Our company has been roofing/remodeling injury-free since inception in 2004. The behavior of people is the predominant cause of accidents and the variable that is most easily changed. Although this article is based on our roofing experiences, the principles are easily applied to any industry, especially those that involve hard labor, high turnover, or dangerous conditions.
It is called the Batter’s Eye. You can find one in every Major League Baseball park and stadium. But the question is, where are they located? And the next question is, how do they work?
According to OSHA, businesses spend almost $1 billion per week on costs related to occupational injuries and illnesses. “In today's business environment,” according to OSHA, “these costs can be the difference between operating in the black and running in the red.”
The focus on human performance has quickly become no more than human error of yesteryear. I’m amazed at how many “neuroscience solutions” there suddenly are that can fix human (safety) performance.
You can’t deny the critical role of human dynamics when analyzing contributing factors to a workplace injury, or when developing interventions to prevent injuries and improve occupational safety and health.
Each year when OSHA reports its most frequently violated standards, the control of hazardous energy, also known as lockout tagout (1910.147) consistently appears high on the list of greatest offenders. In fact, citations for improper lockout tagout procedures ranked fifth on OSHA’s 2018 top 10 most frequently cited standards list, with nearly 3,000 violations.
Company works with Cal/OSHA, On-Site Consultation Program
June 24, 2019
When it came to improving their safety and health management system, a California materials technology company found that getting employees actively involved in moving toward a safety culture was a challenge. "For us, progress started with making small changes, gradually adding more changes once prior changes had been successfully implemented," said Angela Rayfield, Human Resources Manager of Luxfer Superform.
Manufacturers across the nation are facing an industry-wide workforce shortage. Between the aging workforce and fewer graduates seeking careers in the trades, the gap is growing, rapidly. The struggle to attract and retain talent is evident. Industry leaders are asking: How do manufacturers in the modern age create an appealing culture for the next generation?
The employee empowerment process is something we usually see discussed in the pages of Forbes or Bloomberg Businessweek, but empowerment is just as important for you and your workers as it is for the C-Suite. In fact, given that safety is on the line, it may be even more important. We’ve spoken to safety managers in various industries about how they empower their workers.
If something doesn't bring you joy, popular wisdom advises to get rid of it. Yet, supply chain managers don't have that luxury. Everything in their inventories has a reason to be there. That means organizing is much more complicated than for the average homeowner, and much more important.