Just because something stinks, does not mean it is it toxic.  Sewage treatment plants stink, but those I’ve consulted with did not have toxic concentrations of any air borne contaminants.  Clearly not all unpleasant odors are health hazards. A few years ago a company introduced a new chemical on the production floor.  This chemical...

Let’s say you need some new safety signs and posters and you intend to print them using your office ink jet printer.  But after they’re printed how are you going to hang them?  Besides the usual tape or stick pins, here are three other ways that you might want...

To be an effective safety manager you will need the trust, respect and cooperation of the workers.   I didn’t learn this in school, I learned it through 40-years of experience on the work floor.  Below are the twelve maxims that have helped me to improve my relationship and credibility with factory workers:  Spend lots of...

Major workplace accidents that result in serious injuries (including deaths) are stressful, confusing, and chaotic emergencies.   Fortunately, these catastrophic events are rare and most of us have little (or no) experience with them.  But should one happen on your watch, what would you do?  To help you cope with one of these rare traumatic events, I’ve...

In today’s economy, some employees may feel compelled to turn in fraudulent workers compensation claims.  In some cases there may exist an economic incentive for employees to try to get their non-work injury covered by workers compensation insurance.  For example, if an employer does not offer health insurance benefits, the...

Early in my safety career, if an employer needed to provide hearing protection to their employees they would buy just one type of ear plug and make everyone wear them.   Back in those days, industry was fond of hiring executives and managers who had a military background.   Because of...

 There are three things that an employer should never “force” an employee to do… “Work at heights”  –  Some employees are afraid of heights .  This is called acrophobia.  An employee with this disorder may fear being on a ladder, scaffold or even working near the edge of a mezzanine. ...