SafetyXChange

The First Safety Committee

Glenn Demby, Esq. — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 17:36:04 +0000

Q: Who invented the safety committee? A: Apparently, the first safety committee was established by George Eastman at Eastman Kodak in 1911. At least that’s the first reference to a safety committee I could find. If any of you SafetyXChange members know of an earlier example, please e-mail me at glennd@bongarde.com and [...]

Safety Committees In The U.S.

Glenn Demby, Esq. — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 17:34:47 +0000

Unlike Canada, OSHA laws don’t require companies to establish health and safety committees at their workplace. However, U.S. companies are also subject to state law and there are at least 14 states that do make safety committees mandatory: California Connecticut Michigan Minnesota Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire North Carolina Oklahoma Oregon Tennessee Washington West Virginia In addition, 5 states recommend the implementation of a safety [...]

6 Safety Committee Best Practices

Dilys Robertson — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 17:32:09 +0000

Over the years, I have written extensively about what we in Canada call Joint Health and Safety Committees. One of the things I do is interview leaders of successful committees and gather up their best practices. I have written a book summarizing my findings. Here’s a small taste of some of [...]

Is Your Home Safe When You Go on Vacation?

Catherine Jones — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:53:03 +0000

Here’s some timely advice from the Government of Canada: For many people, summer means vacation and a vacation can mean leaving your home for a longer period of time than usual. Many people who go on vacation wonder if their house will be safe while they are away. When you go on vacation, [...]

Tips for Building a Culture of Safety

Phil Johnson — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:50:32 +0000

A culture of safety is not just a new set of rules; it is a new philosophy of preventing injury in the workplace. In a true safety culture, safe behavior is not something the boss makes you do; it is a vital part of your job. An unsafe worker is an uneducated [...]

How to Use Search Engines to Your Advantage

Lauryn Franzoni — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 18:17:31 +0000

Google and other Internet search engines have changed job seeking like they’ve changed everything else. What hath Google wrought? And how can you, as safety professionals, take advantage of Google to enhance your job search and career prospects? Here are three quick tips. 1. Give Yourself a Regular Google Understand that Google has become a tool for [...]

July 26, 2002, The Quecreek Mine Miracle

Glenn Demby, Esq. — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:35:50 +0000

Any time a worker survives a mine accident, it feels like a miracle. Multiplied by 9, it’s like a miracle on steroids. So what happened 8 years ago on this date in the Pennsylvania Quecreek Mine is a tale worth retelling. It began 2 days earlier, on July 24. At 8:50 [...]

4 Ways to Cut Yourself Some Slack in a Hectic Schedule

Dave Duncan — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 17:50:42 +0000

When people are faced with too much month and too little pay, they are often forced to draw up and follow a budget. Just as money can be saved that way, it’s also possible to budget your time more wisely and reduce stress. The following time-saving tips, applying to activities both on and [...]

How to Maximize Your Time

Dave Duncan — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 17:49:11 +0000

Busy people often wish for more hours in the day, but leadership consultant Joelle Jay, Ph.D, says, “When you maximize your time, you actually do have more hours in the day.” Jay, president of Pillar Consulting, says the key to maximizing time is following these five shortcuts: 1. Modeling: In many industries, modeling [...]

Using the Audit Toolkit to Measure Your Compliance

Earl DelGrosso — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 21:01:50 +0000

Pressure to increase productivity, tighter profit margins, cuts in work forces and safety staff. It seems like a very good time to audit whether your current operations are compliant with all relevant health and safety laws. I have developed a comprehensive auditing tool that I’m willing to share with any organizations [...]