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

Inspect Your Way to Safer Forklift Operations

According to OSHA, 1 in 15 forklift-related accidents are caused by improper maintenance. A thorough preoperational inspection will identify maintenance problems before they cause an accident. Making sure a forklift is safe to operate is an important part of forklift safety training. Operators must be trained to inspect their lift trucks effectively to ensure safe […]

forklift unattended

Focus on 4 Forklift Hazards

There are numerous hazards associated with forklift operations. Do your operators know about these four common forklift hazards and how to avoid them? If not, they are at risk for forklift accidents, which can result in injuries, damage, or even death. 4 Forklift Hazards Attachments Pedestrians Work environment Loads Attachments Forklift attachments such as carton […]

How to Improve Business Value and EHS Performance: Part 2

Yesterday, we presented the first 5 of 10 guiding principles for improving business value and EHS performance. Today, we conclude with the remaining 5 principles. 6.    Involve Employees in a Bottom-Up Program Almost all process improvement programs are operated in a top-down mode. This is a result of the emphasis placed on a management technique […]

How to Improve Business Value and EHS Performance: Part 1

Companies large and small are under increased pressure to improve their business value and EHS performance. Here are 10 guiding principles that can help. Pressures to improve business value and EHS performance stem from such factors as intensified marketplace competition, expanded expectations for shareholder return, technological change, and the introduction of management practices emphasizing quality […]

Evaluate Your Hearing Conservation Program

Here’s a checklist developed by NIOSH to help you evaluate your hearing conservation program. Use it to benchmark your progress and identify where improvement is needed. Training and Education Has hearing protection training been conducted at least once this year? Is the training delivered by a qualified instructor? Was the success of each training program […]

Innovations in Hearing Conservation Help Protect Workers and Improve Safety

Every year 30 million people are exposed to hazardous noise on the job, and thousands suffer from preventable work-related hearing loss. Now, some innovative technology comes to the rescue and helps protect workers in noisy environments. For example, at 3M’s Hutchinson, Minnesota, facility, a 2012 Safe-in-Sound award winner, workers undergo annual fit testing, using 3M’s […]

Office Safety: Flying High at United Airlines

Here’s a company that emphasizes safety at its customer contact center and has achieved remarkable results. Last fall, United Airlines’ Detroit Customer Contact Center was named a Star VPP worksite by Michigan OSHA. It was the first Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) certification for United Airlines. Kerry Fischman, senior staff specialist for corporate ground safety, says […]

Serious Accidents Require Serious Action: Be Prepared!

Serious workplace accidents raise serious issues for safety professionals. There may be both legal and human factors to consider. You have to take a proper, level-headed approach and make sure you do all the right things to make things right. If an accident occurs in your workplace, especially a serious one, many people in your […]

What to Do in the Aftermath of a Workplace Accident

Being prepared to act swiftly and effectively in the aftermath of a workplace accident is an important part of effective safety management. Is your accident investigation team prepared? Do you even have one? Having an established, knowledgeable, and well-trained accident investigation response team can be a critical resource in the aftermath of an accident. Among […]