PRIME paving season is here for much of the United States, causing highway work zones to sprout and renewing efforts to spread the gospel of safety to workers and motorists alike.
IN any company, communication between managers and employees is a big issue. Employees want guidelines from their supervisors, and the management staffers want input from their team.
AFFORDABLE Palm computers and software have given rise to a new family of tools for reducing paperwork and automating safety and other routine inspections. As with most new tools, the major advantage is reducing labor costs and saving administrative time, however, automating your inspection process can mean more than simply saving money.
BEFORE making assumptions about employee retention based on past experience, consider that you are about to see a new wave of employees with a whole new set of expectations swarm the workplace. Known as Generation Y, they might have a few traits that will surprise even the seasoned manager.
HERE'S a safety message with attitude: Most Americans are clueless about their own safety, American Red Cross President and CEO Marsha J. Evans says. (And who knows more about community preparedness than the Red Cross? When we're in trouble--burned out by fire, flattened by an earthquake or tornado--ARC responds, at a pace of about 70,000 disasters per year.)
THE most valued employee is often the most versatile. The more job tasks you can perform well, the more appreciated you are by your company. This notion also applies to computer programs.
SPENDING more time at home and with loved ones has become increasingly important. With all the crazy events that have made the news, why would anyone want to leave home? Technology has made it so telecommuting is once again "in style," and employers who are looking to cut costs and increase productivity are seeing its benefits, as well.
AS a bookkeeper responsible for large amounts of data entry, Sue Schwarz spent extended hours sitting in front of a computer screen, her hands busily typing away at the keyboard. After a few years on the job, Schwarz began feeling tenderness in her wrists, a tingling sensation in her lower arm, and numbness in her fingers.
THIS must be an election year. First The New York Times piled on John L. Henshaw's OSHA. Now, the punch comes from another direction. It's a sharp jab, not a long, looping right that's easy to dodge.
THE setting may have been unusual, but the situation was familiar enough. A disgruntled former employee, whose lawsuit against a colleague had been thrown out of court, donned a bulletproof vest and helmet, armed himself with automatic weapons, and returned to terrorize the place where he once worked.
A small fire has broken out on the warehouse floor, and the scene is on the verge of total chaos. A few employees are searching desperately for the nearby fire extinguisher, while others run in fear of the spreading flames.
THOUSANDS of terrorists call the United States home. It has been estimated that hundreds of terrorist sleeper cells are scattered throughout our country, waiting for orders and instructions.
IT'S a supercenter world. Stores that sell fishing tackle, car tires, lamps, and apples only aisles apart are thriving. These retailers may tout lower prices and friendly service, but if you ask customers why they shop at these locations, you'll hear one answer again and again--convenience.
SUING someone seems like a sudden act, an angry impulse, but of course most lawsuits are the opposite. Case in point: the suit filed by the United Auto Workers and the United Steelworkers of America against Labor Secretary Elaine Chao and OSHA. Metalworking fluid exposures have concerned the UAW for many years.
OSHA's new fiscal year began Oct. 1 and within hours the new-for-2004 Form 300 (Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses) was unveiled. OSHA announced in December 2002 it would add a separate column for hearing loss cases but would not add a column for musculoskeletal disorders.
EVEN in the worst of weather, Santa can depend on Rudolph to deliver him and his famous bag of goodies to millions of rooftops, safe and sound. But with a shortage of flying reindeer and magical sleighs, ensuring your employees and/or products are safely transported can be more daunting than sliding down a chimney.
THIS safety thing really makes me scratch my head. One would think our workers, with their expansive job knowledge and physical skills, would perform their job safely all of the time, yet sometimes corners are cut. There seems to be a space between what a worker knows is safe and what he actually does (an at-risk act).
YOU'RE working late one night when you hear a co-worker fall to the floor in an office nearby. You run down the hall, only to find him lying slumped on the floor and unresponsive. Without help, your co-worker has only minutes to live and the clock is already ticking.
TWO years ago this month, our cover story fretted that three years had gone by since OSHA had promised to issue Assigned Protection Factors for respirators. Why such a long delay? Some end users may not understand or value APFs, but manufacturers consider them an essential element of a sound respiratory program.