Does Poor Safety Equal Poor Management?

Safety Signs, photo by mikecogh via flickr.com

Seeing accidents as inevitable, or devaluing human capitol, might be at the heart of poor safety culture decisions. As with any aspect of a business, if it's pushed down the ladder or put off for the future, it can be overlooked. With safety, that can have serious consequences. Read more about the connection between poor safety and poor management on EHSToday.com. See an excerpt below.

Many high-ranking leaders in various organizations have been quoted as saying that poor safety results are an indicator of other poor management practices. In interviews with top officials, the majority indicated that they demand excellence in safety from contractors and suppliers for the very reason that they view poor safety results as a warning sign of other management or performance weaknesses. Following this lead, many contractor management firms have vaunted safety as a primary condition of being included in the list of approved providers. But is safety necessarily linked to other performance areas, and if so, which ones? And what is the link?

To better answer this question, consider the potential causes for poor safety performance:

• Leaders of some organizations simply view safety as a low priority. This view can originate from other, more-valued priorities or from a philosophy that accidents are inevitable and unavoidable. Sadly, some organizations value the management of capital or technology more than the management of people and don't appreciate the importance of human capital.

Read the full article on EHSToday.com. 

Shipping Options Driving Consumer Purchases

Super Power Pusher at work

Shipping costs are increasingly a factor in holiday shopping. With the holidays almost upon us, how much are you considering shipping in your preparation? Does it involve more personnel, or technology upgrades? The excerpt from the Material Handling & Logistics article below examines the impact of shipping costs.

Consumers consider shipping options—including free shipping—to be an important factor in their overall shopping experience, according to 80 percent of those responding to a recent survey commissioned by Pitney Bowes Inc. The survey polled consumers on attitudes toward shipping through all channels, including in store, online, catalog, and phone.

“Shipping has become a considerable factor in consumers’ buying choices,” said Jim Hendrickson, vice president and general manager of shipping solutions, Pitney Bowes. “In fact, there’s now a blurred line between the decision on a shipping method and the selection of a product when it comes to the overall buying decision.”

The survey found free shipping is by far more important to Americans surveyed over fast shipping (77 percent vs. 19 percent). That number spikes further among those who’ve shipped a purchase in the last year (82 percent vs. 16 percent, respectively).

Read the rest of the article on MHLnews.com.

Landscaping for Safety

Pathway by WordRidden via flickr.com Creative Commons License

An article in Total Landscape Care turned our attention to the topic of landscape maintenance for safety.  Considering the safety of visitors, as well as workers, should be a priority for building managers and project heads.

Lighting
Lighting should be an important consideration for any landscape design. Particularly for those who enjoy entertaining into the evening hours, footpaths at entryways and main pathways should be well-lighted and free of obstacles. In areas with less traffic, consider motion-activated lights. These devices not only provide illumination for family members and guests, they’re also a burglary deterrent. Landscaping itself tends to discourage thieves, since a well-maintained lawn suggests the home’s occupants are attentive to what happens on the property.

Level surfaces
Paved walkways and other hardscapes on a property should be constructed with safety in mind. Materials should be textured to reduce the risk of slipping. Also, materials that easily crack, such as concrete, can result in uneven areas that can cause tripping. Avoid the use of materials better suited for indoor spaces, such as ceramic tile, and use real stone, pavers or decking instead.

Read the entire article on TotalLandscapeCare.com. 

Is the Term "Accident" Still Acceptable?

The following is an excerpt from EHS Today.

Safety, like all other fields of endeavor, has its own terminology. In science, terminology is critical to ensure that everyone is talking about precisely the same thing. Shared terminology can align thinking and foster common understanding. When trying to solve problems or expand knowledge, defined terminology can provide the same starting place from which progress is made. In short, terminology can get everyone on the same page.

One of the most common terms in safety has been under attack for the past two decades. This is the term "accident." The attackers have suggested that the term implies that the event was inevitable and unstoppable; that accidents are events over which humans have no control. Some also have implied that a true accident is an "act of God" and therefore it is useless to try to place blame or determine causation. Why attempt to control something that is uncontrollable and beyond human manipulation?

To read the full article, visit EHSToday.com.