Recently I had a student who reads my blog, and is a senior at Slippery Rock University for a BS in Safety Management contact me to discuss Safety as a career. I felt great that someone actually reads my blog.
He paid me a compliment, telling me that my blog gave him some practical advice, something that he has not much of being in school still. He is doing an internship that is giving him field experience.
In my first email to him, I tried to impart some wisdom from my experiences and my mistakes. I had taken so much time, thought, and effort to help him out with my response, that I realized that this list would make an excellant blog post. The following is taken from my response to him, cleaned up a little, spell and grammar checked:
Here are the 10 things that I have learned about Safety:
1.) Training Certifications: The best things that you can be is an outreach trainer for the OSHA 10/30 hour for General Industry, OSHA 10/30 hour for Construction, and to be a powered industrial truck (forklift) trainer. The training is really good and helps you to do hands on training.
The OSHA 10/30 hour courses are great, you meet other professionals (both as students and teachers), you can gain practical, in-the-field knowledge from these people, the OSHA materials (and knowledge you gain) are invaluable. Best of all, most employers will pay for you to go.
2.) ASP, CSP CHST and OHST: I see a lot of companies look for ASP, CSP CHST and OHST designation, I never went for mine since my job did not depend upon the designation. I have been told by people who have them, if you know safety (either from hands on, a formal education, or a combination of both), and with some intense review, you will pass. I am now considering going for my ASP or CSP to add to my credentials.
3.) Keep It Interesting: School is boring. It was the same from grade school through high school as it is now. The average American blue collar worker is doing his warehouse/construction job/etc. because he does not want to be an engineer.
When most safety engineers, trainers, managers, etc. do safety training, employees "space out," don't pay attention, or get distracted (I learned this in my early "classroom lecture" sessions), because the training is very boring. Too many numbers to memorize (21" midrail, 4' fall protection, 9.81m/s2 gravity, etc.). Einstein stated, "Never memorize something that you can look up."
My training philosophy is simple, I want you to simply answer the question' "Am I doing my job in the safest way possible?" If not, I want them to know where to find the answer (i.e. know how to read the OSHA Standard) or ask to someone who knows. When I am doing training (this works best over the course of a couple months, but you can also use with 2 day training sessions too), I ask at the beginning how many people wear or make their children wear PPE when they cut their own grass, use power saw, etc. at home. I usually get about 50%. By the end of training it is 90%. This is how I measure the effectiveness of training.
"Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school." - Albert Einstein
4.) W. Edwards Deming: I apply the teachings of W. Edwards Deming (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._Edwards_Deming) to my training, one example: (Deming believed) the production worker knows more about the process than management. The production worker knows (more than management) how to ensure quality (safety) the best. Statistical Quality Control: I watch claims to look for trends in my organization to find things that are becoming a problem.
Basically just replace the word "quality" in Deming's teachings with the word "safety."
5.) It is all about the question: Just like Philosophy, Safety should pursue questions rather than answers. The responsibility of philosophy is not so much to answer our questions as to question given answers.
See: http://www.uri.edu/personal/szunjic/philos/whystudy.htm (Philosophy in general) and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophical_method (the Philosophical method).
When I see someone working, I will ask, "should you be wearing safety glasses?" Now I do not expect them to just put on safety glasses and continue working, I want them to justify to me why they should or should not be wearing them. Regardless of the answer, even if it was "I am being dumb," it is a learning moment.
6.) Hands On: W. Edwards Deming's teachings also taught me that people learn more by doing. I prefer to "go in the field," watch how people work, participate (this goes a long way in building report and respect). The people you are training begin to think, "the safety guy is not too good to get his hands dirty or to do my job," they open up more to what you say, and they get trained as they work. This integrates safety in to their job. Now they think part of my job is being safe, wearing PPE and NOT I do my job, now I have a 2nd job to be safe, I can't do 2 things at once."
7.) Safety is about the bottom line: Think Pinto (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Pinto): Ford allegedly was aware of the design flaw, refused to pay for a redesign, and decided it would be cheaper to pay off possible lawsuits. The first thing that business cuts is safety, marketing is the second. You have to show how safety saves money: it improves quality, cuts costs. Those costs are mainly insurance: workers' comp, liability, etc. You should be familiar with insurance terms and how it works. Even companies that say "because it is the right thing to do" say it because there is a financial benefit.
Note: I think that Ford does an excellent job with safety and I would highly recommend them. I currently drive a Ford, and my last 2 cars were Fords.
Note: This does not mean that "doing the right thing" is not really their philosophy, I would like to believe that all companies and all people are inherently good and strive to do the right thing. Even if it is your philosophy, you do not have to say it, AND there is a financial benefit from saying it.
8.) I do not always agree with OSHA: Take the "OSHA cowboy," for example. You need common sense. OSHA is also incorporating too many ANSI standards. That is good to "standardize" in a global economy (Like the GHS for labeling), but to access ANSI standards, companies have to buy them. If OSHA says that your program has to meet ANSI standard XXX.xxx, then where do you find the ANSI standard XXX.xxx? Saying PPE safety glasses meet ANSI z87 is fine. I also believe in personal responsibility. I train that "You are ultimately responsible for your own safety."
9.) Never stop learning: Even though I have an MBA, insurance licenses, state safety inspection license, I am an OSHA outreach trainer, various other certificates and certifications, I continue to learn. I am continuing part-time for a CIS (Computer Information Systems)/Web Development degree part time at the local community college. I am just over half-way done with it.
Joining ASSE (American Society of Safety Engineers) let me meet people with years of knowledge who were willing to share and help me with my professional career. I have been a member for over 10 years! I also keep up to date with a number of safety web sites. I like web sites that let me scan the headlines and open/read the stories that interest me. Professional friends and colleagues go a long way. If you are stuck, ask them. Somebody has dealt with this before, and can give you a quick answer.
10.) Technology: we live in a technological world. Years ago you could do a job by learning that discipline. Today you need that discipline plus knowledge about technology. Accountants use to need to know just the "bookkeeping" aspect of what they do. Today, they also need to know the computer programs that do it (Peachtree, Great Plains/MS, Quickbooks, MS Office Oracle, SAP).
Safety professionals too need the same skills. To really excel, you need to be able to make your company's written safety program web-based. What about web-based training? How do convert a Power Point to a video? Is your online training SCORM compliant? What if the company you work for uses Oracle's HR system? OSHA is an example of the use of technology making it a very good online safety resource.
Many companies use Twitter, Facebook, other social media, and expect some of their employees (usually upper management) to do the same (to promote the brand). Now there is a new thing called "Social Learning." It is the use/intergration of social media into the teaching/learning (online) model.
Younger people have an advantage with social media. I do know some insurance brokers who have their administrative assistant do Twitter/Facebook/blog posts on their behalf. There are not enough hours in a day to keep up with social media. Large companies have in-house social media departments and there are many new companies that manage social media for companies or individuals.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Friday, April 27, 2012
High Visibility Clothing
High visibility clothing is fast becoming the norm for industry. Europe,
the Middle East, and Asia have strong requirements for workers to wear hi-vis clothing, many people are wearing it for non-work-related activities, Europe has hi-vis requirements for stranded motorists, and here in the US there are more and more requirements for workers.
Europe (especially England) have the strongest requirements for hi-vis clothing. They look a bit odd when you are not used to them, but they are worn fairly rigorously by construction workers, police, and others likely to be crossing in the way of traffic at unexpected times and places. This is carrying over to children walking to school, and a host of other
It has not caught on in the US yet. I compare hi-vis clothing to the aritcle I once read in a discussion of why bicycle helmets aren't really thick enough to prevent concussions: "when helmets get too thick, they look like a mushroom on the rider's head, and consumer acceptance drops like a stone." US cyclists who dress up like Tour de France riders and worry about whether their heads look like mushrooms.
This may have something to do with the observation (made with respect to automobile-buying tastes) that Europeans are more concerned with avoiding accidents, while Americans (despite their self-image as can-do optimists) are fatalistic about accidents, and largely concerned with surviving them.
British workers installing solar panels wearing hi-vis vests, but NOT wearing fall protection. (The vests make it easier to find the bodies.)
Irish workers in hi-vis clothing.
In the United States in 2008, it became law that if you are standing on the side of the road doing any kind of reporting you MUST wear a safety vest.
Dubai is dictating that cyclists must wear helmets and high-visibility jackets.
It's a "high visibility" kilt made by Blåkläder, which is the European equivalent of Dickies here in the states (both produce quality workwear). This was obviously geared toward the Scottish road/construction crews. Apparently it was also discovered by the young rave crowd in Britain.
A wine taster at the Moss Wood Vinards in Australia
Workers in South Africa.
Beckham meets workers on his trip to Stratford.
Children in Europe wear hi-vis clothing to and from school.
The Queen wearing a hi-vis vest.
Law enforcement throughout Europe wear hi-vis clothing. Here are Sweedish police officers. Even their vehicle is hi-vis.
Sarah Brown of England's Labour Party.
Even protesters are wearing hi-vis clothing.
Poland-debt-summit
British protesters wearing hi-vis vests.
Greece; Protestors with safety vests and gas masks. Protesting against austerity cuts.
Can safety be taken too far?
Spanish prostitutes (Prostitution legal in Spain) have been ordered to wear reflective safety vests for their own safety, according to reports. Women working on rural roadsides in Catalonia must don the vests to avoid a €40 ($56) fine.
Europe (especially England) have the strongest requirements for hi-vis clothing. They look a bit odd when you are not used to them, but they are worn fairly rigorously by construction workers, police, and others likely to be crossing in the way of traffic at unexpected times and places. This is carrying over to children walking to school, and a host of other
It has not caught on in the US yet. I compare hi-vis clothing to the aritcle I once read in a discussion of why bicycle helmets aren't really thick enough to prevent concussions: "when helmets get too thick, they look like a mushroom on the rider's head, and consumer acceptance drops like a stone." US cyclists who dress up like Tour de France riders and worry about whether their heads look like mushrooms.
This may have something to do with the observation (made with respect to automobile-buying tastes) that Europeans are more concerned with avoiding accidents, while Americans (despite their self-image as can-do optimists) are fatalistic about accidents, and largely concerned with surviving them.
British workers installing solar panels wearing hi-vis vests, but NOT wearing fall protection. (The vests make it easier to find the bodies.)
Poland-debt-summit
Can safety be taken too far?
Spanish prostitutes (Prostitution legal in Spain) have been ordered to wear reflective safety vests for their own safety, according to reports. Women working on rural roadsides in Catalonia must don the vests to avoid a €40 ($56) fine.
Then and Now
I am sure that you have seen this picture before. "Lunch atop a Skyscraper" (New York Construction Workers Lunching on a Crossbeam) is a famous black-and-white photograph taken by Charles C. Ebbets during construction of the RCA Building (renamed as the GE Building in 1986) at Rockefeller Center in New York City, United States.
The photograph depicts eleven men eating lunch, seated on a girder with their feet dangling hundreds of feet above the New York City streets. Ebbets took the photo on September 29, 1932 on the 69th floor of the RCA Building during the last months of construction. It appeared in the Sunday photo supplement of the New York Herald Tribune on October 2, 1932.
I came across this picture. It was done using Lego people. Much safer than trying to pose 11 people on a beam 69 stories in the air.
Then this picture caught my eye. It is the modern version of "Lunch atop a Skyscraper." This was taken overseas, perhaps Asia or the Middle East (I believe). Notice the differences: everyone wearing hard hats, high visibility coats, work pants, and of course fall protection.
I don't know that they are doing this the correct way, I can not see if their fall protection is tied off to anything. It still is a long way from the original.
The photograph depicts eleven men eating lunch, seated on a girder with their feet dangling hundreds of feet above the New York City streets. Ebbets took the photo on September 29, 1932 on the 69th floor of the RCA Building during the last months of construction. It appeared in the Sunday photo supplement of the New York Herald Tribune on October 2, 1932.
I don't know that they are doing this the correct way, I can not see if their fall protection is tied off to anything. It still is a long way from the original.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Big Brother is Watching You!
I know that this is off the topic of safety, but it is a subject that is just as important.
Our government is about to attack our most basic human right: free speech.
Right now, the U.S. Congress is considering legislation that could fatally damage the free and open Internet. These bills, SOPA and PIPA, are being pushed by the recording industry and movie industry.
To raise awareness, and since I cannot black out this website, I am posting on the matter. We stand in solidarity with hundreds of other sites such as Wikipedia and Google.
Learn more here.
You can do something about it. Contact your representatives (zip code look up on Wikipedia's page).
Monday, December 5, 2011
Load Shifting
Always be sure that your load is properly secure so it does not shift. Load Shifting can caust your vehicle or trailer to tip.
More Vehicle Safety
Continuing on Vehicle Safety, keep alert, watch for stopped vehicles, properly secure your load, be aware of overhead hazards and vehicle height, and never run through a closed train crossing gate.
Some pics to think about:
Some pics to think about:
Vehicle Maintenance: continued
When performing vehicle maintenance in-house or on the road in the event of an emergency, be sure that the person doing it has been trained in safety procedures for doing so, is qualified and doing it in the safest manner.
Jacking your vehicle up is no trivial matter when it comes to car safety, so be sure to support it safely with jack stands. You're taking thousands of pounds and dangling it over your body while you tinker underneath.
Vehicles come with either a scissor or a bottle jack, and these are great to have in a emergency to change a flat tire, but for anything beyond roadside service, it is recommended to use jack stands. Jack stands offer more strength than your conventional jack, and more stability, meaning the vehicle is less likely to fall off of them while they are in use.
Never crawl under a vehicle only supported by a jack.
It only takes a second to securely support your vehicle safely while you work on it. A pair of jack stands should be one of the first things you buy when equipping your shop, company, or yourself for vehicle maintenance and repair.
When using jack stands, they must be placed in certain spots. These spots can be found in your vehicle's owner's manual, or more often than not can be pointed out by looking under the vehicle. They most often appear as square cuts in the frame, making it easy to see where they line up the jack stands. All vehicles, especially trucks can be lifted by the frame.
Make sure the jack is fully functional (All wheels free to roll, handle free to turn, and hydraulic pump raises and lowers without leaks) and will support the weight limit on the jack label. To double check this information you will need to consult your vehicle manual to find the weight of your vehicle. Usually this is only a problem when you are using a jack that did not come with your car.
Lift your vehicle with a floor jack, and place the stands under the lift points at both sides, adjusting them for the height you need to do your work. If you do not own a floor jack, you can use the bottle jack or scissor jack that comes with your vehicle. However, if you do this, you must raise one side of the car at a time and place stands individually, rather than lifting the whole vehicle and placing them together.
Lower the weight of the vehicle onto the stand so the vehicle is not supported by the jack. Most people doing home auto repairs don’t know this, but using a jack stand to support the weight of the car is a safer alternative than supporting your vehicle with the jack.
After your vehicle is safely resting on the stands, remove the floor jack so it isn't in your way while you're trying to do repairs. Then go to the bumper of the car closer to where your stands are and shake it. If the car shakes, be sure that your stands are under the correct and closest lift points, and adjust accordingly. It's always better to test and have the vehicle fall on its wheels than to fall on you.
When lifting or working under the vehicle using jack stands, apply the emergency brake and put blocks behind wheels that touch the ground.
Jacking your vehicle up is no trivial matter when it comes to car safety, so be sure to support it safely with jack stands. You're taking thousands of pounds and dangling it over your body while you tinker underneath.
Vehicles come with either a scissor or a bottle jack, and these are great to have in a emergency to change a flat tire, but for anything beyond roadside service, it is recommended to use jack stands. Jack stands offer more strength than your conventional jack, and more stability, meaning the vehicle is less likely to fall off of them while they are in use.
Never crawl under a vehicle only supported by a jack.
It only takes a second to securely support your vehicle safely while you work on it. A pair of jack stands should be one of the first things you buy when equipping your shop, company, or yourself for vehicle maintenance and repair.
When using jack stands, they must be placed in certain spots. These spots can be found in your vehicle's owner's manual, or more often than not can be pointed out by looking under the vehicle. They most often appear as square cuts in the frame, making it easy to see where they line up the jack stands. All vehicles, especially trucks can be lifted by the frame.
Make sure the jack is fully functional (All wheels free to roll, handle free to turn, and hydraulic pump raises and lowers without leaks) and will support the weight limit on the jack label. To double check this information you will need to consult your vehicle manual to find the weight of your vehicle. Usually this is only a problem when you are using a jack that did not come with your car.
Lift your vehicle with a floor jack, and place the stands under the lift points at both sides, adjusting them for the height you need to do your work. If you do not own a floor jack, you can use the bottle jack or scissor jack that comes with your vehicle. However, if you do this, you must raise one side of the car at a time and place stands individually, rather than lifting the whole vehicle and placing them together.
Lower the weight of the vehicle onto the stand so the vehicle is not supported by the jack. Most people doing home auto repairs don’t know this, but using a jack stand to support the weight of the car is a safer alternative than supporting your vehicle with the jack.
After your vehicle is safely resting on the stands, remove the floor jack so it isn't in your way while you're trying to do repairs. Then go to the bumper of the car closer to where your stands are and shake it. If the car shakes, be sure that your stands are under the correct and closest lift points, and adjust accordingly. It's always better to test and have the vehicle fall on its wheels than to fall on you.
When lifting or working under the vehicle using jack stands, apply the emergency brake and put blocks behind wheels that touch the ground.
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