Tag: safety

Examine winter-weather policy before hazardous conditions strike

Although the calendar shows winter is still a month away, employers would be wise to think now about how they’ll handle the challenges hazardous winter weather will bring. When snow, ice, or other extreme weather shows up in the forecast, employers’ thoughts turn to how weather might prevent employees from getting to work and how […]

Do Your Managers Know How to Resist Retaliation?

Gauge your managers’ current knowledge about retaliation with these quick cases: Peter worried that a dangerous chemical was being used without proper protection, and he reported it to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). His boss, Sheila, was not happy. “Peter’s wrong,” she said. “There’s nothing unsafe about our process. And I’m miffed […]

OSHA Warns Retailers About Crowd Control

Several years ago a big box employee was trampled to death when a mob of shoppers flooded through the doors of a store holding a Black Friday sales event. The DOL’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued guidelines in mid-November urging retailers to put policies in place to prevent other tragedies during the upcoming holiday […]

OSHA urges employers to think crowd control for Black Friday

As shoppers plan their Black Friday bargain hunting, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is urging retail employers to plan their crowd-control measures to keep workers safe. In 2008, a worker was trampled to death while a crowd of shoppers rushed the doors of a Wal-Mart store in New York. OSHA recommends that retailers […]

What Would Mindfulness Training Look Like?

In addition to their work mentioned in yesterday’s Advisor, Marc Gomez and Jessica Drew de Paz discovered that mindfulness was at the heart of stress-reduction work going on at the UCI Susan Samueli Center for Integrative Medicine. The Center’s courses may be integrated into the EHS training. Another resource is the University of Washington, which […]

Are Your Employees Minding Their Own (Safety) Business?

As a 30-year veteran of the safety profession, Marc Gomez, assistant vice chancellor for facilities management and environmental health and safety at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), has given plenty of thought to the causes of injury. “We do follow-ups and look closely at the root causes. And we see the main cause of […]

How do You Train Employees To Stay Focused on Safety When Their Work Becomes Routine?

Gomez is assistant vice chancellor for facilities management and environmental health and safety at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). The university is known for a strong commitment to undergraduate education and top research and graduate programs. Its new school of law graduates its first class this year. According to Gomez, safety is increasingly integrated […]

Take Precautions when Using Humor in Safety Training

Before we get into what not to do when using humor in safety training, let’s look at why it matters: Using humor and promoting some laughter and fun in safety training sessions helps trainees relax, interact more with you and other trainees, and be more open to new ideas. Laughter can also help perk up […]

Is Safety Training Ever a Laughing Matter?

Laugh and the whole world laughs with you. TV comedian/pianist Victor Borge used to say that laughter is the shortest distance between two people. Laughing together brings people closer. That’s because laughter is a shared experience, and laughter truly is infectious. When you see someone laughing, it brings a smile to your face, and you […]

How Would a Court Rate Your Safety Training Programs?

“Brendan” worked for a chemical company for 30 years before he was injured. A mechanic, Brendan was hurt when he and another employee tried to replace three broken drive belts on a blending blower. Three fingers on Brendan’s right hand were injured when they were pinched between the drive belt and a pulley. The incident […]