Safety is not just a series of unrelated activities… it is a way of doing business, a mindset, a culture… a Safety Culture.

 ”To be successful, safety must be more than a program or a book or a procedure. It must be a company philosophy - an attitude that is unquestioned.”
Les McGraw, Fluor Corporation Chairman and CEO

Over the years, safety professionals have identified a number of characteristics that are coming in companies with a superior safety culture.  Specific behaviors, attitudes, procedures, expectations and systems that are part of a dynamic safety culture environment, both for normal operations and for emergencies, have been identified:   (more…)

Studies have shown that drivers using cell phones, and especially when trying to text and drive, are as impaired as if they have had several drinks.  Hands-free devices are a start, but not a final solution, because the real impairment comes from the fact that the driver’s MIND is not on the road (and, in the case of texting, neither are his EYES!)

Employers should take a strong role to ensure that mobile workers are using their cell phones safely and not putting their life or that of others at risk due to cell phone usage. Employers can create cell phone safety policies to outline situations and repercussions for those who fail to follow the policies. Polices can be created with input from both management and remote workers to help ensure that there is a fair balance and that the policies are realistically workable and enforceable.  Goals: (more…)

It has been said many times that children are our most precious resource. While parents throughout time have loved their children enormously, today’s parents have taken this saying to heart in more visible ways than previous generations. From the “Caution - Baby on Board” window decals of the early 1980s to the ubiquitous “My child is an honor student at…” bumper stickers of today, modern parents use the family car as a billboard to showcase their parental pride and their children’s accomplishments.

But the same motor vehicle that goes from school to soccer practice to piano lessons ­- in which Mom, Dad and the kids seem to live ­- may also be the vehicle in which our teenagers die. (more…)

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has answered the Court and its critics, crafting an hours-of-service regulation that leaves all of the current requirements intact.

The final rule, published in the November 19, 2008, Federal Register, continues to allow property-carrying commercial motor vehicle drivers to drive up to 11 hours within a 14 hour, non-extendable window, following at least 10 consecutive hours off duty. The rule also allows motor carriers and drivers to continue to restart calculations of the weekly on-duty limits after the driver has at least 34 consecutive hours off duty. (more…)