Editor Dave Johnson brings more than three decades of experience as an occupational safety and health journalist to the stories he writes for ISHN each month. Whether he’s drilling down through the data or examining the big picture, Dave finds the intersection of safety and humanity on a variety of OSH-related topics. Here are his 2017 articles for ISHN Magazine.
Why can’t we see red flags?
No one likes to listen to a pessimist
December 1, 2017
Do your safety and health efforts have a sufficient number of realists – or potential pessimists – who know the truth on the ground, and will call it as they see it to more distant and pre-occupied higher-ups?
It only seems like Algorithms rule the world
November 24, 2017
Is there an algorithm to predict the likelihood of an individual sustaining an injury? More than one. Types of software are on the market that can predict specifically who is at greatest risk.
Grip strength is important to safety – and your health
Don’t let your grip slip
November 20, 2017
Optimal grip has been called the pinnacle of selecting work gloves. It’s critical in almost any industry you can think of. Poor grip can lead to a host of problems. Of course there’s more to hand protection than glove grip. Different work requires different types of gripping gloves.
Driver fatigue: Are training & technology the only answers?
November 1, 2017
It’s been known for years now that driver fatigue is a serious risk – both on and off the job. A study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute found fatigue was the top cause of driver distractions, representing 20 percent of all motor vehicle accidents. We’re just not getting enough sleep.
Lessons from a semi-driverless vehicle
You can get numb to tech warnings & stimuli
October 12, 2017
Not long ago I bought a new car. It had been a while. While I was on the sidelines, the auto industry has been experiencing unprecedented transformation. One researcher claims there will be ten million self-driving cars on the road by 2020, with one in four cars being self-driving by 2030.
Distribution’s digital destiny
Competing with Amazon and adapting to new buyers
September 1, 2017
Amazon.com, with total company first quarter 2017 sales up 23 percent to $35.7 billion, is a disrupter wherever it goes. Just ask Sears, Macy’s, Borders Books, Tower Records and Whole Foods. But its present and future impact on the safety supply chain is really part of a larger story.
Digital research: What you can learn online about FR clothing
September 1, 2017
To safety and health pros, perhaps confused by the dizzying array of FR clothing options, here’s one simple suggestion: Google search “What you should know about FR clothing.”
Climbing out of the ivory tower
A day on the road finds disruption everywhere
September 1, 2017
I drove 109 miles criss-crossing the greater Philadelphia region this summer accompanying an ISHN sales rep on customer calls. It's always good for editors to climb down from their ivory towers and encounter the real world.
Your personal guide to safety tech disruption
Technology penetrates professional comfort zones
September 1, 2017
Among the early EHS technology adopters: Bechtel, Turner, Clark Construction, Allergen, Siemens. There are others, mostly Fortune 500 companies. What EHS technologies are they using?
After an accident: What I learned on Wyoming’s Sugarloaf Mountain
August 16, 2017
I found the Snowy Range – the Snowies -- in June taking a detour enroute to the American Society of Safety Engineers’ (ASSE) Safety 2017 national conference and expo in Denver.
What you should know about safety distribution’s digital destiny
Competing with Amazon and adapting to new buyers
August 15, 2017
Why is Amazon Business (www.amazon.com/business) selling safety products along with many other industrial supplies? “We heard from business customers that they love the convenience of shopping online, and want to an experience at work that is similar to how they shop at home,” an Amazon spokesperson told ISHN’s For Distributors Only in an exclusive interview.
NFPA 70E® 2018 represents cutting-edge safety thinking
Beyond shock & electrocutions
August 1, 2017
The final version of the 2018 edition of NFPA 70E® - Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace® is scheduled to be published next month (September) and will be active 15 days after publication.
Drones will carry out dangerous inspections
August 1, 2017
Companies spend about $40 billion annually inspecting plants and equipment within the oil and gas, transportation and power generation sectors, and some individual businesses spend $100 million annually, according to General Electric Co...
OSHA’s blame and shame game: Why is it under scrutiny now?
July 1, 2017
Since the Trump administration took over on January 20, very little news has come out of OSHA. Their charge from the administration is to keep the ship steady, no new initiatives or anything like that, according to the source, with close ties to the agency.
Don’t be so fast to shrug off “minor” cuts & punctures
An annoying little cut?
July 1, 2017
You’ve seen plenty of occupational injury stats, here is one that’s startling: In 2012, workers suffered 186,830 nonfatal injuries to the hands and wrists serious enough to warrant days away from work, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The problem with the OSHA recordable rate
June 27, 2017
DEKRA a global consultancy that exhibited at Safety 2017, has gone on record stating the idea behind the OSHA recordable rate was a good one, but it is time to get more proactive in tracking safety performance. OSHA recordkeeping provided a level playing field for what would be classified as a medical treatment case or an injury for recording purposes, according to DEKRA. It has provided that consistency, not just in the U.S., but for companies worldwide.
Responding to safety scrutiny: Tesla CEO more direct than most
June 26, 2017
It’s something of a tradition in workplace safety to observe how different company cultures react to bad news about accidents, hazardous conditions, OSHA penalties, worker complaints and negative press. In my experience, most of the time defenses go up immediately.
Another distraction? Digital billboards have defenders and critics
June 1, 2017
The dark, misty highway made the digital boards hard to ignore. They are also visible from a greater distance. You notice them sooner. Which of course is the point of outdoor advertising. But I thought, this seems like another form of distracted driving.
Arc flash protection myths & mistakes
‘It won’t happen here’ is dangerous complacency
June 1, 2017
The statistics are well known. Each day three or four workers are killed due to electrical related accidents, according to NIOSH. A Michigan burn center found that 34 percent of patients injured on the job received flash injuries.
Talking politics leads to distraction & hostility
June 1, 2017
Looks like we’re going to have to outfit workers with wearable devices to monitor their blood pressure and heartbeat to be on the alert when stress levels driven by office and assembly line political chatter get dangerously high strung.
Protecting hands from shock & arc flash
A new ASTM standard will broaden your choices
May 11, 2017
Despite the potential for serious injuries and fatalities, gloves were not considered when arc flash standards for clothing were first developed in the 1990s. For years electrical industry safety experts wanted the same type of rating on gloves as they had for clothing and face shields.
Know your NFPA 70E® training requirements
Both qualified and unqualified employees need protection
May 1, 2017
NFPA states that hundreds of deaths and thousands of burn injuries occur each year due to shock, electrocution, arc flash, and arc blast — and most could be prevented through compliance with NFPA 70E: Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace®.
It’s time to take care of mental health issues
Tackling the last workplace taboo
May 1, 2017
Businesses by and large would rather not know about employees’ mental struggles, and related so-called weaknesses and fragility, and employees don’t want managers and supervisors to know out of fear of losing their jobs. This is a dangerous silence all around.
ISHN OSHA survey: Back to the future
Support for a standards halt; more education; expanded VPP
April 3, 2017
On February 15, Labor-Secretary nominee Andrew Puzder withdrew his name from consideration after it became clear he lacked the necessary Senate Republican support to be confirmed. Puzder had drawn criticism for opposing the minimum wage and expanding overtime eligibility.
Oil and gas industry safety spending rebounds
Based on exclusive ISHN reader research
April 1, 2017
BNP Media’s Market Research Division, in conjunction with ISHN, conducted a survey of the 2017 safety and health plans of oil and gas and utility/energy professionals.
How many companies care about home life?
April 1, 2017
An executive coach says when he asks senior leaders what safety means to them, many pause and say, “Well, safety means everybody gets to go home.” What, are we fighting a war?
Know all the causes of arc flash accidents
Are careless employees always to blame?
March 1, 2017
Areview of the literature on the causes of arc flash and other electrical accidents most often points to worker carelessness as the number one problem. “Carelessness” may be too broad of a generalization.
Seriously, walking 10,000 steps every day?
Walking from Maine to Colorado isn’t for everyone
February 6, 2017
You probably know that walking 10,000 steps a day is the new “magic metric” for the health-conscious. Ten years ago if you asked someone how many steps a day they should walk, you’d get a shoulder shrug. Nobody counted steps.
Seriously, walking 10,000 steps every day?
Walking from Maine to Colorado isn’t for everyone
February 1, 2017
You probably know that walking 10,000 steps a day is the new “magic metric” for the health-conscious. Ten years ago if you asked someone how many steps a day they should walk, you’d get a shoulder shrug. Nobody counted steps.
What you need to know about selecting lightweight footwear
Taking care of tired feet
February 1, 2017
Tired feet in and of itself is not a medical condition, though it can lead to medical problems. This article focuses the role proper industrial footwear plays in reducing the hurt of tired or fatigued feet.
The EHS State of the Nation 2017: Part 1
ISHN magazine’s exclusive survey of environmental health and safety professionals
January 13, 2017
Part 1 of 2 - Who is today’s EHS professional?
Entering 2017, your typical EHS pro is a 53-year-old male, a baby boomer, with at least 20 years of experience in the field, primarily practicing in a safety function. He works for a privately-held company and makes $75,000 per year.
The EHS State of the Nation 2017: Part 2
ISHN magazine’s exclusive survey of environmental health and safety professionals
January 13, 2017
Part 2 of 2 – EHS forecast for 2017
The bottom line question entering 2017 – and every year – is what do resource allocations look like for EHS departments?
What’s hot, what’s not for 2017?
ISHN’s “EHS State of the Nation” survey reveals goals & priorities
January 12, 2017
In September and October 2016, BNP Media Research conducted an online survey of ISHN readers, asking many of you and your peers about program goals and priorities for the coming year.
The EHS State of the Nation 2017
ISHN magazine’s exclusive survey of environmental health and safety professionals
January 12, 2017
Part 1 - Who is today’s EHS professional? Entering 2017, your typical EHS pro is a 53-year-old male, a baby boomer, with at least 20 years of experience in the field, primarily practicing in a safety function. He works for a privately-held company and makes $75,000 per year. In smaller firms, he reports to the CEO or owner. In larger organizations, safety reports to operations and human resources most frequently.
Exclusive research reports on the state of the market
Safety department resources 2017
January 1, 2017
The bottom line question entering 2017 – and every year – what do resource allocations look like for safety and health departments?
What’s hot, what’s not for 2017?
ISHN’s “EHS State of the Nation” survey reveals goals & priorities
January 1, 2017
In September and October 2016, BNP Media Research conducted an online survey of ISHN readers, asking many of you and your peers about program goals and priorities for the coming year.
