I received a message recently from fellow MEMIC Safety Management Consultant, Greg LaRochelle. Greg’s note touches on the human side of employee health and safety. You may have seen the term ‘safety culture’ on this blog several ti...

After we recently wrote about safety culture and consciousness, it occurred to me that not everyone really knows what we mean when we say “culture based safety.” With all the talk of buy-in, it is difficult to ask employees for it if you ...

Last time, we talked about the ways in which having a safer culture can help reduce injuries. But what is a safety culture? The culture of a workplace (or of any place) is its unspoken characteristics. Anthropologists might define culture as "the sum...

Last time, we talked about what a safety culture is. I mentioned that  a successful company will integrate safety with business goals, creating a balance between all aspects of the organization, which allows the company as a whole to mature in t...

The vast majority of employers I have worked with over the years have written an employee health and safety program that is generally specific to their operations.  Unfortunately, there are many times that an important piece is missing. That pi...

My coworker, Tony Jones, is an avid motorcyclist. As the weather warms up, Tony felt it was important to start thinking about rider safety.   Last fall when Tony rode up in front of his motorcycle buddies in a new, full-faced helmet, they said, ...

How many times have you heard that question? I'd be a wealthy man if I had a dime for each time I had to explain the reasons to an individual or group. Though there have been times when the question was legitimate, the fact remains a hardhat is alway...

Last fall, I attended a conference where a vendor conducted a demonstration with a technology called Saw Stop. Saw Stop is a device that will stop and retract a rotating saw blade with lightening fast speed upon contact with human tissue, leaving har...

I received notice of the upcoming conference hosted by the Maine Indoor Air Quality Council and it reminds me of the importance of indoor air quality and the obvious ramifications the air we breathe at work has on our health. Offices, factories...

Can complacency affect workplace safety?  Do you know what complacency is?  Too busy at work; too set in your ways; too comfortable in the status quo to make any changes. Sound familiar?  Perhaps you are complacent and should reevaluat...