Safety Management
Parsons Corp. Becomes Newest Member of OSHA's VPP Corporate Pilot
Parsons Corp. recently became the newest participant in the OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) Corporate Pilot. Launched in May 2004, the primary goal of the program is to streamline the application and onsite evaluation processes for organizations that are committed to VPP....
ORC Calls for Collaborative Workplace Safety Infrastructure
On the eve of the 2008 presidential election, ORC Worldwide released a white paper calling on the occupational safety and health community and the new administration to create a more collaborative infrastructure and break the “cycle of confrontation” that has long stymied progress in reducing workplace injuries and illnesses....
OSHA Forum Addresses Small Business Regulation Compliance Challenges
Electronic tools helping small businesses evaluate workplace safety and health management programs were among the topics presented at a recent OSHA forum, "Challenges Small Businesses Face in Complying with Regulations." ...
Oct. 20-26 is National Drug-Free Work Week
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced that the 2008 national Drug-Free Work Week takes place Oct. 20-26 to educate employers, employees and the general public that being drug-free is an essential component of a safe and healthful workplace. ...
Family of Crane Accident Victim Establishes Foundation Grant in His Honor
The family of American Society of Safety Engineers’ (ASSE) member Terrance M. Hennessy, who lost his life in a tragic crane accident March 25 in Miami, Fla., contributed more than $40,000 to the ASSE Foundation to fund a professional development grant in Hennessy’s honor. ...
NSC Supports Uniform Injury Data Collection System
The National Safety Council (NSC) announced support for national use of external cause of injury coding (E-codes) to capture injury-related, off-the-job hospital admission data....
EMCOR Recognizes UMEC Under New Safety Initiative
Norwalk, Conn.-based EMCOR Group Inc. recognized the University Mechanical & Engineering Contractors in Arizona (UMEC) as the first operating company to be designated a safety and productivity partner under the newly launched EMCOR Safety & Productivity Program (SPP)....
Kroger Honored for Safety Achievements
Kroger Manufacturing, a division of The Kroger Co. and winner of a 2007 Occupational Hazards America’s Safest Companies award, recently was recognized by the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) for outstanding worker safety performance. ...
International Safety: Unpaid Overtime and Mental Stress Rule Around the Globe
On average, four out of 10 employees work more hours than agreed in their contracts, and half of those working overtime are not compensated for the extra hours put in. ...
Communication Is Essential to Lead Workers Through Current Economic Crisis
To maintain employee morale during times of financial crisis, senior leaders can allay employee fears by communicating clearly on topics such as pensions, 401(k) investments and even job security, according to communication experts at Watson Wyatt, a leading global consulting firm....
Don’t Shelve the Sunblock - Sunburn Risk Can be Even Greater in Winter
If you think now is the time to sideline your sunblock, think again. Head to the mountains this fall or winter and you could get burned twice as fast as you do at the beach. ...
New Study Details Effects of Workplace Conflict on Businesses
According to a new report, workplace conflict is rampant throughout the business world, with U.S. companies spending more than 2.8 hours per employee per week dealing with conflict, which equates to approximately $359 billion in paid hours in 2008. ...
NIOSH Works to Advance the “Business Case” for Job Safety, Health
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Williams College of Business of Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, are partnering under a new Memorandum of Understanding to advance the “business case” for the pivotal role that occupational safety and health consideration plays in corporate strategy and planning. ...
Seven Decades of Safety: Reform and Reinvention
The November 1994 congressional election marked a dramatic turning point in the political fortunes of OSHA. For years, powerful Democratic committee chairmen...
Seven Decades of Safety
The magazine's first publisher, Irving Hexter, noted in the first issue of Occupational Hazards and Safety, Each stride of modern industry towards faster,...
Seven Decades of Safety: Good Times Take Their Toll
Americans entered the late 1940s and early 1950s as the heroes of World War II. Patriotism and democractic fervor were at an all-time high. The economy...
Seven Decades of Safety: Anatomy of a Tragedy
Time after time, those of us in the safety community read about workplace injuries and fatalities that were completely preventable. Had Company X just...
Speaking Out: Doing the Right Thing (And Doing It Successfully)
Some EHS professionals strongly object to the amount of regulation in their industry, or to specific requirements. Others are frustrated by the hoops...
Seven Decades of Safety: Fighting Two Wars
It was the known as the king of occupational diseases, said Gerald Markowitz, a professor of history at John Jay College in New York. In the mid-1930s,...
Seven Decades of Safety: Asbestos Becomes a Menace
Dr. Irving J. Selikoff told more than 400 scientists at the Conference on the Biological Effects of Asbestos in October 1964 that asbestos was killing...
Seven Decades of Safety: Bhopal's Legacy: New Vigilance in the Chemical Industry
Chemical industry experts consider the tragic events of 14-years ago in Bhopal to be the biggest wake-up call of all time. Chemical companies undertook...
Safety Tips for Hurricane Cleanup and Recovery
Insurance provider Zurich suggests organizations begin salvage operations after conducting an initial damage assessment and securing the facilities. Salvage operations may range from securing undamaged equipment and goods to salvaging electronic equipment, documents, furniture and other items. ...
What Does Safety Success Look Like?
The surface definition of safety success on most safety professionals’ minds is simply a reduction in the failure rate. We have been so busy avoiding failure that we need to remind ourselves what success looks like. The word “success” tends to surface every time the accident rates go down, but does the lack of accidents really equate to safety success? ...
Avoiding an Accident Excuse Pile-Up
Last week, his leg fell asleep. Just the other day, a bug flew in his eye and caused temporary disorientation. And today, his newest excuse was that he had a sneezing spell and couldn’t keep his eyes open long enough to see the wall. ...
Hazardous Energy
These are not the words of J. Wellington Wimpy from Popeye. This is the sentiment, and career strategy, of a safety coordinator in California. This approach to the “profession” has become commonplace. ...
