A discussion in a recent workshop caused me to reflect on the relationship between our work in Visual Literacy and how it integrates with established practices defined by the Hierarchy of Controls. It is critical that through Visual Literacy we improve our ability to see the hazards that can easily disappear into the background.

Turner Construction Company in Northlake, Illinois has established a partnership with OSHA to help protect employees who will be building the CH2 Data Center in Northlake. The partnership includes trade unions and 15 subcontractors, with a combined workforce of more than 500 employees.

DuPont Sustainable Solutions (DSS) today launched The Risk Factor, a new personal risk awareness approach that applies the latest research in neuroscience and affective psychology to help employees make safer decisions on and off the job.

An arc flash explosion at the Idaho National Laboratory last year has earned a contractor a $60,000 fine from federal regulators. Battelle Energy Alliance (BEA) has also been ordered to make safety improvements.

Step 1 – Pre-Job Planning. As Steven Covey said, begin with the end in mind. If you want your project to end safely, create solid safety specifications for any contractor that walks into the door, rather than leaving it to chance.

We all know some jobs carry a higher risk than others. Often when we start a job, task or activity we are aware and cautious of this risk. As time goes on, many of us become comfortable, with a false sense of security of the dangers associated with the task we’re undertaking.