Join the Community of Safety Pros today! Mentioned in this episode: The National Safety Council The NSC Safe Driving Kit Preliminary estimates from the National Safety Council indicate motor vehicle deaths dipped slightly – 1% – in 2017, claiming 40,100 lives versus the 2016 total of 40,327. The small decline is not necessarily an indication of progress, as much as a leveling off of the steepest two-year increase in more than 50 years. The 2017 assessment is 6% higher than the number of deaths i...
Jul 03, 2018•39 min•Ep. 45
Powered by iReportSource SAMPLE POLICY HERE Because workplace violence is a growing problem at workplaces across America, it is good for a company to develop its own company-specific worksite violence policy and procedures manual. There is evidence that suggests worksite violence is largely preventable through the development and implementation of a specific policy and procedures. To be effective, company policy and procedures must discourage all types of worksite violence. They must also encour...
Jun 07, 2018•29 min•Ep. 44
Powered by iReportSource NERD ALERT! This episode covers all those little posters and postings that have to be displayed in the workplace. Most public and private employers fall under at least some posting requirements under federal, state, and/or local government laws, regulations, and/or executive orders. These workplace posters (also known as labor law posters or notices) are generally meant to make employees aware of their rights under certain laws or executive orders, or otherwise, impart i...
May 20, 2018•26 min•Ep. 43
Powered by iReportSource What is an ergonomic injury? Opinions vary on how to define an ergonomics injury, and the definition of the term may depend on the context. However, ergonomic injuries are often described by the term “musculoskeletal disorders” or “MSDs.” This is the term that refers collectively to a group of injuries and illnesses that affect the musculoskeletal system. Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) include a group of conditions that involve the nerves, tendons, muscles, and support...
Apr 29, 2018•29 min•Ep. 42
Powered by iReportSource Download the Elements to an Emergency Action Plan HERE How would you escape from your workplace in an emergency? Do you know where all the exits are located? What about a 2nd way out? A safety plan is needed, let' talk about that in this episode. Send emails to info@thesafetypropodcast.com . 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...
Apr 26, 2018•33 min•Ep. 41
Powered by iReportSource OSHA Sloping/Benching Diagrams I am sure you may have heard about trenching incidents near you or reading about them on a national level. Managing safety for these operations is quite simple once you know the requirements and understand some of the nuances that go along with the different soils and protective systems we have. Hazards Cave-ins pose the greatest risk with these activities and are much more likely than other excavation-related accidents to result in worker ...
Apr 11, 2018•45 min•Ep. 40
Powered by iReportSource Final vacation week! Thanks for being loyal listeners. I wanted to remind everyone in this quick episode about taking safety with when you leave work. I may put together an episode about this topic soon. Share your off-the-job safety tips by sending me an email to info@thesafetypropodcast.com . 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. ...
Apr 03, 2018•5 min•Ep. 39
Powered by iReportSource I am on vacation! But, I still managed to get a quick episode out for all the awesome listeners. 6 Steps to an Effective Hazard Communication Program for Employers That Use Hazardous Chemicals! It's a good one! Get the document mentioned in this episode: Hazard Communication: Steps to an Effective Hazard Communication Program for Employers That Use Hazardous Chemicals Fact Sheet and Hazard Communication: Small Entity Compliance Guide for Employers That Use Hazardous Chem...
Mar 19, 2018•20 min•Ep. 38
Powered by iReportSource Get the freebies mentioned in this episode HERE As I get ready to head to the beach for Spring Break (I will already be there when this episode drops!) I was thinking about some of the seasonal work we need doing at our homes as well as at our businesses. And that got me thinking about tree trimmers. And it hit me - when it comes to workplace safety, it is easy to overlook the folks that do some of this work, either at our homes or when we hire these companies to help us...
Mar 12, 2018•18 min•Ep. 37
Powered by iReportSource In the last couple of episodes, I dance around the rescue team parts of the standard. I want to get into that section here. Let’s start with an outside rescue option since a lot of folks go this route. If you recall, whenever you use outside resources you must evaluate a prospective rescuer's ability to respond to a rescue summons in a timely manner, considering the hazard(s) identified. So you have to have done a hazard assessment first so that you can have a meaningful...
Mar 06, 2018•32 min•Ep. 36
Powered by iReportSource Get a SAMPLE PERMIT TEMPLATE HERE This is part 2 in a series about confined space entry, the requirements including training and entry procedures and we will wrap the series up with some tips, interpretations, and examples written programs. If you remember from the last episode I covered the basic definition of a confined space: * Is large enough and so configured that an employee can bodily enter and perform assigned work * Has limited or restricted means for entry or e...
Feb 25, 2018•30 min•Ep. 35
Powered by iReportSource I want to get into confined spaces and permit-required confined spaces. I need to break this topic up into a couple of different episodes, beginning with a general introduction to terms, definitions, emergency response, and some training requirements before getting into specifics around the actual entry permits and entry procedures like monitoring in the next episode. Ok, so let’s first define the terms for our discussion: According to 29 CFR 1910.146, a confined space i...
Feb 19, 2018•30 min•Ep. 34
Join the Community of Safety Pros today! Join the Community of Safety Pros today! In this episode, I want to talk about Lean manufacturing principles and how they can help you transform safety in your organization. If you listen to this podcast regularly (and I hope you do!), you probably have heard me tell you to look at the tools the lean or quality folks use in your organization. And there is a good reason for that, and they CAN help you improve safety processes. I will reference two good boo...
Feb 11, 2018•35 min•Ep. 33
Online safety training has come a LONG way from what it was even 5 years ago. Technology like mobile devices and apps has made digesting information easier and more interactive. So in this episode I want to focus on what works best as far as online safety training goes, and what to avoid. Years ago, a model for training emerged called Adaptive Learning. I won’t bore you with the higher education definition of the term. Not because I don’t think any of you would understand it; of course you would...
Feb 05, 2018•17 min•Ep. 32
Changing Safety Culture Requires a Framework ! The link to the book mentioned in this episode can be found HERE In this episode, I want to talk about changing workplace culture. I have had a couple of episodes on Safety Culture already. And all of that still applies. Again, for the discussion let’s define the term: Culture is the character and personality of your organization. It's what makes your organization unique and is the sum of its values, traditions, beliefs, interactions, behaviors, and...
Jan 30, 2018•29 min•Ep. 31
Join the Community of Safety Pros today! Join the Community of Safety Pros today! As we know, the language of the OSH Act limits the recording requirements to injuries or illnesses that are "work-related." The Act uses but does not define this term. OSHA has interpreted the Act to mean that injuries and illnesses are work-related if events or exposures at work caused or contributed to the problem. Work-related injuries or illnesses may (1) occur at the employer's premises or (2) occur off the em...
Jan 23, 2018•36 min•Ep. 30
Be sure to visit www.thesafetypropodcast.com and send emails to info@thesafetypropodcast.com Regular meetings can be beneficial to your business (if done right). In this episode I want to talk about meetings. Yes, the dreaded business meeting. But don’t worry, I have some great tips for you to follow so you can make sure your business meetings don’t put folks to sleep, turn employees off to being engaged, or make you look like a knucklehead! No matter why you are having the meeting, some simple ...
Jan 16, 2018•42 min•Ep. 29
Visit www.thesafetypropodcast.com for more great workplace safety information. Bloodborne pathogens are infectious microorganisms in human blood that can cause disease in humans. OSHA requires employers to protect employees who are occupationally exposed to blood or Other Potentially Infectious Materials (OPIM). While most would associate exposure to bloodborne pathogens with healthcare workers, there are many other occupations, including first-aid team members, housekeeping personnel in some in...
Jan 06, 2018•24 min•Ep. 28
www.thesafetypropodcast.com If you want to increase safety engagement between leadership (direct supervisors) and workers try asking what coaching leaders are already getting. Chances are HR is coaching front line supervisors on how to engage workers to increase morale, retention and productivity. Instead of reinventing the wheel, piggyback on what they are already doing. I have used the Gallup Survey information many times with many clients. It just works! Listen to this episode for details but...
Dec 26, 2017•31 min•Ep. 27
www.thesafetypropodcast.com Our exposure to corrosive chemicals in the workplace is more common than folks realize. Just think about the chemicals we use around the home! Safety, on and off the job, is key to managing the hazards associated with these chemicals. Listen to this episode to find out the most common safety hazards, types of corrosive chemicals and how to better prepare your employees for working with them. I also cover ANSI requirements for emergency eyewash stations and emergency s...
Dec 18, 2017•25 min•Ep. 26
Powered by iReportSource Increasingly, companies are using contract or temporary workers to perform work. This work ranges from maintenance and construction to security and even production-related tasks. It’s easy to pass off responsibility for contractor safety to someone else — particularly the contractor. Under the OSHA multi-employer worksite policy, citations may be issued to employers using temporary employees. OSHA’s multi-employer worksite citation policy states that on multi-employer wo...
Dec 11, 2017•51 min•Ep. 25
In this episode, aerial lifts, powered platforms and scissor lifts - they all have slightly different requirements. Be sure to share your thoughts by sending a message to info@thesafetypropodcast.com Please visit our sponsors www.vppsimplified.com and the official floor marking and floor sign company of the podcast, www.mightylinetape.com/podcast
Dec 04, 2017•37 min•Ep. 24
Outreach training was never supposed to replace required safety training under specific OSHA regulations. So what about contractors that we hire that simply produce the 10 or 30-hour OSHA Outreach training card? What questions do we ask? How do we verify they have had actual safety training beyond the OSHA Outreach Training Program? Listen as I tackle this topic. Be sure to drop me your thoughts by sending a message to info@thesafetypropodcast.com Please visit our sponsors www.vppsimplified.com ...
Nov 23, 2017•33 min•Ep. 23
www.thesafetypropodcast.com I often have folks share safety news stories or OSHA citations they hear about. Most of the time it's an odd curiosity and serves no other purpose than to shake our heads and say, "idiots!". What if we take this information and bring into our organizations and try to place ourselves in those situations? I do this all the time. It is a great way to learn from the mistakes of others. Everything from accidents, injuries and news about OSHA citations for alleged violation...
Nov 17, 2017•20 min•Ep. 22
Special announcement! Mighty Line Floor Tape is now the official floor tape and floor marking company for the SafetyPro Podcast! All of your industrial floor marking needs in one place. Visit www.mightylinetape.com/podcast to learn more. Where are you on the culture maturity curve? How do you chart this? Click HERE to download the free graph and listen as I talk about the different levels of safety culture and how you can tell where your company is right now. Click HERE to join the email list! S...
Nov 10, 2017•35 min•Ep. 21
Mentioned in this episode: www.vppsimplified.com NIOSH TWH Workbook ANSI Z-10 Let's talk about culture. What culture do you want? What do you currently have? Look to 2 areas of focus for culture. Listen as I explain. email info@thesafetypropodcast.com...
Nov 02, 2017•44 min•Ep. 20
Get the 13-Week Roadmap journal I use: http://bit.ly/2sQ7NVm Staying focused can be hard. Listen as I describe the journal that helps me create a 13-week roadmap for projects, stay focused on what matters and track my progress along the way. The Self Journal can help you as a safety professional, check it out today here http://bit.ly/2sQ7NVm Dont' forget to HIT THE SUBSCRIBE button to get every episode. Send emails to info@thesafetypropodcast.com...
Oct 27, 2017•37 min•Ep. 19
Get your FREE Fishbone Diagram Template HERE One way to capture different ideas and stimulate the team’s brainstorming on root causes is the cause and effect diagram, commonly called a fishbone. The fishbone will help to visually display the many potential causes for a specific problem or effect. Listen as I explain how it is used. Download the FREE template to follow along! Send email comments and topic requests to info@thesafetypropodcast.com...
Oct 12, 2017•31 min•Ep. 18
Visit our show sponsor here: www.vppsimplified.com **To get the free 5-Why template mentioned in this episode click HERE . Using 5-why for safety problem-solving will really help those looking for an easy yet effective tool to get to the root causes of issues. Be sure to subscribe and leave a rank/review so others can find us and so we can improve the podcast. info@thesafetypropodcast.com...
Oct 07, 2017•24 min•Ep. 17
Visit our sponsor www.vppsimplified.com to simplify your VPP journey! HAZCOM is still a frequently cited OSHA violation. Listen to this intro to the topic so you can keep your employees safe. Be sure to SUBSCRIBE via Apple Podcasts and please leave a rank and review so I can improve! Send your email questions or topic request to info@thesafetypropodcast.com
Sep 27, 2017•21 min•Ep. 16
