One of my favorite and newest safety authors is Dr. Clive Lloyd.  His new book, Next Generation Safety Leadership: From Compliance to Care Dr. Lloyd explains the progression of safety cultures from Stage 1 – Apathetic through Stage 5 – Integrated and to be frank, it is the best explanation of cultural progression I have seen in 30 years. … HomeRead More »

Let’s take a safety quiz.  I’ll show you two (2) pictures and you tell me which one shows a risk.        Most everyone can recognize the rattlesnake as a risk, as it presents an immediate threat to our safety. How many saw the fire extinguisher, with it last annual inspection in 1965, as a risk? … HomeRead More »

I swear I think these “coaches” were all safety professionals in their previous careers. ? I look back at all the “right words” spoken in meetings, only to be followed up with decisions/choices by managers that conflicted with their words. Most of us call it “walking the talk”; but then that same management group will eventually turn to the safety leader and ask “why is their no TRUST between us and...

At 12:00 noon on August 27, 2021, an employee, 27, entered a tanker trailer to power wash the interior of the tanker. The tanker had contained animal parts and was sitting outside in the high summer temperatures. The employee was found unconscious inside the tanker and emergency services were notified. … HomeRead More »

At 11:30 a.m. on August 29, 2021, Employee #1, 32, inserted a tank wash spinner inside a semi-tanker, which later started draining slowly. Employee #1 entered the tanker to find out why it was draining slowly. Employee #1 lost consciousness while inside the tanker and Employee #2, 43, went inside the tanker to render help when he also was overcome by high levels of hydrogen sulfide gas. Both employees...

I have seen this very scenario play out at least a half dozen times in my career.  GRAVITY is an energy source and can be a fatal form of energy!  Here is what happened in this tragedy… At 4:15 p.m. on July 19, 2021, an employee, 38, was changing the hydraulic line on a forklift. The employee had the forks inadequately propped up so when he disconnected the line the forks and cage fell...

I Believe … … HomeRead More »

A researcher puts five (5) gorillas in a cage where a cluster of bananas is hanging from a string, with a ladder leading to the bananas.  When the first gorilla goes for the bananas, the researcher sprays ALL five (5) gorillas with freezing water for five minutes.  Sometime later, when a second gorilla inevitably tries to go for the bananas, the researcher once again sprays all five (5) gorillas...

How Safe Would Sugar Creek Be if we were all like Meghan Vogel and were all actively caring for each other? Do we have the courage to do what Meghan did or the courage to accept the help and suggestions as Arden did? 24/7? Read on… At the state championships, Meghan Vogel had a difficult 1,600/3,200 double. She won the 1,600 in a personal-best 4 minutes, 58.31 seconds, stepped onto the podium for photos...

A fan of safety looks at it as a mandate, something they are required or told to do.  If they wear orange shirts on Thursdays it is more to fit in or because they were told to.   Fans forget about safety after they leave the plant, they fail to practice safety at home (i.e. don’t wear earplugs and safety glasses when mowing the grass).  Fans don’t question things or fail to address...

Exxon Mobil changed their company’s mindset and approach to safety after the Exxon Valdez disaster – Safety is now embedded in their culture and comes first.  Results speak for themselves.  Their motto is – Nobody gets hurt. They recently won an award from the National Safety Council. This is the CEO’s testimony.  I highlighted some of the key points. A quote of note: The rigor, discipline,...

I am a Safety Professional I am not a police officer and I do not write citations. My job is to monitor, audit, review, and advise. … HomeRead More »