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

Fire Prevention Plans: Don’t Get Burned

There are some 100,000 workplace fires every year in the United States, resulting in losses in the billions of dollars. And the human toll is high as well. The National Safety Council estimates that fires and burns account for 3 percent of all occupational fatalities. Because of the substantial risks and costs associated with workplace […]

Work Safely with Asbestos? It’s Possible

Given the risks of working with asbestos, safety must always be a priority. Effective employee training and other precautions such as engineering controls and personal protective equipment (PPE) are necessary to keep workers safe. OSHA’s asbestos standard (29 CFR 1910.1001) requires you to inform employees who might be exposed to asbestos about the hazards and […]

Trial Spotlights Deadly Toll of Asbestos

The high-profile prosecution of chemical manufacturer W.R. Grace and three of its executives underscored the dangers that asbestos poses to workers, communities, and the environment. After a hotly contested trial, a jury last month returned a not guilty verdict against W.R. Grace and three of its executives. The company and executives had been charged with […]

Lockout/Tagout: The Devil’s in the Details

Compliance with OSHA’s Control of Hazardous Energy standard involves a variety of issues other than the basic lockout/tagout procedures. It’s a comprehensive standard, and you need to comprehend all its requirements. Because you’re probably already familiar with the basic lockout/tagout procedures, let’s skip ahead to some lesser-known facts about lockout/tagout compliance. (NOTE: If you’re looking […]

Put a Lock on Hazardous Energy Accidents

OSHA’s Control of Hazardous Energy Standard (29 CFR 1910.147) designates lockout/tagout as the main safeguard to prevent injuries caused by the unexpected release of hazardous energy. OSHA requires lockout/tagout whenever workers perform tasks that involve: •   Removing or bypassing a guard or other safety device •   Placing a body part into a point of operation […]

Give Safety a Big Boost This Month

Yesterday, we looked at the first 6 of 12 suggestions for promoting safety during National Safety Month and all year long. Today, we pick up with steps 6 through 12, and we invite you to try a money-saving resource for meeting all your safety training needs. (Here are the first six suggestions for promoting and […]

What’s Your Plan for National Safety Month?

The National Safety Council, which sponsors National Safety Month, says that this month is a time to promote round-the-clock safety and health. This year’s event focuses on four themes, each with its own week—teen driving (June 1-7), falls prevention (June 8-14), overexertion (June 15-21), and distracted driving (June 22-28). While the themes of National Safety […]

Noisy, Yes—But Unsafe, Too?

Noise isn’t just loud and annoying on the job. It can be a safety and health problem as well—a problem OSHA requires you to do something about. Understanding and applying OSHA standards is at the heart of any safety and health program. When the safety issue is hearing conservation, the standard you need to understand […]

Got Forklift Questions? We’ve Got Answers

OSHA’s Powered Industrial Truck standard (29 CFR 1910.178) establishes safety requirements relating to the design, maintenance, and use of forklifts as well as the training and evaluation of forklift operators. Compliance with the regulations, however, often raises important questions. Here are some that have been fielded by BLR’s safety experts. Does OSHA require a specific […]

Brush Up on Paint Safety

Even the most common substances can be hazardous if they’re used without taking commonsense precautions. While paint is not a particularly high-risk substance, it does contain ingredients that can cause health and safety problems. And certain types of paints, such as those containing polyisocyanates, are even more hazardous. Although OSHA doesn’t single out paint as […]