Changing Workplace Culture to Prioritize Safety

Posted on January 16, 2019 by

What types of leadership actions and priorities help a culture of safety take hold at a company?

A sign saying "Nobody gets hurt today!"

Leadership can have a positive impact on workplace safety.

While workplaces aren’t entirely defined by their leaders’ decisions, top-down attitudes do influence the day-to-day operational climate. Whether that is a positive or negative factor depends on the attitudes of the people in charge. Office culture and norms are definitively shaped by leadership, and that extends to fundamental pieces of the workplace experience, such as safety.

Running a secure office, one that goes beyond complying with Organizational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)  to make employees feel safe and confident, is a positive differentiator. Businesses that operate this way are better equipped to attract top candidates and retain existing workers, while avoiding the fines and legal consequences that come with carelessness and neglect. Continue reading →

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Improve Your Conflict Resolution Skills

Posted on December 18, 2018 by

Conflict resolution, if left undone, can lead to cultural rifts in a workplace. Ideally, these discussions will leave teams better off than ever.

Three employees discuss something.

How do conflicts reach satisfactory resolutions?

Conflict resolution is one skill set every team leader or manager must possess and understand. Differences of opinion are inevitable in any workplace, and ignoring the issues that arise between employees generally makes things worse rather than better. Due to this inevitability, learning to mediate and bring teams together is a positive and worthwhile pursuit. Admitting there will be conflicts to resolve may seem like admitting defeat, but it’s actually a key to success. Continue reading →

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Safe Vehicle Operation Training: Make It a Priority

Posted on December 14, 2018 by

Employers shouldn’t overlook motor vehicle safety – this is a subtly critical part of keeping workers safe.

A car with its airbag depoyed.

Vehicle safety is a major workplace concern.

Vehicle operation is one of the highest-priority categories of workplace safety, due to the ubiquity of cars and trucks in professional settings. Despite the relatively high rates of automobile accidents, it’s easy to overlook vehicle operation training.

Employees and supervisors alike may reason that workers with driver’s licenses don’t need additional rules or training for the more specialized driving tasks they’ll perform on the job. Falling into this mindset, however, may set workplaces up for preventable accidents.

Along with many other categories of workplace risk, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration offers rules, tips and resources for vehicle use in a professional context. Instituting policies based on these directives, aided by focused training programs, can significantly improve a company’s safety record. Continue reading →

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Coping with Temperature Stress: How to Adapt to Extreme Cold and Heat

Posted on November 26, 2018 by

Extreme heat and cold are potentially hazardous workplace conditions, and leaders must defend their employees against such environments.

Red and blue flames signify heat and cold.

Hot and cold conditions should be prepared for.

Thinking about safety on the job, a few hazards come immediately to mind: Heights, potentially dangerous substances, slippery floors, and other environmental risks are immediately identifiable as dangerous parts of a worker’s setting.

Less noticeable risk factors, such as heat and cold, may be even more dangerous, however, as leaders may neglect to adequately deal with these issues until they become painfully evident.

Temperature stress is a serious workplace hazard — one that can change drastically from one season to the next. The methods of coping with heat and cold will necessarily vary based on the type of work being performed, the nature of the environment and other factors. Continue reading →

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Mastering Fire Safety and Extinguisher Maintenance

Posted on November 16, 2018 by

What does it take to meet – and exceed – OSHA fire safety requirements?

A fire warning sign on an office wall.

How prepared are companies for fire emergencies?

Company leadership means keeping every employee safe and ensuring the work environment is up to standards. While some particulars will change based on industry, location or size of businesses, others are universal – for example, every facility has to be protected from the risk of fire.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) maintains a series of fire safety regulations. Some of these are general procedures and priorities, while others have to do with specific elements of preparedness, such as evacuation planning and fire extinguisher maintenance. Continue reading →

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