Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Compete: Conquer the Dock's Top 3 Hazards

The following is an excerpt from Material Handling & Logistics News Online.

Looking at safety statistics, it's easy to conclude that the loading dock is one of the most hazardous areas of your operations.  A quarter of all accidents occur there. The majority of these accidents result in the dreaded back injury that, according to OHSA, ultimately ends up costing U.S. companies upwards of $80 billion dollars annually.

With staggering numbers like these, not even the largest and safest companies doubt that the loading dock is potentially dangerous. However, by taking steps to address these top areas of concern, it can be safer.

Loading Dock Drop Offs  

With a height above the driveway of more than four feet, open and unprotected dock doorways can be an accident waiting to happen. Equipment and signage that warns employees of danger ahead can help them avoid driving off the dock in a forklift or stepping too far and falling. 

To read the full article, visit MHLNews.com.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Your execs should know: Safety isn’t a commodity anymore

The following is an excerpt from ISHN.com.

The safety job has matured, and will continue to do so – that was one of the takeaways from last week’s National Safety Congress & Expo, sponsored by the National Safety Council.
You can measure safety’s maturity a number of ways. What your execs should understand, if they don’t already, is the days of “a glove is a glove,” “glasses are glasses,” training videos come “canned” from off the shelf, and safety programs… well, if you seen one you’ve seen them all – those days are gone.

Advances in the materials used in just about every type of PPE require a more educated buyer when it comes to making selections. More and more training is not “canned” but customized to specific sites. Leading and lagging safety performance indicators are also customized to be site-specific. Wireless gas detector networks generate volumes of data to be analyzed. Safety apps are raining down on safety departments with absolutely no end in sight.

When you purchase a safety product now, check out the services that are offered with it. PPE vendors are big on education and consultative selling, knowing how overworked many safety managers are today. Some are creating portals where, for a subscription fee or some other form of pricing, you can download training materials, safety meeting materials, checklist, tip sheets, and more. Yes, all this “value added” from PPE makers.

To read the full article, visit ISHN.com.



Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Make Fall the New Busy Season

This is an excerpt from a Total Landscape Care article.

For many landscapers, their workflow starts to slow down when the leaves hit the ground — but why?

Of course, there are areas of the country that have already seen snow, but for many, the weather still works in their favor, making fall a great time to add new features and plants.

Plant, trim
Fall is the perfect time to cut down perennials, clean up flower beds, plant new trees and seed lawns, says Dean Savarino, owner of Dean’s Landscaping, to The Times Media Company.

“Anything you plant does a lot better when you plant it in the fall, before everything goes dormant,” he tells the publication.

To read the full article, visit Total Landscape Care's website.

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

States strive to reach young workers with safety messages

This is an excerpt from an ISHN article.

They may be at different ends of the country, but Connecticut and Oregon have one thing in common: both are taking steps to help keep young workers safe.

It's a special area of concern. Employees under the age of 25 are twice as likely to be injured on the job, according to a 2005 study published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine.

They also tend to be unaware of their workplace rights.

Oregon’s OSHA has gone the video route, using a YouTube-hosted video series heavy on humor and music to educate teen workers about things like speaking up on the job and ladder safety. A quirky teacher passionate about lifting techniques demonstrates safe lifting, and singing restaurant workers bring home the message about safety in that industry. (The videos can also be found on Oregon OSHA's website at www.orosha.org/subjects/young_worker.html.)

To read the full article, visit ishn.com.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Get the Best from Managers

This is an excerpt from an article written by Jeff Harkness in Landscape Management.

I’ve had the recent pleasure of managing a client’s account management team for the last six months. I love it, but managing people who are in front of your customer is tough. It takes hard work and patience. The good news is this skill can be learned and refined with experience, but there’s a shortage of good management talent operating in this industry. You have to get this right. Your growth and sanity depend on it!

The best companies are making investments in finding, training, motivating and rewarding their talent. This leads to retention and stability. Profits follow. Sounds easy, right? If you’re frustrated and challenged by your team’s results, consider the following.

Personality profiles. Human behavior is predictable and job descriptions require certain skill sets within your organizational structure. Profiles can be used to gain insight as to how a particular individual works and interacts with others, in their personal life or working life.DISC, Myers-Briggs or Wonderlic are few good providers to check out as a measuring stick for your team. Include yourself. Owners create problems, too! This screening process is a must and you need to make it part of a strategic planning meeting and/or your hiring process. In the classic read Good to Great author Jim Collins talks about a simple question “great” companies ask themselves: “Do I have the right people on the bus? Are they sitting in the right seat?” Ask this question of your organization on a regular basis.

To read the full article, visit Landscape Management.