2022 Summary of U.S. Agricultural Confined Space-Related Injuries and Fatalities (Perdue University Report)
The following are highlights from the 2022 findings:
Safety MUST become a value rather than a priority (Steve Jobs Video)
Safety MUST become a value rather than a priority. The great Steve Jobs explains that product selling (i.e., we are selling safety!) is about defining the organization’s values. He makes an excellent point that safety pros should keep in mind when trying to influence management commitment and culture around the safety effort.When he is talking
I know I sound like a broken record… but TORQUE matters!
When your process safety consultant tells you that “torque” does not matter… after you called him/her to ask about it after you read about torque in the owner’s manual of the component you are getting ready to install… it is time to FIND A REAL PROCESS SAFETY ENGINEER. Torque values are the pinnacle of DEFINING
What does it mean when a RAGAGEP uses the phrase “at least”
These are just two little words that cause so much debate… “at least.” Although this is a prevalent phrase found in many Recognized and Generally Accepted Good Engineering Practices (RAGAGEP), I have found it to be one of serious debate, and it should NOT be. First, lets see how dictionaries officially define the phrase: at
Hazard ID can begin as a compliance audit exercise
Many folks think they are far and away from having a formal Hazard Identification process in place. But in reality, if they are auditing their “compliance” with OSHA/Safety standards, they are in phase 1 of a Hazard ID exercise. As I like to say, we must DEFINE and QUANTIFY our safety expectations to MEASURE and
Safety Thought of the Week… Comprehensive Hazard ID
COMPREHENSIVE HAZARD IDENTIFICATION is key to effective risk management. The RISK arising from a HAZARD that has not been identified cannot be managed.
Safety Thought of the Week… managing human error
“…if you do not manage human error, human error will manage the organization, always at great cost and often at great danger.” James Reason – Video Series, Managing Human Error
Safety Thought of the Week… Safety is not common sense
The appreciation that a person makes of the situation depends mainly on the following four elements: the nature of the information available personal experience, which results in personalized mental models, and a library of configurations that the brain recognizes. the purpose of his current work: if the operator is focused on the resolution of an
Demonstration of leadership for safety by managers
Managers shall demonstrate leadership for safety and commitment to safety. The senior management of the organization shall demonstrate leadership for safety by:
Understanding the CORE of a Safety Management System (SMS)
As you know by now, I am a doer, and as a safety professional, I grew up in organizations with some advanced SMS. Then the tides turned, and I was hired to come in and build an SMS and coach on building a culture of safety. Now, as a consultant, I spend a lot of
What is the Safe System Approach that U.S. DOT has adopted?
This approach will work in industrial workplaces as well! In fact, I would bet that DOT stole this approach from the industrial safety movement. Regardless of who gets credit, it is refreshing to see the transportation community embrace the Safe System Approach as an effective way to address and mitigate the risks inherent in our
Can an improperly maintained mitigation device increase risks?
I am not quite sure how so many managers/executives came to believe that an improperly maintained fire extinguisher can NEVER be an actual hazard. Most of us in the safety arena have seen the videos and news/case reports of workers dying from a catastrophic failure of a fire extinguisher. But so many managers can not