Tag: safety culture

losing the Gap Between Safety as a Value and Safety Culture: Part 2

Yesterday, we presented the views of two leaders in workplace safety on closing the gap between safety as a value and safety culture. Today, we conclude with the thoughts of a third. Jeff Ruebesam, VP of Global Health, Safety and Environmental at Fluor Corporation, spoke about his company’s use of leading indicators to measure employee […]

Behavior-Based Safety: A Streamlined, Cost-Conscious Approach That Brings Results—Part I

By Shawn M. Galloway, ProAct Safety Today, we welcome guest writer and safety consultant Shawn Galloway who presents his ideas about a streamlined, cost-conscious approach to behavior-based safety. Behavior-Based Safety (BBS) has effectively influenced risk for over 30 years and has contributed to improvement in performance and culture in the majority of organizations who have […]

Injury and Illness Prevention Programs: Do They Work?

In a recent report, OSHA makes a case for injury and illness prevention programs. In a February white paper, OSHA defines an injury and illness prevention program as "a proactive process to help employers find and fix workplace hazards before workers are hurt." Says OSHA: "We know these programs can be effective at reducing injuries, […]

What Are Your Workers Doing When Nobody’s Looking?

A culture that promotes employee-driven safety changes safety attitudes and performance. When workers are taking risks when nobody’s looking, there’s a problem with the safety culture—one that can be cured with a shift to an employee-driven safety system. The goal of an employee-driven safety is to change employees’ perceptions, attitudes, beliefs, and values about safety […]

What Does It Take to Build a Strong Safety Culture?

To really instill a strong safety culture you have to move to a system where employees are driving safety activities. That involves changes in perceptions, attitudes, beliefs, and values. Changing perceptions and attitudes lays the foundation for changes in beliefs and values. Perceptions: Changing employees’ perceptions about safety will not change their behaviors. But if […]

Map Your Strategy for Continuous Safety Improvement

Looking for improvements in your safety programs? Who isn’t? Here’s a synopsis of OSHA’s strategic map for change and continuous improvement. Obtain top management commitment. Top managers must be on board. If they are not, safety and health will compete against core business issues such as production and profitability, a battle that will almost always […]

Secrets to Safety Committee Success

Safety committees are a boon to the workplace—if they’re properly established and managed. How do you implement a safety committee that works for you and not against you? How do you create a committee that works to your advantage without generating more complaints rather than solving problems? To lay the foundation for a successful safety […]

Is It Time for Training

Many training articles are focused on the content of training. But another equally valid consideration is when to train, which is the topic of today’s Advisor. There are many different scenarios in the workplace when training is necessary or recommended. For example: 1.  New employees or transferred employees should be trained before they are initially […]

More on Creating an OSHA-Compliant Safety Training Program

Yesterday, we began a review of what it means to have an OSHA-compliant safety training program, and in that context, talked about general safety training. Today, we conclude with specialized and new employee training requirements. Many industrial jobs require employees to have specialized knowledge and skills, and to be prepared to deal with a special […]

How Much Are Unhealthy Workers Costing You, and What Can You Do About it?

It’s reported that unhealthy workers cost employers billions every year. NIOSH has some ideas for developing programs and policies that can improve worker health and cut costs. Full-time workers in the United States who are overweight or obese and have other chronic health conditions miss about 450 million more days per year than healthy workers. […]