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

Recognizing and Preventing Alcohol Abuse

One in five workers says they have been put in danger or injured because of a co-worker’s substance abuse. To keep your workplace safe, you have to recognize alcohol abuse that affects job performance and take steps to correct the problem. Recognizing alcohol abuse is the first step in preventing it in your workplace. A […]

No Fooling: April Is Alcohol Awareness Month

Alcohol and workplace safety don’t mix. If any of your employees are reporting to work under the influence, they’re putting themselves and others at risk. Take advantage of Alcohol Awareness Month to promote an alcohol-free and drug-free workplace. Workplace use of alcohol and drugs is a problem that costs American businesses more than $100 billion […]

5 Keys to Effective Hearing Conservation

Noise isn’t a new hazard in the workplace, but it’s one that sometimes doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Repeated, unprotected exposure to loud noise can lead to permanent hearing loss. OSHA requires you to implement a hearing conservation program when information (such as noise monitoring) indicates that any employee’s exposure may equal or exceed […]

Safe-in-Sound Awards Promote Hearing Loss Prevention

Monday and Tuesday we talked about eye protection. Today, we turn to the important subject of hearing conservation. The inaugural Safe-in-Sound Excellence in Hearing Loss Prevention Awards were awarded in 2009 by NIOSH and the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA) to four U.S. employers that "have shown their dedication to the prevention of noise-induced hearing […]

The Inside Story on Mold Hazards and Prevention

If you’re looking for a cheap and easy way to improve indoor air quality, look no further than the common houseplant, says a study by NASA and the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA). Indoor exposure to mold can cause allergic reactions and even infections. Taking precautions, however, can limit exposure and help prevent health […]

The ‘Secret’ to Improved Indoor Air Quality

If you’re looking for a cheap and easy way to improve indoor air quality, look no further than the common houseplant, says a study by NASA and the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA). A while back NASA got together with ALCA and conducted a study to see if houseplants could help improve indoor air […]

22 Keys to Safe Forklift Operation

Every year more than 20,000 forklift-related injuries occur in U.S. workplaces. According to OSHA, most forklift accidents can be attributed to lack of safe operating procedures, lack of safety rule enforcement, and insufficient or inadequate training. Many employees are injured when forklifts are inadvertently driven off loading docks or fall between docks and an unsecured […]

How to Lower Workplace Accident Rates

You can’t fix hazards you don’t know about. As we discussed in yesterday’s Advisor, regular work area inspections are a highly effective way to identify and correct hazards. Depending on the work areas you’re inspecting, a safety audit may focus on different issues. But here’s a general checklist, courtesy of BLR’s Safety Audit Checklists, that […]

Inspect Your Way to Safer Work Areas

The ideal workplace inspection isn’t one that follows a safety incident. Nor is it a surprise visit from OSHA. The ideal inspection is one you arrange yourself. Self-inspection audits are the most effective way to improve safety management, prevent accidents, and ensure compliance with safety regulations. Work area inspections will: Tell you whether safety and […]

Reinforcing and Evaluating Behavior-Based Safety

Yesterday, we briefly reviewed the first three stages of the behavior-based safety process. Today, we conclude with the last two stages and then introduce you to the source of the information contained in yesterday’s and today’s Advisor. Stage Four: Reinforcement Consequences, both positive and negative, drive behavior. According to Agnew, “positive reinforcement is a desirable […]