Mental Illness: An OSHA Recordable

“I have the normal complement of anxieties, neuroses, psychoses and whatever else – but I’m absolutely nothing special.”— Clive Barker The National Institute of Mental Health reported in 2022 that more than one in five adults in the United States live with a mental illness.  That’s 59.3 million people, or 23.1% of the U.S. population.  [...]

By |2024-11-07T10:06:56-06:00November 7th, 2024|Workplace Safety|Comments Off on Mental Illness: An OSHA Recordable

Dia de los Muertos: When the CSB Reports Fatalities

“To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.”  — Thomas Campbell Remembering the dead. For those U.S. military personnel who died while serving, we have Memorial Day, the last Monday in May. For those who died doing their job, we now have the International Worker’s Memorial Day, on April 28. At my [...]

By |2024-10-31T12:16:16-05:00October 31st, 2024|Current Events, Process Safety, Workplace Safety|Comments Off on Dia de los Muertos: When the CSB Reports Fatalities

Office Hazards: Paper Cuts and Paper Cutters

“The first cut is the deepest.”  — Rod Stewart Most of our work regards process safety hazards: the potentially fatal hazards involving chemical fires, explosions, and toxic releases. Frequently, our clients also ask for our help with industrial safety hazards: the potentially fatal hazards involving slips, trips, and falls, and contact with objects. Recently, though, [...]

By |2024-10-24T11:12:14-05:00October 24th, 2024|Workplace Safety|Comments Off on Office Hazards: Paper Cuts and Paper Cutters

Restarting a Plant: Do You Really Need a PSSR?

“Although no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.”  — Carl Bard Constellation Energy just signed a 20-year deal with Microsoft to provide clean energy—or at least carbon-free energy—from Unit 1 of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Plant. The plan is [...]

By |2024-09-26T10:30:31-05:00September 26th, 2024|Chemicals, Current Events, PHA, Process Safety, Process Safety Management, Workplace Safety|Comments Off on Restarting a Plant: Do You Really Need a PSSR?

Improving Safety: Lessons from Blue Food

“Did you ever notice, there’s no blue food? Whenever I say that, people say, ‘Ha! What about blueberries?’ But no-o-o…blueberries are purple.”  — George Carlin My wife loves blue food. She has George Carlin to thank for that. It’s not because George Carlin’s comedy convinced my wife to love blue food. It’s because George Carlin’s [...]

By |2024-09-12T11:37:41-05:00September 12th, 2024|Process Safety, Workplace Safety|Comments Off on Improving Safety: Lessons from Blue Food

Complacency: What Can Be Done About It?

“You need to have redesign because familiarity breeds a kind of complacency.”  — Timothy White When a hazardous incident occurs, we often hear a single word offered as an explanation: “Complacency.”  Maybe it’s true, but is it helpful? You will never hear someone come to the defense of complacency. Complacency is universally regarded as undesirable. [...]

By |2024-08-29T08:41:18-05:00August 29th, 2024|Process Safety, Process Safety Management, Workplace Safety|Comments Off on Complacency: What Can Be Done About It?

Vader: Killed in the Line of Duty

“The love of a dog is a pure thing. He gives you a trust which is total. You must not betray it.”  — Michel Houellebecq A week ago, Vader, a police dog in the Arnold Police Department (APD), died from heat exhaustion after his handler found him in a hot patrol vehicle. Arnold is a [...]

By |2024-08-08T08:45:37-05:00August 8th, 2024|Current Events, Process Safety, Workplace Safety|Comments Off on Vader: Killed in the Line of Duty

Work-related Fatality Rates: How Low Is Low Enough?

“If you don’t get better, staying the same is probably not good enough.”  — Chris Mullen If a bowler always—always—bowls a perfect 300, they are as good as a bowler can be. If other bowlers also develop that level of skill, they cannot beat a perfect 300. The best they can do is tie. There [...]

By |2024-05-02T13:22:32-05:00May 2nd, 2024|Workplace Safety|Comments Off on Work-related Fatality Rates: How Low Is Low Enough?

The Key Bridge Collapse: Are There Lessons for Us Now?

“Catastrophic bridge accidents are rare, but the number and severity of those due to ship collisions far exceed those due to winds, waves, and earthquakes combined.”  — Committee on Ship-Bridge Collisions (1983) On Tuesday, March 26, 2024, shortly before 1:30 am, the cargo ship Dali drifted into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing the bridge’s [...]

By |2024-04-04T09:57:08-05:00April 4th, 2024|Current Events, Procedures, Workplace Safety|Comments Off on The Key Bridge Collapse: Are There Lessons for Us Now?

Bump Caps: When Are They Appropriate?

“Do nothing that is of no use.”  — Miyamoto Musashi I have been in several facilities recently that used bump caps as head protection. I make it a practice to follow the safety rules of facilities where I am visiting, because I believe it important to set a good example and to show that I [...]

By |2024-03-28T11:57:13-05:00March 28th, 2024|Workplace Safety|Comments Off on Bump Caps: When Are They Appropriate?
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