Category: Risk Management

Three Essential Elements of Effective Workplace Health & Safety Programs

Depositphotos_3633032_S-480x480Organizational Culture and Leadership

  1. Develop a “Human Centered Culture.” Effective programs thrive in organizations with policies and programs that promote respect throughout the organization and encourage active worker participation, input, and involvement. A Human Centered Culture is built on trust, not fear.
  2. Demonstrate leadership. Commitment to worker health and safety, reflected in words and actions, is critical. The connection of workforce health and safety to the core products, services and values of the company should be acknowledged by leaders and communicated widely. In some notable examples, corporate Boards of Directors have recognized the value of workforce health and wellbeing by incorporating it into an organization’s business plan and making it a key operating principle for which organization leaders are held accountable.
  3. Engage mid-level management. Supervisors and managers at all levels should be involved in promoting health-supportive programs. They are the direct links between the workers and upper management and will determine if the program succeeds or fails. Mid level supervisors are the key to integrating, motivating and communicating with employees.

via CDC – Essential Elements of Effective Workplace Programs – NIOSH Total Worker Health.

Accident/Incident Investigation

accidente_de_montacargas_701336_t0The investigative report should answer six key questions: who, what, when, where, why, and how. Fact should be distinguished from opinion, and both should be presented carefully and clearly. The report should include thorough interviews with everyone with any knowledge of the incident. A good investigation is likely to reveal several contributing factors, and it probably will recommend several preventive actions.

via Safety and Health Management Systems eTool | Module 4: Creating Change – Safety and Health Program Management: Fact Sheets: Accident/Incident Investigation.

Internet Social Networking Risks

SM_Caution_for_Invite_flatSocial networking sites are Internet-based services that allow people to communicate and share information with a group.

Risks:

Once information is posted to a social networking site, it is no longer private.  The more information you post, the more vulnerable you may become.  Even when using high security settings, friends or websites may inadvertently leak your information.

Personal information you share could be used to conduct attacks against you or your associates.  The more information shared, the more likely someone could impersonate you and trick one of your friends into sharing personal information, downloading malware, or providing access to restricted sites.

Predators, hackers, business competitors, and foreign state actors troll social networking sites looking for information or people to target for exploitation.

Information gleaned from social networking sites may be used to design a specific attack that does not come by way of the social networking site.

via FBI — Internet Social Networking Risks.

Fleet Safety is Good Business

churchThere is a clear link between a well-managed vehicle fleet and profitability. With more than 90 percent of crashes caused by human error (per the National Safety Council or NSC) creating a Fleet Safety plan will help your bottom line! A documented Fleet Safety plan pays off in multiple fashions – tangible benefits are a reduction of vehicle maintenance, downtime, and increased fuel efficiency. Intangible advantages could be increase in employee satisfaction, owner’s peace of mind with a documented process to follow.

via Welcome to the Fleet Safety Institute.

OSHA announces Top 10 most-cited violations for 2014

Fall Pro Video SMALL- Phoenix 561For the fourth year in a row, OSHA’s Fall Protection Standard (1926.501) is the agency’s most frequently cited violation.

The entire list is as follows:

  1. Fall Protection in Construction (1926.501)
  2. Hazard Communication (1910.1200)
  3. Scaffolding in Construction (1926.451)
  4. Respiratory Protection (1910.134)
  5. Lockout/Tagout (1910.147)
  6. Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178)
  7. Electrical – Wiring Methods (1910.305)
  8. Ladders in Construction (1926.1053)
  9. Machine Guarding (1910.212)
  10. Electrical – General Requirements (1910.303)

via OSHA announces Top 10 most-cited violations for 2014 | 2014-09-16 | Safety+Health Magazine.

The Risk of Family Business Survival

Family-Business-USA-ServicesAccording to recent statistics only 30% of family owned businesses survive into the second generation, 12% are still viable into the third generation, and only 3% of all family business operates into the fourth generation or beyond. These statistics say there is a huge disconnect between the optimistic belief of today’s family business owners and the reality of the massive failure of family companies to survive through the generations.

 

Enterprise Risk Management – What is ERM?

enterprise_riskEnterprise Risk Management (“ERM”) is a strategic business discipline that supports the achievement of an organization’s objectives by addressing the full spectrum of its risks and managing the combined impact of those risks as an interrelated risk portfolio.

ERM represents a significant evolution beyond previous approaches to risk management in that it:

  1. Encompasses all areas of organizational exposure to risk (financial, operational, reporting, compliance, governance, strategic, reputational, etc.);
  2. Prioritizes and manages those exposures as an interrelated risk portfolio rather than as individual “silos”;
  3. Evaluates the risk portfolio in the context of all significant internal and external environments, systems, circumstances, and stakeholders;
  4. Recognizes that individual risks across the organization are interrelated and can create a combined exposure that differs from the sum of the individual risks;
  5. Provides a structured process for the management of all risks, whether those risks are primarily quantitative or qualitative in nature;
  6. Views the effective management of risk as a competitive advantage; and
  7. Seeks to embed risk management as a component in all critical decisions throughout the organization.

via RIMS – Enterprise Risk Management – What is ERM?.

The Real Costs of Accidents

workers_comp-2-580x386Accidents are more expensive than most people realize because of the hidden costs. Some costs are obvious — for example, Workers’ Compensation claims which cover medical costs and indemnity payments for an injured or ill worker. These are the direct costs of accidents.

But what about the costs to train and compensate a replacement worker, repair damaged property, investigate the accident and implement corrective action, and to maintain insurance coverage? Even less apparent are the costs related to schedule delays, added administrative time, lower morale, increased absenteeism, and poorer customer relations. These are the indirect costs — costs that aren’t so obvious until we take a closer look.

Studies show that the ratio of indirect costs to direct costs varies widely, from a high of 20:1 to a low of 1:1. OSHA’s approach is shown here and says that the lower the direct costs of an accident, the higher the ratio of indirect to direct costs.

via Safety and Health Management Systems eTool | Module 1 – Safety and Health Payoffs – Costs of Accidents.

Materials Handling: Heavy Lifting

construction-worker-with-back-injuryLifting heavy items is one of the leading causes of injury in the workplace. In 2001, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that over 36 percent of injuries involving missed workdays were the result of shoulder and back injuries. Overexertion and cumulative trauma were the biggest factors in these injuries.

When employees use smart lifting practices and work in their “power zone,” they are less likely to suffer from back sprains, muscle pulls, wrist injuries, elbow injuries, spinal injuries, and other injuries caused by lifting heavy objects.

  • Weight of Objects
  • Awkward Postures
  • High-Frequency and Long-Duration Lifting
  • Inadequate Handholds
  • Environmental Factors

via Ergonomics eTool: Solutions for Electrical Contractors – Materials Handling: Heavy Lifting.

ISO 31000 Risk Management Definition

ISO 31000Risk management refers to a coordinated set of activities and methods that is used to direct an organization and to control the many risks that can affect its ability to achieve objectives.

According to the Introduction to ISO 31000 2009, the term risk management also refers to the architecture that is used to manage risk. This architecture includes risk management principles, a risk management framework, and a risk management process.

via ISO 31000 Risk Management Definitions in Plain English.