Years ago, I learned a technique that helped people learn more effectively. It is based upon the premise if you learn something in a particular physiological position and state of mind you will be able to remember it much easier in the same physical position and emotional state.

As regulators change their view on the relationship of worker safety to contractors and their customers, more companies are using a prospective supplier’s safety record as criteria for awarding business. Some shops have lost profitable contracts to competitors with better safety records. And that’s not all.

Enforcement ... does that mean discipline? Wait … what is discipline? As I was growing up and in need of firm guidance, discipline was often kicked off when my papa told me, “You’re in a heap a’ trouble, boy.”

A fundamental right afforded by the Occupational Safety and Health Act is the right to report safety concerns without fear of reprisal or retribution of any kind. OSHA’s Whistleblower Protection Program was established to investigate alleged violations of this right.

“Safety officer stopped a job after observing unsafe condition, but line supervisor ordered the job to continue citing high priority, and the project manager agreed with line supervisor's decision. There was one lost-time injury during the job. The management already formed its opinion about the safety officer because the job belongs to one of their favorite customers, but later called for full investigation. Whose job should be saved?

As a famous cliché reads: the devil is in the details. I often get asked about the details of a viable safety accountability culture. An example of visible executive involvement is personal commitment to safety accountability (S/A), to be involved in a review and discussion of appropriate actions for all significant incidents and near misses.

"Everything you are going to do is going to affect others for the rest of your life. So if you get injured, it's an impact that's going to affect everybody," says Gary Norland, a former lineman and electrical accident survivor.

“We suffer in this age from an indifference toward criminality and a callousness to catastrophe when it comes to poor and working people.” That quote comes from retired Princeton professor Dr. Cornel West in a recent interview in the London-based newspaper The Guardian. Dr. West has been called the firebrand of American academia for almost 30 years.

I was in McPherson, Kansas speaking at the National Cooperative Refinery Association. I arrived to find a great training room they were using for their meetings. They had it set up perfectly to create the best learning environment possible. I will share with you a few things you can do to make your meetings more effective from a logistical viewpoint.