Safety+Health

During a Feb. 4 hearing of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee, OSHA was accused of exceeding its authority and ignoring congressional mandates. But is the agency simply following the letter of the law?

Safety+Health presents a Q&A with Mike Thaman, chairman and CEO of Owens Corning – the 2014 recipient of the National Safety Council Green Cross for Safety medal.

Developing a strong relationship with supervisors can help safety professionals influence the workforce. However, supervisors may have production or quality concerns they perceive as taking priority over safety, so it is important for safety professionals to be strategic in their communications with supervisors.

Amid recent industrial catastrophes, OSHA is considering revisions to its 20-year-old Process Safety Management Standard. What changes is the agency considering? Stakeholders weigh in.

Getting employees to follow the rules – even those that keep them safe – is more difficult than simply having the desire to avoid injuries. Culture, leadership, organizational systems and other factors make up a complex system that interacts with, influences and guides workplace behavior.

OSHA’s recently proposed revision to its Recordkeeping Standard would require nearly half a million establishments to submit their injury and illness data. This is information employers already are required to keep – OSHA would simply collect it.

The National Safety Council introduces the 2014 CEOs Who “Get It,” an annual recognition of leaders who demonstrate a personal commitment to world-class safety.

Experts say understanding how to select and use leading indicators can create a stronger safety culture. Safety+Health explores six leading indicators – as well as why the definition of a leading indicator is still under debate.

Scaffolding continues to occupy a spot on OSHA’s yearly Top 10 list of most-cited violations. Experts say the structures must be treated with respect and caution from the time they’re being constructed to when they’re put to use.

The Federal Aviation Administration recently updated its requirements for commercial pilot qualification and training. But new scheduling requirements aimed at reducing fatigue have some pilot associations, safety advocates and lawmakers questioning why cargo pilots have been excluded.