Saturday / March 25th, 2023
safety issues

FINALLY… a Safety Share Worth Sharing

This unique safety share is brought to you by Safety Culture Strategies. Historically, there have been a series of challenges with some traditional safety shares. Examples include having to stage the incident, static pictures of the hospital exterior, low resolution videos, monotone voice overs that can drone on and on. In other words, safety shares that can be somewhat dry in nature and in some instances, downright boring. In turn, we should not be surprised that so many of them do not resonate with viewers. With this perspective, SCS is offering the following safety share. This video captures a vehicular accident in real time, with multiple camera views, and is professionally produced. Of even greater importance, the passenger involved in the accident is very candid about what he could have done to prevent same. In other words, he is more than willing to “own his errors.” Although a few scenes may be a little disturbing to some viewers, the goal of this safety share to provide an approach that can resonate across any organization. I encourage all of you to pass on this safety share to your co-workers, friends, and neighbors. I also encourage leaders to ensure the “take aways” are discussed during routine management meetings. As I’ve mentioned on numerous occasions, every company has a culture, but… is it the culture you want? Until next time, wishing you all the best in your safety culture journey.
Read More
safety issues

How Strong is your Safety Culture?

, ,
How important is recognizing the strength of a comprehensive safety culture in  your company? For many years, a lot companies viewed safety programs as an inconvenience or a “tax” that had to be tolerated. Fortunately, due to the ongoing efforts of progressive corporate leadership, successful companies have begun to recognize the importance of leadership commitment, employee engagement, effective communications, and other key safety culture attributes. In turn, this can directly impact the financial bottom line. In other words, an effective safety culture “pays” for itself through increased safety, enhanced productivity, and reduced attrition. Read more here….
Read More
safety issues

Management by Walking Around (MBWA)

Management by Walking Around (Versus Just Stumbling About) has been embraced by numerous companies which have begun to appreciate the importance of Senior Management presence in the “field” with their personnel. This need is further reinforced by a recent Gallup Poll that identified only 30% of employees consider themselves engaged. Even more disturbing, a 2019 Liberty Mutual Group Report identified employee compensation costs approaching approximately $56B per year. Additional considerations include attrition, reduced morale, loss of productivity, and lack of employee support for future company initiatives. Management presence in the field has been addressed by numerous titles, with one of the most recognized being Management by Walking Around (MBWA). While worthwhile, employees can become inadvertently further disengaged due to management efforts that are well intentioned, but counterproductive. Examples include employees not being comfortable talking with management, no feedback being provided, and efforts being viewed as merely a symbolic show of supposed management interest. Candidly, most managers are better off not spending time in the field if they don’t have a comprehensive strategy. While there have a series of publications addressing this topic, here are a few thoughts to consider: Listen more, talk less. People driven. You don’t know what you don’t know. Ongoing process. Finally, results of MBWA efforts need to be formally reviewed, and acted upon, by senior management. As noted by Ms. Carly Fiorina: “The goal is to turn data into information and information into insight.” What to learn more? Simply complete the form below to receive an…
Read More
safety issues
covid-19 featured image

Keep it Simple AND Safe!

Techniques to Reduce Potential Exposure to the COVID-19 Over the last few weeks, I have had a series of conversations with my clients and colleagues regarding the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). While some insight has been gained, there is still a lot to be learned. This includes the vulnerability of COVID-19 at elevated temperatures, similar to the more commonly encountered influenzas (e.g., the Flu), which wane after the Winter season. A lot of information is being published regarding COVID-19, including the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring a Pandemic Alert on March 11, 2020. While this type of alert can assist with enhancing awareness of the need for countries to take additional measures to protect their citizens, here are few tips that can assist you, your family, as well as your employees with reducing potential exposure to COVID-19. Note: these techniques are based upon input from both the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the WHO. Frequently wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soapy warm water. The soap suspends bacterial material from your skin, with the water washing the combination down the drain. While this may sound overly simplistic, it truly one on the most effective methods. If soap and water are not readily available, use your preferred hand sanitizer. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands. The mucous membranes in these areas can serve as a transport mechanism for COVID-19 to enter your system. Avoid close contact with individuals who are ill. In other…
Read More
safety issues

Safety Culture Enhancements

, , ,
Over the last few years, use of safety culture has unfortunately become a “one size fits all” catch phrase. In some instances, companies profess to having a strong safety culture simply because they only have a few injuries. They are then completely taken by surprise with having to address a significant injury or fatality. SCS has the expertise to assist organizations with development and deployment of programs/processes that support true cultural shifts in support of long-term success and continuous improvement. Performance Measures One of the topics that is extensively discussed, and is rarely fully understood, is the use of performance measures (e.g., metrics). All too often, OSHA DART/TRC rates are relied upon to determine the “health” of a given company. Unfortunately, these rates are merely a function of a calculator versus an actual portrayal of the collective health of the organization. Over the years, SCS has been called upon to serve as speaker at national safety conferences to address these concepts as well as assisting a series of companies with development of performance measures that are actionable and maintain traction year after year. More importantly, these performance measures can also assist with reducing the potential for a significant injury/incident to occur. Oversight and Auditing All too often, companies are faced with a myriad of findings from an external review (e.g., oversight, audit) that lack any big picture perspective. More importantly, a lot of the so-called findings do not address overall significance, which can result in a “so what” response from…
Read More
safety issues
accidents_meter

OSHA RECORDABLE RATES

,
OSHA Rates Rarely Portray Actual Company Health Since inception of OSHA in 1970, there has been an increasing focus on reduced OSHA Recordable Rates. This is understandable since the rates influence insurance costs, ability to bid on new projects, and even annual bonuses. While OSHA Recordable Rates have been trending downward, there has not been a similar correlation regarding Serious Injuries/Fatalities (SIFs). Perhaps you have noticed an recent up-tick in your workplace regarding safety-related issues that have the potential for serious injury? More troubling, during 2016, the number of fatalities actually increased by approximately 7% and the number of fatalities is at the highest since 2008. What are some of the solutions discussed amongst your peers to mitigate this troubling trend? https://www.bls.gov/article This is puzzling for many companies since they expect SIFs to reduce along with Recordable Rates. However, this simply isn’t the case, due to a series of contributing factors. Examples include: stressors negatively impacting safety culture tenets not being effectively addressed, lack of a robust investigation process, and senior management not being sufficiently quizzical regarding underlaying issues. Today, there is a need for companies like Safety Culture Strategies offering tailored metrics that enable recognition of desired behaviors as well as being able to monitor conditions that could contribute to SIF conditions. How can we connect to discuss safety culture solutions to reduce the potential for SIFs at your company in a proactive, and manageable, manner? Call SCS today! (702) 780-1410
Read More
safety issues

Safe + Sound Week 2018

, ,
MAKING SAFETY PERSONAL What Is Safe + Sound Week? A nationwide event to raise awareness and understanding of the value of safety and health programs that include management leadership, worker participation, and a systematic approach to finding and fixing hazards in workplaces. Why Participate? Safe workplaces are sound businesses. Successful safety and health programs can proactively identify and manage workplace hazards before they cause injury or illness, improving sustainability and the bottom line. Participating in Safe + Sound Week can help get your program started or energize an existing one. Who Is Encouraged to Participate? Organizations of any size or in any industry looking for an opportunity to show their commitment to safety to workers, customers, the public, or supply chain partners should participate. How to Participate Participating in Safe + Sound Week is easy. To get started, select the activities you would like to do at your workplace. You can host an event just for your workers or host a public event to engage your community. Examples of potential activities and tools to help you plan and promote your events are available. After you’ve completed your events, you can download a certificate and web badge to recognize your organization and your workers. Try one of the following activities as part of Safe + Sound Week, at safety meetings, or at any workplace gatherings throughout the year. These engaging activities can increase participation in safety and health programs by getting managers and workers thinking about and discussing what safety on…
Read More
safety issues

BILLION DOLLARS FOR SAFETY

According to the recently released 2018 Liberty Mutual Workplace Study Index, U.S. businesses spend more than $1 billion dollars per week addressing serious, nonfatal, workplace injuries. Top causes included overexertion, falls, and struck by objects or equipment. [click here learn more]. Safety Culture Strategies can assist companies with avoiding these costs through implementation of “Best You” processes to enhance employee engagement, increase morale, and reduce absenteeism.
Read More