Once again, a great friend and former colleague invited me to discuss safety and culture at his new workplace with his C-Suite team. As usual, he was spot on in his thinking about safety. He has been with this organization for nine months and has recognized that in those nine months, every aspect of the business has been discussed, except… Yep, Safety! This is a publically traded company but...

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 ways to manage safety poorly. Unfortunately, this still happens in many workplaces (e.g.,...

Hose failures during the unloading/loading of HAZMATS are still causing many problems for far too many businesses.  We have discussed the process side and the DOT container site engineering requirement for when the hose fails.  This post is a list of requirements that we should be incorporating into our HAZMAT safety programs regarding the use of hoses. Each hose assembly used for transferring...

Golden Rule #1: Always recognize and understand the hazardous properties of your dust/ powder materials Golden Rule #2: Always identify the equipment and areas of the facility where dust, fire, and explosion hazards exist Golden Rule #3: Always provide and maintain appropriate fire and explosion protection Golden Rule #4: Always Ensure personnel are trained on hazards and hazard controls Golden Rule...

Another pressurized piping fatality… On March 27, 2024 @ 9:30 a.m. Employee #1, 21, had been installing hydronic piping in a boiler room. Employee #1 began loosening a clamp holding a pressure testing cap that was under 100 PSI of pressure. The testing cap became a projectile, striking Employee #1 in the face. Employee #1 was killed.

In an ordinary setting (i.e., one without flammable gases or vapors), its use is typically not considered Hot Work by many.  We always managed the hazards/risks when their use was not part of a formal hazard assessment for production/shipping.  But when a heat gun was used as part of maintenance activities in an area where production or shipping is not using them, this was indeed HW. ...

Back in 2017, we discussed the hazards associated with dock levelers and working under the dock plate.  These are indeed permit-required confined spaces, albeit ones that can be RECLASSIFIED using basic energy control methods (i.e., Lockout).  In that 2017 article, I shared a video from a dock leveler manufacturer on how to isolate the dock plate BEFORE entering the area under it. On March...

On March 18, 2024, @ 11:00 a.m., it appears that Employee #1, 32, was standing under the raised forks of a forklift truck. The forks/backrest assembly appeared to have fallen onto Employee #1. Employee #1 died due to decapitation.

On March 8, 2024, @ 4:50 p.m., an employee, 32, entered a unitizer (pallet stacker) machine when it engaged, crushing him. The employee was killed. CLICK HERE to see the video of the machine involved Company removed guards, failed to ensure power shutoff with workers nearby Both management and workers told inspectors that the permanent machine guards that attached directly to this specific equipment...

To be clear, I can’t entirely agree with Alaska OSHRC’s decision to dismiss the OSHA citation.  But I am also tired of the blanketing workplaces with hi-vis gear that is NO LONGER “highly visible” or “reflective.”  These vests and other HI-VIS gear are used WAY beyond their intended life cycle, making safety a highly visible mockery.  If we feel this...

According to reports, the sewage explosion occurred during a pressure test of the septic tank pipeline conducted by qualified engineers as part of the pipeline installation process. This incident should be all we need to demonstrate why we test before the pressure retaining equipment is put into service and NEVER use hazardous materials to perform the pressure tests. https://www.freepressjournal.i...

Safety should be an unwritten rule, a social norm, that workers follow regardless of the situation. It should become a value that is never questioned—never compromised. It is human nature to shift priorities, or behavioral hierarchies, according to situational demands or contingencies. But values remain constant. The early morning anecdote illustrates that the activity of “getting dressed” is a value...