As most of you know, I am a massive fan of the work OR-OSHA does to make our jobs more proficient. This latest publication is a rockstar and something almost every workplace can utilize (for FREE) to make the men and women who do the dirty and dangerous work MORE knowledgeable in Hazard Identification. We all know that Hazard ID is one of the four (4) pillars of a Safety Management System (SMS), and...

The OSHA-NIOSH Small Business Checklist app is designed to improve safety and health at workplaces. The app features a number of self-inspection checklists to help small businesses identify workplace hazards. The OSHA-NIOSH Small Business Checklist App can improve safety and health in the workplace. The app is a free tool that features checklists and other workplace safety and health resources for...

This is a MUST READ for safety professionals engaged in developing, implementing, and managing a LOTO program. The facility was doing everything RIGHT in terms of program, procedures, and training; yet a worker violated LOTO in the presence of the Shift Supervisor who had only been in his role for 1-month. The OSHRC laid out this case in a very easy-to-follow/understand logic, such that I am betting...

Respondent is the owner and operator of a facility that stores, manufactures, and distributes agricultural products, including anhydrous ammonia. The threshold quantity for anhydrous ammonia, as listed in 40 C.F.R. § 68.130, is 10,000 pounds. On or about August 22-23, 2023, a representative of the EPA conducted an inspection of the Respondent’s Facility to determine compliance with Section 112(r) of...

As many of you know, I have a love of bollards. This love has come over many years and many accidents where I have seen them protect a critical asset and PREVENT a serious event. This is a new county building built near my home, and when I drove by, I had to take a double take. Do you see the issue with this design?

Is it OSHA’s intent that Incident Commanders be 24-hour HAZWOPER trained irrespective of their actual working location during an incident, e.g., if they are located off-scene, outside of the contaminated area or far from the incident, and are never actually exposed to the site hazards?  OSHA’s HAZWOPER standard does not vary the required training for Incident Commanders according...

James Reason’s Human Failure Model: Active and Latent [Organizational] Failures As safety professionals, we need to understand that we ALL make errors, mistakes, and violations. When we are asked to facilitate a causal analysis, it is incumbent upon us to keep the team aware of this fact and educate them on the differences between Active and Latent [Organizational] failures. “The latent...

This is one of my favorite videos to use in my SMS Training courses (with approval from HR). Some of the scenes are over-the-top fake graphic scenes, but they are so over-the-top that I hope adults can handle them. The video mocks Lagging Indicators and Pizza Parties, which most of us have come to recognize as how NOT to manage safety. Unfortunately, a lot of this is still happening in many workplaces...

As SAFTENG wraps up another successful year, I am reminded of its success. I got a thank you note from a facility manager who hired us to build an SMS/Safety Process to “bring some sense to safety.” He and his team were tired of the ups and downs and wanted consistency in their performance with continuous improvement. A member of the Corporate staff I have worked with for decades introduced us. I spent...

I have to chuckle when companies and experts tell me there is no such thing as a culture of safety. That there is only one culture (if even that). I call bullshit on that belief. One way to learn this is the hard way, such as what Boeing is going through.  And on an investor call yesterday, CEO Kelly Ortberg told investors: “he plans to prioritize a culture shift to reboot the company’s...

I will probably catch a lot of flack for repeating this (as I have this debate at least annually), as very few agree with me, but it needs to be repeated!  The use of a Lockout Hasp, the device shown to the left, is NOT associated with the phrase “group lockout.” And yes, I am well aware of how these devices are marketed and sold, and yes, when they are used, they allow multiple people...

Complex systems contain changing mixtures of failures latent within them The complexity of these systems makes it impossible for them to run without multiple flaws being present. Because these are individually insufficient to cause failure they are regarded as minor factors during operations. Eradication of all latent failures is limited primarily by economic cost but also because it is difficult before...