A lot has changed over my career; some things I thought were so concrete and fundamental to OSH that they would never change.  Boy, was I ever WRONG!  Take, for example, the “hierarchy of controls” – quite possibly the primary building block of OSH and Industrial safety for the past 73 years.  When I was in school in the early 1990’s, we learned the basic five...

ATVs, commonly called 4-wheelers, have been around for decades.  Most people recognize the risks associated with these machines outside of the workplace.  The accident/injury statistics can be alarming.  But when management claims those accident statistics are not work-related and that somehow the risks these machines pose are less in the workplace may be a very misguided approach to...

“The Natural Gas facility lacked a formal PSV testing procedure that included a QA/QC process to ensure that PSV’s are properly returned to service after testing with isolation valves car–sealed in their correct positions. At the time of the Incident, operators were trained to assist with PSV testing by observing another more experienced operator and then expected to be able to perform...

We are so privileged to protect the men and women who make this nation what it is. Making a difference in their safety makes a difference in the lives of their loved ones. We can do so much good for so many people, it’s the greatest gift of our profession. And you know what, making a difference does not require a degree, certifications, etc. It just needs us to lead with empathy for those we have the...

Leadership and culture are two sides of the same coin; neither can be realized without the other. Leaders create and manage the safety culture in their organizations by maintaining safety as a priority, communicating their safety expectations to the workers, setting the standard for safety, and through actions not talk (walk the talk), leading needed change by defining the current state, establishing...

What should happen to the small proportion of individuals whose unsafe acts are justly considered culpable? Below we summarize in a very simplified way what psychologists know about the effects of reward and punishment in the workplace. The principal issue here is the effectiveness of “sticks and carrots” in enhancing the likelihood of desired behavior and reducing the chances of unwanted...

In today’s work environment, many management teams need some guidance on determining if an unsafe act warrants re-training, accountability, or it was a system-induced error.  Here is a simple flow chart that can help establish what type of action could be called for based on the facts from the investigation. … HomeRead More »

Let the official record show… the term “just culture” originated in 1990’s from none other than Dr. James Reason. So all of these consultants using LinkedIn as their marketing platform, decrying a “just culture” is nothing new!   Most of us have been simply managing our safety and health efforts with the WORKERS who do the dirty and dangerous work AS OUR FOCAL POINT, and this creates...

Leadership and culture are two sides of the same coin; neither can be realized without the other.  Leaders create and manage the culture in their organizations by maintaining safety as a VALUE, communicating their safety expectations to the workers, setting the standard for safety through actions, not talk (walk the talk), and leading needed change by: defining the current state, establishing...

As more facts are coming to light regarding the runway incursion incident at JFK on January 13, 2023, it appears that a “safety system” used by ground controllers may have saved the day.  In the NTSB’s preliminary report on the incident, it is stated: The ASDE-X alerted the JFK ATC tower to the conflict, and the tower controller issued a takeoff cancellation to DAL 1943. The...

I will never understand why/how a location identifies a hazard, in this case, OSHA identified it, failed to take that learning, and did NOT APPLY it across the business where that hazard is present.  In this case, a federal workplace safety investigation at a cattle processing plant – now cited seven times by inspectors for endangering workers since March 2020 – found employees exposed to high...

OSHA determined that the employer of a 25-year-old welder – who suffered fatal injuries in an explosion in July 2022 – could have prevented the tragedy by following federal workplace safety standards.  OSHA learned the explosion occurred during welding operations while the work crew replaced old metal tanks with fiberglass ones at a saltwater disposal site for oil and gas fields.  The explosion...