Category: Special Topics in Safety Management

Safety is a process, and as such, needs to be managed. This section offers resources to create a viable safety program, sell it to senior management, train supervisors and employees in using it, and then track and report your progress. Look also for ways to advance your own skills in these areas, both for your current job, and those that follow.

Free Special Report: 50 Tips for More Effective Safety Training

Is Light Duty a Return-to-Work Option in Your Workplace?

Is your workforce ailing? Maybe one employee who’s out hurt his back cleaning gutters at home, another went ahead and had that elective foot surgery she’d been putting off, and another is out on a workers’ compensation claim after slipping in mud. It would be good to have them back on the payroll doing something […]

Temporary Workers and I2P2 Programs: Program Components

Temporary workers are a high-risk group for serious injuries and illnesses. One way to help ensure that they don’t fall through the cracks between the leasing agency’s safety program and the host employer’s safety program is for both employers to implement an effective I2P2 program. Yesterday, we looked at the regulatory requirements that cover I2P2 […]

Temporary Workers and I2P2 Programs: A Critical Program for a Critical Group

Sometimes, two heads are better than one. It ought to be that way with temporary workers, who have essentially two employers, both of whom are supposed to be looking out for their safety. But in practice, miscommunication and poorly defined responsibilities lead to gaps in worker training, hazard identification, and supervision that have served to […]

Cord-and-Plug-Connected Equipment: What Does OSHA Say?

Yesterday, we looked at OSHA’s answers to some employers’ questions about training certification and LOTO verification. Today, we’ll look at what OSHA has to say about workers performing maintenance on plug-and-cord-connected equipment covered under an exception in the LOTO rules. Employers often write to OSHA asking for clarifications of its requirements. Sometimes, OSHA writes back. […]

Electronic Training Records and Lockout Verification: What Does OSHA Say?

Here’s a question: Your employees carry identification badges that identify the individual employee when it is swiped on an electronic reader. The badges are used for workplace security, documenting time on the clock, and recording attendance in training classes. The badge-swiping system identifies individual employees, but is not equivalent to an “electronic signature.” Is it […]

Deal Breakers for Forklift Operators

All forklift operators must be certified through a process of classroom and hands-on training in order to operate a forklift. Once they’re certified, they should be expected to operate the forklift safely at all times. If they don’t, they should be retrained before being permitted to operate a forklift again. What sorts of behaviors would […]

What Makes a Forklift Operator? Basic Qualifications

An unqualified forklift operator is a hazard to himself, to coworkers, and to your bottom line. The answer to the question “What makes a forklift operator qualified?” might seem straightforward—“a certified forklift operator,” right? But what goes into that qualification? What does a certified forklift operator know? Here are the basic ingredients that identify a […]

It May Be Legal, but Is It Safe? Marijuana at Work

At this moment, 23 states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for medicinal use, and Washington and Colorado have famously legalized the plant for recreational use, too. Alaska and Oregon will become the next states where recreational marijuana is legal after voters approved cannabis ballot measures set to become effective in 2015. Under […]

It May Be Legal, but Is It Safe? Prescription and OTC Medications at Work

If you’re like most employers, you’re concerned about the illicit use of alcohol and drugs on the job and how it affects safety. You may even drug-test your employees. But it’s not just the illegal use of drugs that can affect safety in your workplace—prescription drugs, over-the-counter (OTC) medications, and even herbal remedies can compromise […]

Do You Need to Use Personal Noise Dosimeters?

Yesterday, we discussed how to use a sound level meter to perform area noise monitoring as part of your hearing conservation program. Today, we’ll look at when and how to use personal noise dosimetry to characterize worker exposures and determine what hearing protection, if any, might be required. You may need to use personal noise […]