in the two world wars. But talk about biting off more than you can chew. Did you know that Germany actually began World War II before ending its involvement in World War I?
It’s true. In August 1914, Austria declared [...]
Safety Joke of the Week
A Fine Day for Safety
A police officer was having a slow day, when he sees a car driving 10 km/hr (6 mph) over the posted speed limit. He turns on his lights and sirens and pulls the vehicle over. After getting the driver’s license and registration the officer proceeds to give the man an $84 [...]
