Sponsored by Avetta

Employers are being more critically scrutinized by regulators as well as contractors or companies within a supply chain, not only for their baseline safety and health compliance, but for the state of their safety culture. OSHA, the National Labor Relations Board and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission have entered into a joint initiative to protect worker rights at all levels and coordinate such protections. This brings a company’s safety culture into heightened focus, as complaints to one agency can be investigated and prosecuted by any or all. In addition, more state OSHA agencies are looking to regulate safety culture via safety and health management systems requirements. This initiative, which saw movement during the Obama administration, may gain traction again under current OSHA leadership, potentially based on 2016 federal guidelines or Cal/OSHA’s long-standing injury and illness prevention program rule.

During this webinar, we’ll explain the elements of a strong safety culture and how the terms “values” and “priorities” can entrap employers. We’ll also examine how safety incentive programs can backfire and reduce morale or lead to more OSHA issues. The role of ANSI and ISO standards in benchmarking safety and health performance and culture will be addressed, as well as best practices for continual improvement and improved training, communication, and risk assessment. The webinar will also cover how OHS culture is a key consideration in rating companies’ environmental, social and governance performance – critical for publicly traded companies in light of the pending Securities and Exchange Commission transparency rulemaking.

Speaker

Adele Abrams, Esquire., ASP, CMSP, Law Office of Adele L. Abrams

Adele Abrams, Esq., ASP, CMSP, is an attorney, Associate Safety Professional, and Certified Mine Safety Professional. She is also a nationally recognized author and speaker on occupational and mine safety and health issues. Abrams provides safety training (OSHA/MSHA) and consultation services, including safety and health audits. In 2017, she received the National Safety Council’s Distinguished Service to Safety Award. She is a member of the adjunct faculty of the Catholic University of America, and the University of Colorado-Boulder, teaching legal courses in their Master's in Management programs. She has co-authored several books on mining and safety and regularly writes for magazines including Aggregates Manager, Professional Safety, Pallet Central, Modern Contractor Solutions, and Compliance. Adele is admitted in MD, DC, PA, and several federal courts including SCOTUS, and is a Trained Mediator (approved for Court-referred cases in MD) and is trained in collaborative law.

Moderator

Alan Ferguson, Associate Editor, Safety+Health magazine

Alan covers worker safety for Safety+Health and serves as co-host of the magazine’s “On the Safe Side” podcast..