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How Effective is Your Safety Culture?

SINCE the 1970s, the safety profession has continued to excel. In that time philosophies have changed, but the never-ending quest for "zero accidents" remains the same. The 1990s explored the human element and behavioral safety.

Two Lessons in Compliance

IN 2002, Moline, Ill.-based Deere & Company resolved 95 percent of its environmental compliance issues in North America within 90 days. It was able to build a "Top Ten" list from more than 1,000 regulatory line items.

The Upside of Overtime

ARE we working too little? The idea seems far-fetched: No other industrialized country's workers put in more hours annually than the average U.S. full-time employee. But many of us won't cut back without a fight.

Genetic profiling has potential, says NIOSH's director.

Genetics On the Job

I am a fan of the movie "Minority Report," in which a trio of seers visualized violent crimes before they happened. Armed with infallible foreknowledge, pre-crime police swooped down to arrest criminals who had not yet committed their crimes. Once locked away, they would never commit them.

Hearing Help for Those Who Need It

Paul Dragul, M.D., is not a marriage therapist, but he often hears this complaint in his line of work. Instead of marital counseling, he recommends a hearing test and the use of ear plugs while at work.

It Takes a Leader

When business gets tough, cutting costs is a logical solution. But how effective are across-the-board budget cuts? Reduce budgets. Reduce staffing. Reduce customer service. Each person left is expected to do more work with fewer resources. Has history proven this is the pathway to long-term success?

A Firefighter's Crusade

PATRICK Walsh has big dreams. He leads the Firefighters Save-A-Life Fund, a not-for-profit charitable organization dedicated to ensuring every fire department in America has at least one thermal imaging camera. To accomplish its mission, the fund is trying to raise $250 million however it can.

An Assist with Forklift Training

ON April 25, 1995, a 37 year-old shop foreman was fatally injured after the forklift he was operating overturned. The victim was turning while backing down an incline with a four percent grade. The forklift was transporting a 3-foot-high, 150-pound stack of cardboard with the forks raised approximately 60 inches off the ground.



What's a New Safety Manager to Do?

FOR a new safety manager, there are many options to consider while putting together a program. Safety philosophies and methodologies, as well as commercial promotions for safety incentives and motivators, can be utilized in a program to complement a safety culture.

Accelerating Rural Aid

THE U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Housing Service is a $6 billion, 51-year-old agency. It issues loans and grants to build low-income and elderly apartments, housing for farmworkers, child care centers, fire and police stations, hospitals, libraries, nursing homes, and schools in rural communities.

Boning Up

A vast range of human activities--from writing to laying bricks, to opening a can of soda--would be impossible without the healthy functioning of the elbow, wrist, and hand. Yet this area is one of the most intricate and one of the most vulnerable to injury in the human body.

The Young and the Reckless?

LATE last year, two armed robbers stormed a Miami pizza shop, demanding cash and then fatally shooting an employee. The incident hit close enough to home for Steven Erekson, a 16-year old who works at a shop in the same chain less than 60 miles north of Miami, to take notice--but not close enough to make him worry or take any long-term related action.

Beware of the Unintended Consequence

AT first, it's hard to believe a simple red marker light presents a significant fire risk. More than 80 fires documented since July 2001 prove it, however. What is harder to believe is why these loading dock fires are a recent phenomenon: because enforcement of a U.S./Canadian safety regulation enacted in 1968 finally began four years ago.

ROC Your Organization!

DOES this sound familiar? It's a scenario repeated in organizations year after year . . . the dreaded annual planning process! It starts at or about the end of the third quarter--Sept. 30, give or take a week. The CEO returns from the annual "Performance Improvement Strategy Session" with the board of directors and calls a Monday morning staff meeting.

Private-Sector Pension Meltdown

WE'RE broke. Putting it more precisely, our retirement is busted, tapped out, barely breathing on government life support.

Atop the Information Mountain

DECISION-making embraces every facet of your life. Whether you are in sales, education, health care, energy, finance, marketing, pharmaceuticals, or politics, you will be required to make crucial decisions.

MSDS Technology Made Simple

AS if it weren't hard enough keeping business flowing smoothly and clients and employees safe and happy, you must also keep up with the latest technology.

Inside the Ergonomics Toolbox

IN a perfect world, every company large or small would have a trained professional on staff to evaluate and solve ergonomic problems. But in the real world, the responsibility often falls in the hands of someone with little formal training.

Starting the 'Fire' Under an Unmotivated Employee

AN employer of any size is always seeking a way to reduce the costs associated with absenteeism, injuries, worker's compensation claims, insurance claims, and/or poor morale. With our aging workforce and the natural risks associated with aging, time and efforts may seem fruitless.

From Boom to Bust?

NEWS flashes from the convention front lines are not encouraging. If the meetings industry's own forecasts and experts are correct, a senseless building boom of U.S. convention centers will continue through 2007 at least.

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