Powered by iReportSource More than three weeks into the pandemic-driven cascade of cancelations, closings, and social distancing, U.S. workplaces are experiencing unprecedented disruption -- and it's measurable. Here's what has changed in a stunningly short period of time (comparing Gallup Panel surveys conducted March 13-16 vs. March 27-29): The percentage of full-time employees who say COVID-19 has disrupted their life "a great deal" or "a fair amount" has jumped from 58% to 81%. 40% of U.S. e...
May 03, 2020•29 min•Ep. 102
NOTICE: Published April 22, 2020 - The information in this post/episode is subject to change. Powered by iReportSource The new CDC face-covering recommendations do not change the MASK guidance. So what is new? What is the same? Let's talk about that in this episode. Essentially, the CDC recommends anyone going out in public wear a face-covering. These can be homemade cloth-type coverings. What is the intended purpose? Will they offer you protection? What protection do they offer others? Also, I ...
Apr 22, 2020•36 min•Ep. 101
Powered by iReportSource 100 Episodes! Thanks to all the listeners that helped make this happen - you are the reason I continue to produce this podcast. Here's to the next 100 episodes!
Apr 08, 2020•10 min•Ep. 100
NOTICE: Published April 1, 2020 - The information in this post/episode is subject to change. Powered by iReportSource All of the discussions about surgical masks got me thinking; what do we know about viruses (CVID-19 or others), and what are the EXPERTS saying? I wanted to explore this topic and share my thoughts. As of April 1, 2020, the WHO, CDC, OSHA guidance on wearing masks (if you are HEALTHY) is the same; you do NOT need to wear a mask except for specific circumstances. Let's read what t...
Apr 01, 2020•24 min•Ep. 99
Powered by iReportSource UPDATE: The CDC has made changes to workplace guidance as of March 21, 2020, which may make some of the information on this post obsolete: Updated cleaning and disinfection guidance Updated best practices for conducting social distancing Updated strategies and recommendations that can be implemented now to respond to COVID-19 We are currently in the throws of the 2020 Corona Virus pandemic, or COVID-19. Much information is being disseminated - from how far apart we shoul...
Mar 23, 2020•24 min•Ep. 98
Powered by iReportSource COVID-19 Resources for Businesses and Employers from the CDC Let me know what you are doing to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 at work on LinkedIn - be sure to @ mention Blaine J. Hoffmann or The SafetyPro Podcast LinkedIn page. You can also find the podcast on Facebook , Instagram , and Twitter....
Mar 18, 2020•7 min•Ep. 97
Interview with Drew Hinton, CSP, CHMM, SHRM-CP Powered by iReportSource If you don't currently have a safety committee at your workplace, adding one can seem like a daunting task. Listen to this episode with Drew Hinton, CSP, CHMM, SHRM-CP to get ten tips that are sure to help you create and sustain a successful safety committee! If you don't currently have a safety committee at your workplace, adding one can seem like a daunting task. While there are no federal regulations that require a safety...
Mar 09, 2020•28 min•Ep. 96
Powered by iReportSource Confined Space Rescue Teams save lives! They are a critical component of permit-required confined space operations. In this interview with a fellow SafetyPro, Drew Hinton , CSP, CHMM, EMT we will explore what it takes to set up a successful rescue team and some things to look out for when doing so. If your organization has a team or is thinking about establishing a team - this is the episode for you! Drew has been in the safety profession full-time time since 2013 and ha...
Feb 24, 2020•38 min•Ep. 95
Podcasting from the 2020 ACI/OSHA Safety Day . Powered by iReportSource Listen as I talk with Paula Burleson, OSHA Onsite Consultant with the OhioBWC as she explains what OSHA Onsite services can do for small businesses. Let me know what you think of this episode on LinkedIn if you have used this app at all - be sure to @ mention Blaine J. Hoffmann or The SafetyPro Podcast LinkedIn page. You can also find the podcast on Facebook , Instagram , and Twitter....
Feb 17, 2020•19 min•Ep. 94
Podcasting from the 2020 ACI/OSHA Safety Day . Listen as I talk with Eric Lee Buschard as he explains his evolution as a safety pro. He shared his take on "Speaking Safety" to workers at a breakout session during the event. Let me know what you think of this episode on LinkedIn if you have used this app at all - be sure to @ mention Blaine J. Hoffmann or The SafetyPro Podcast LinkedIn page. You can also find the podcast on Facebook , Instagram , and Twitter....
Feb 07, 2020•32 min•Ep. 93
Powered by iReportSource One of the often-overlooked aspects of EHS is that middle word - health. I mean, we understand the parts related to chemical exposure and substance exposure; silica, asbestos, lead, stuff like that - which are all important. But I want to talk about health in another context - that is the overall health and wellbeing of our workers and how the workplace can be contributing to it (both positively and negatively), thus making this an important aspect of our workplace safet...
Feb 01, 2020•16 min•Ep. 92
Join the Community of Safety Pros today! Why do employees sometimes remain silent when they should speak up? Do they fear consequences or repercussions? Do they feel like new ideas won't be considered without an onslaught of criticism about its inherent risks, a barrage of demands for a detailed project plan, or an insistence on immediate proof of an overinflated ROI? To be blunt, why do workers stay silent when they see things are being done improperly, or in an unsafe manner? Maybe because it'...
Jan 27, 2020•19 min•Ep. 91
In this podcast episode, I take a break from the technical topics to which my readers and podcast listeners are accustomed. I wanted to interview someone from outside normal safety circles, someone that can bring a unique perspective on the values we want to hold as safety professionals: integrity, honesty, teamwork, never-quit attitude. Please be sure to listen to the interview as it is not transcribed here. Please read more about Kris below. Kris Paronto Kris Paronto - “Tanto” as he is affecti...
Jan 19, 2020•44 min•Ep. 90
Powered by iReportSource OSHA has a decent list of regulatory agenda items. While I don't want to go through them all, I do want to highlight five that I think are particularly impactful. Safety professionals always need to be looking ahead at what is coming so we can prepare our employers, update any programs, which includes employee training and certifications that may be required. 1. Lock-Out/Tag-Out Update - Pre-Rule Stage Recent technological advancements that employ computer-based controls...
Jan 13, 2020•15 min•Ep. 89
Powered by iReportSource 2019 - It was a year of change and growth for me, both personally and professionally: new partnerships, new professional connections, conferences. The podcast growth was significant last year - it has been growing exponentially year over year since the start, but last year it saw a lot of growth. I was able to expand the podcast in new ways thanks to the growing popularity of podcasts as well as more ways to find and enjoy podcasts. Spotify, Pandora, and iHeart Radio all...
Jan 03, 2020•13 min•Ep. 88
Powered by iReportSource Are concepts like "responsibility" and "being held accountable" viewed negatively by your employees? Most likely, it's because leaders have tried to mandate responsibility from the top down. But that's not how responsibility works. People are intrinsically motivated to fulfill their commitments for a range of reasons, none of which include being mandated -- at least not effectively nor sustainably. A top-down approach makes employees feel like a kid again -- it doesn't c...
Dec 13, 2019•33 min•Ep. 87
Powered by iReportSource How workers show up each day directly shapes your culture. To be an engaged, safe, productive culture, we want our people highly involved and deeply committed to the company mission. No doubt that today, many organizations are seeking to create and sustain this kind of engaged company culture. That's why we're taking a closer look at just a few of the top ways we can ensure that the systems, the processes, the values, and the norms of your organization all help to improv...
Dec 09, 2019•28 min•Ep. 86
Powered by iReportSource The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), on July 2, 1982, announced the establishment of the Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) to recognize and promote effective worksite-based safety and health management systems. In the VPP , management, labor, and OSHA establish cooperative relationships at workplaces that are implementing or have implemented comprehensive safety and health management systems. Approval into VPP is OSHA’s official recognition of the ...
Nov 26, 2019•27 min•Ep. 85
Powered by iReportSource We know by now that the application of a safety management system (SMS) can drastically improve organizational safety performance. Even OSHA's Partnership program, VPP, relies on management system principles, and you can see the results that participants encounter on their website. So, back in 1999, ANSI started a committee to begin work on what would become known as the Z10 standard. The committee looked at existing national and international standards in occupational s...
Nov 18, 2019•23 min•Ep. 84
Powered by iReportSource According to ISO, the purpose of a safety management system is to provide a framework for managing safety and health risks and opportunities. Of course, this means preventing workplace accidents, injuries, and illnesses by recognizing and eliminating or managing risks by taking preventative and protective measures. The structure of ISO 45001 will tell you everything you need to know about how effective safety management systems are set up. Let’s take a look at this SMS a...
Nov 11, 2019•40 min•Ep. 83
Powered by iReportSource As mentioned in episode 81 - What is "Systems Thinking," I will talk about root cause analysis or RCA - another aspect of a systems approach, Let’s define it and talk about how it can be applied. In episode 33: Lean Safety, I recommended some excellent books to help you out. TapRoot® is another great resource as well as the book Pre-Accident Investigation by Todd Conklin - I have this one and contains great insight. But remember, whatever books you read or concepts you f...
Oct 25, 2019•37 min•Ep. 82
Powered by iReportSource In this episode, I continue my series breaking down Safety Management Systems (SMS) and will talk about Continuous Process Improvement. Before I can do that, we need to understand something else about SMS - In episode 80 of The SafetyPro Podcast , Safety Management System (SMS) Defined, I talked about how you need to move away from individual programs and toward a systems approach to safety management. Well, there is something called systems thinking, and we are going to...
Oct 22, 2019•29 min•Ep. 81
Powered by iReportSource A safety management system (SMS) is a continuous improvement process that reduces hazards and prevents incidents. It protects the health and safety of your employees and should be integrated into everyday processes throughout the organization. Investing in an SMS makes a measurable impact on your bottom line and can be viewed as a competitive advantage. The adoption of an SMS framework and thoughtful implementation of the various pieces can have a significant impact on p...
Oct 15, 2019•28 min•Ep. 80
Powered by iReportSource When an incident occurs it is the investigator’s main function to gather all relevant evidence in order to discover root causes and ultimately prevent a recurrence. The tricky part is that evidence isn’t always what it seems. Witnesses accounts can be spotty, inconsistent, they may tell conflicting stories about the same incident, etc. Physical or even environmental conditions can change before the investigation process begins. Paperwork, such as a work instruction or JS...
Oct 11, 2019•22 min•Ep. 79
Powered by iReportSource When a company is looking to hire its next safety leader they must be sure to select the right person for the job. But hiring a safety leader goes well beyond their safety and health credentials and experience. You want to have someone with the right safety mindset, not just safety background and experience. The same thing goes for hiring production or other team leaders. Everyone knows the importance that teams play in organizational success. However, let’s not forget t...
Sep 24, 2019•28 min•Ep. 78
Powered by iReportSource Get the JSA template HERE . OSHA has a great page for this topic HERE . Many companies rely on a super-simple tool to define appropriate safe work practices for specific jobs. The Job Safety Analysis Process (also referred to as a JSA, or Job Hazard Analysis - JHA). The JSA is a very effective means of helping to identify and manage hazards associated with task thus reducing incidents, accidents, and injuries in the workplace. It is also an excellent tool to use during n...
Sep 19, 2019•34 min•Ep. 77
Powered by iReportSource As I continue my podcast interviews in New Orleans from the 2019 VPPPA Safety+ Symposium I had the honor of interviewing some Association Board members. They shared some sound advice for anyone looking to improve their safety and health management system as well as some insights for safety pros struggling with challenges along the way. Visit www.vpppa.org for more information about this amazing organization! You can find me on LinkedIn! Post a LinkedIn update, letting me...
Aug 30, 2019•51 min•Ep. 76
Powered by iReportSource Here at the 2019 VPPPA National Safety Symposium where everyone you meet has a story to tell. Kelly Pitts shares his message of a near-death experience and what you can learn and take back to your organization. You can find me on LinkedIn! Post a LinkedIn update, letting me know what you think of the podcast. Be sure to @ mention Blaine J. Hoffmann or The SafetyPro Podcast LinkedIn page. You can also find the podcast on Facebook , Instagram , and Twitter. #vpppa2019...
Aug 29, 2019•10 min•Ep. 75
Powered by iReportSource As I continue my podcasting interview marathon from the 2019 VPPPA National Safety Symposium, I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with Abby Ferri to discuss the issues that women in the workforce continue to experience with PPE - which is in large part designed for men. Abby has over 15 years of experience in the field of safety and health in diverse industries, including construction, manufacturing, healthcare, hospitality, beverage, and retail. Abby has become ...
Aug 29, 2019•20 min•Ep. 74
Powered by iReportSource Diana Paredes is an experienced bilingual safety manager in the tough yet rewarding food & beverage industry. She is a SafetyPro podcast listener joining me at the 2019 VPPPA National Safety Symposium and shares some words of wisdom and strategies to help drive employee engagement, ownership and stresses the simple act of recognizing the many small victories our workers achieve every day. It was an absolute pleasure to meet Diana and hear about her experiences in saf...
Aug 29, 2019•16 min•Ep. 73
