How Important is the “H” in Your Environmental Health and Safety Program?

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How Important is the “H” in Your Environmental Health and Safety Program?

It is not uncommon for Environmental Health and Safety Managers to concentrate their resources to Safety and Environmental Concerns, while Health in the workplace is relegated to a lesser effort. Health efforts at the workplace may consist of “general” training or methods around personal hygiene. Some companies have health promotions such as weight loss, tobacco cessation, and/or blood drives. With the recent developments of a global pandemic caused by COVID-19; EHS Managers would be wise to place the Health aspect of their systems on the same level of importance as Environmental and Safety programs.

An evaluation of your current systems and methods for employee health is a logical place to start. Do you have specific methods in place addressing worker health? Are their adequate resources such as supplies and time for training? Are awareness materials such as brochures, posters, or a health information board, in the facility? Are your methods specific? A non-specific method would be “Wash Your Hands”. A specific method would involve showing how to wash your hands, when to wash and what supplies to use.

Method Oriented Safety Thinking® teaches us the importance of consistent use of proper methods and procedures. It addresses the behaviors we use every day to be safe. M.O.S.T certainly applies during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods such as social distancing, washing hands, self-quarantining, etc. are critical habits to develop and use consistently to protect ourselves and our loved ones.

The ultimate goal for EHS is to protect our employees from injuries and sickness. Now is an opportune time to put the Health aspect of your EHS program on equal footing with Environmental and Safety issues. Additional resources, specifically addressing COVID-19, can be found on the OSHA and CDC websites at osha.gov and cdc.gov.

M.O.S.T. is an effective tool to help combat the spread of COVID-19!

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workplace safety concept, man attached to harness and rope

What Is Safety?

By Justin Gray • September 28, 2020

During the course of my duties in working with different companies, one of the first questions I ask people is, "What actually is safety? And what does it mean?" Oftentimes, people will reply with a number of different answers. None of which are wrong, and usually include things like being careful, being cautious, or being aware.

Complacency Challenge

By John Giglione • September 14, 2020

Many of us are waiting for the light to turn green with getting back to our lives during the pandemic. It’s likely to be yellow for a while, so “proceed with caution.” Yet, it may be that some things will not be as they were before. There will be ongoing challenges both publicly and privately.

President's Perspective: Just Don't Do It

By Ron Johnston • September 1, 2020

Sometimes the most effective accident prevention isn’t wearing PPE, or being process oriented, or following a checklist. Many times, the best way to keep an accident from happening is to do nothing.

workplace safety infographic - body temperature screening, hand sanitizer station, face mask zone

Small Changes Make a Difference

By Ron Johnston • May 28, 2020

Stay at home orders are beginning to lift, and many states are slowly beginning to modify restrictions in phases. And while we are celebrating these first steps towards a return to some semblance of normalcy, many of us are also feeling a little uneasy. Many are wondering, after being tucked away snug in our homes, is it ‘safe’ to go out?

anonymous worker holding a hardhat wearing an orange vest

Safety Shouldn't Be a Priority

By Justin Gray • May 18, 2020

I would imagine right now you have read the title and probably already have questions about where I’m going with this, which is good. That means the title has done its job and caught your attention. I would also imagine you are probably surprised to hear someone in the safety field say that safety shouldn’t be a priority, but please bear with me, as I will explain to you why it shouldn’t.

man in workplace setting, wearing mask and hardhat, using laptop computer

President's Perspective: Keeping Safety Fresh

By Ron Johnston • May 1, 2020

In my book, How Smart People Can Stop Doing Stupid Things, there is a section that deals with keeping safety fresh by applying MOST, which stands for Method Oriented Safety Thinking®. It starts with the observation that safety, beer, vegetables, and milk all have one thing in common: they have to be kept fresh.

men and women in workplace wearing hard hats, teamwork concept

The Little Things

By Justin Gray • April 15, 2020

We are going through a very unique and trying time, not only in the history of our country, but in the history of our entire world. It can be overwhelming to think about the magnitude of the current situation, and its effects on society. Three weeks ago, we didn’t think anything about heading to the grocery store, or out to dinner and movie on a Friday evening. There was no thought of unusual risks involved in doing these things.

men in workplace wearing hard hats and masks

President's Perspective: Understanding “The Why” Behind Behavioral Changes

By Ron Johnston • April 1, 2020

Today the world faces an invisible enemy called Covid-19. It has become a horrible killer. In the United States alone, there have been over 25,000 deaths to date. No known or proven medical cures exist. So far, there is no protective vaccine. As Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House Task Force Covid-19 Coordinator, says, “Our only defense against this pandemic disease is behavioral.” In other words, our everyday behavior is the key to fighting this virus.