Safety Simplified Blog

Believe it or not, employees are often more likely to get injured off the job than on the job. These injuries are costly to the employee, their family, and their employer. When employees are at work, they are in a structured environment where safety is paramount. When employees are at home, the environment is less […]

I recently delivered a presentation on employee accountability to a group of managers. Rather than focus on the traditional command and control approach, I focused on accountability as it pertained to safety. Importance of Accountability In The Workplace Accountability is being responsible for someone or some actions. Although some relate accountability to discipline or punishment, […]

Be prepared for winter as old man winter will undoubtedly throw us a few curveballs over the next several months. With this in mind, I thought it would be a good idea to review a few cold related illnesses and preventive measures. Hypothermia Hypothermia occurs when normal body temperature falls below 95 degrees Fahrenheit as […]

The popularity of online training is at a record high. Many organizations are benefiting from this efficient and effective approach. When it comes to choosing the right type of content, it is important to consider several factors. Course Length A recent study indicated that the average attention span decreased by 50% over the last decade. […]

One of my latest blogs discussed the Five Why approach to root cause incident analysis. While this approach provides an easy to use tool for minor incident or those with less potential, it does have limitations. This blog discusses the Fishbone Process. This method was initially developed to identify quality issues but can be applied […]

Throughout my career I have assisted many organizations with their progressive disciplinary processes. They are often surprised that I view discipline as an opportunity to improve performance rather than a punishment. In my opinion it is much easier to improve an employee’s performance than to find their replacement. Do not get me wrong, discipline is […]

“Five Why” analysis is a systematic approach used to identify the causal factors and root cause of incidents such as injuries and near misses. Consider this example. A company I once worked with consistently experienced slips and falls on a walkway between two warehouses during winter months. Snow and ice would continually build up on […]

Lessons learned; meaning we learn from experience. A simple but accurate statement. I was struggling to figure out a topic for this month’s blog when it dawned on me. Why not share a few personal experiences that may help others improve their safety message. Compliance versus Commitment It would be difficult to argue that maintaining […]

Safety professionals have relied on the The Hierarchy of Controls for many years. It is a proven methodology for eliminating, reducing, and controlling exposure in the workplace. Less exposure equals less harm to employees. The Hierarchy of Controls consists of five control methods: Elimination Substitution Engineering Controls Administrative Controls Personal Protective Equipment The idea behind […]

I have witnessed many different approaches and learned many valuable lessons over my 25-year career in safety. Most importantly, I have learned that safety leaders and organizations must balance the need for regulatory compliance with a commitment to their most valuable asset, their employees. Compliance It would be ridiculous to argue that maintaining compliance with […]

If someone were to use the term “social distancing” a year ago it may have been met with blank stares and curious looks. In today’s environment it is hard to have a conversation, read an article, or turn on the news without hearing this term. Social distancing is “a public health and safety intervention used […]

Routine safety inspections are a great way to identify, eliminate and control hazards in the work environment. In addition to focusing on the types of hazards at your facility, it is important to have the right team involved in the routine safety inspection process. Assembling the Team Involving multiple employees in the routine inspections not […]

On any given day, facilities are likely to experience events that may cause injury, property damage, or other undesired outcomes. Implementing a process to capture, analyze, and communicate these near miss events will have a tremendous impact on safety. What is a Near Miss Event? A near miss is an unplanned event that may not […]