It’s Modelling the Micro-Foundations of the Audit Society: Organizations and the Logic of the Audit Trail by Michael Power. This paper gets us thinking about why organizations do audits in the first place seeing as it has been proven to often decrease the efficiency of the actual process being audited. We discuss the negatives as well as the positives of audits - which both help explain why audits continue to be such a big part of safety management in organizations. Topics:
What kinds of audits are happening Why is the number of audits increasing? Why do we keep doing audits when they seemingly do not help productivity. Academia and publication metrics The audit society The foundations of an audit trail The process model of an audit trail The problem with audit trails. Going from push to pull when audits are initiated Why is it easier for some organizations to adopt auditing processes than others? Displacement from goals to methods Audits help different organizations line up their way of thinking Practical takeaways
Consistent safety activities have the potential to create a stronger safety culture. When lab management fully embraces these tools, the benefits can include decreased injuries, increased morale and productivity, and improved cost savings. How can safety activities contribute to a stronger safety culture? Consider this: Major League Baseball players practice similar drills as Little Leaguers. By turning the fundamentals into habits, professionals and amateurs alike can focus on more complex tasks. This lesson applies to all aspects of life, including a safe laboratory environment.
The following safety activities are options for companies to consider implementing. These activities should be completed consistently with intention and recorded for the sake of accountability.
www.newfoodmagazine.com/article/1…
The hemp industry can be a challenging field to work in given its relative infancy and accompanying patchwork of quickly evolving regulations. Although there are unique challenges in hemp, instilling and cultivating a strong food safety culture involves similar processes, education and resources used in countless other industries. In this article, Socati’s Quality Manager, Rachael Kropp, suggests how to encourage such a culture.
From day one, manufacturers need to prioritise traceability and quality, plus ensure that Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) are at the core of all operations. Socati bases its quality system on principles already in existence — looking towards food safety rules and regulations. Socati started with 21CFR110 (GMP for manufacturing, packaging or holding human food) and 21CFR117 (GMP for hazard analysis and risk-based preventive controls for human food), which are the backbone of its operations. Although neither GMP codes were built for hemp, these strict standards for human food should be the minimum requirement for hemp operations.
UGI Utilities, Inc. celebrated the official opening of its new Learning Center during a ribbon cutting ceremony today in Bern Township.
“The new state-of-the-art Learning Center represents a significant milestone in UGI’s commitment to enhancing our safety culture,” Hans Bell, UGI President, said. “In addition, this facility will provide the best possible preparation for our current and future workforce and constitutes an important investment for UGI Utilities as we move forward.”
The facility is located on a 40-acre tract on Stinson Road, bordering Route 222.
The $37 million complex is anchored by a 47,500 square foot Learning Center Building. The Learning Center Building includes six classrooms and two lecture rooms that can open into a single large space that can seat approximately 135 people in a classroom-style setting.
Four labs within the building will accommodate specific UGI departments, including Construction and Maintenance, Safety, Service, and Meter and Regulation training programs.
The NSW Government and NSW Farmers have launched a workplace safety program providing education and advice to the agriculture industry to help reduce farm-related death, injury and disease.
Minister for Better Regulation and Innovation Kevin Anderson said the NSW Government has invested $2 million over four years for the Farm Safety Advisory Program to support farming businesses in developing an effective work health and safety culture and keeping workers safe.
“This $2 million investment from the NSW Government is part of our mission to create a safer and stronger regional NSW. All NSW small to medium farming operations with fewer than 50 workers are eligible to participate in this free program,” Mr Anderson said.
“The agriculture sector is the backbone of our regional economies and is a significant employer in regional communities. It is imperative as a government we do everything we can to support farm workers and keep them safe.
“The program will improve farm safety practices by providing education directly to farming businesses. This allows the NSW Government to continue to work alongside the agriculture industry on a wide range of farm-related safety issues.”
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) - It’s fall harvest time, which means it’s time to double the focus on safety and health on farms. National Farm Safety and Health Week is designed to bring that extra focus. Tractor safety and rural road safety is the topic on Monday, overall farmer health on Tuesday, safety and health for youth in agriculture on Wednesday, agricultural fertilizer and chemical safety on Thursday, and safety and health for women in agriculture on Friday.
Drought conditions around Wisconsin are largely unchanged compared with last week. A new national drought monitor map shows drought in some areas of northwestern and southern Wisconsin, though the moderate drought conditions are easing in some of that area. Counties showing severe drought include Walworth, Kenosha and Racine in the southeast, and Douglas, Bayfield, Ashland and Iron in the north.
Wisconsin Ag Connection is reporting that the Pittsville FFA and FFA Alumni again are sponsoring their Splash of Red Cranberry Tours, starting this week. The tours, which cost $25 per person, will be given on Sept. 24 and 29, and on Oct. 1, 6, 8, 13, 15, 20, and 22. The tours are part of Pittsville High School’s cranberry science class, are on cranberry farms east of Pittsville. The two-hour tours start at 9:30 a.m. A lunch including cranberry treats made by the school’s foods classes also are part of the event. Information and registration for the tours is available by calling Pittsville High School. This is the 18th year the tours are being offered.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) – For the last 77 years the third week of September has been recognized as National Farm Safety and Health Week.
As another harvest season begins, the Illinois Departments of Agriculture and Labor remind all farm workers to stay safe, especially during the upcoming and busy harvest season.
Governor Pritzker proclaimed the week of September 19-25, 2021, National Farm Safety and Health Week in Illinois, with the theme “Farm Safety Yields Real Results.”
The latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the agriculture sector is still the most dangerous in America. Each year the farming profession sees 573 fatalities, which equals 23 deaths per 100,000 workers.
“It is important to bring awareness not only to the physical dangers of farming, but the emotional toll it takes as well,” said Jerry Costello II, Director, IDOA. “While we will highlight roadway safety, chemical safety and other traditional farming hazards, it is also important to encourage farmers to take care of their own health.”
The specific paper found some interesting results from these simulated situations - including that it was found that the debriefing, post-simulation, had a large impact on the amount of learning the participants felt they made. The doctors chat about whether the research was done properly and whether the findings could have been tested against alternative scenarios to better prove the theorized results.
Topics:
Individual and team skills needed to maintain safety.
Safety-I vs Safety-II
Introduction to the research paper
Maritime Safety and human error
Single-loop vs Double-loop learning
Simulator programs help people learn and reflect
Research methods
Results discussion
Recognizing errors and anomalies
Shared knowledge to define limits of action
Operating the system with confidence
Importance of learning by doing and reflecting back afterward
Complexity and uncertainty as a factor in safety strategy.
Practical Takeaways
Work simulation is an effective learning process
Half of the learning comes from the debrief
Read this paper if doing simulation training
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, is tackling mental health for first responders.
A confidential wellness app will be available to public safety personnel and their families, powered by a company called Cordico.
The app will include a wellness toolkit, mental health self-assessments and videos on mindfulness and nutrition.
Emotional survival, financial fitness, parenting, marital resources, sleep optimization and resources to find a therapist will also be included items.
“We recognize the stressful nature of the work and its impacts on the overall wellbeing of public safety personnel and their entire family,” Wyandotte County Sheriff Don Ash said in a statement. “This app is another tool that we can use to provide support of their work and commitment to our community.”
The Unified Government is implementing the app because of how first responders are exposed to trauma frequently and tend to be more susceptible to mental health issues like PTSD, depression, anxiety and suicide, according to a release.
“The Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department has long recognized the important link between officer wellness and its impact on the residents we serve,” KCKPD Chief Karl Oakman said in a statement. “This app is another important tool in helping us remain at the forefront of changing public safety culture as we diligently work to support the mental health and wellness of our officers at work and at home.”
Join us Wednesday morning, September 15 at 11 am ET, as the Dawn of Drones Podcast continues our month-long homage to UAS/AAM industry “Movers and Shakers.”
It’s the FAA’s National Drone Safety Awareness Week – join Dawn and guests Patricia Mathes, Manager, National FAA Safety Team (FAASTeam) and Dave Kraus FAA Industry Lead & CEO/Founder of Influential Drones as we talk about their various lines of effort to increase a safety culture in drones and how they otherwise work to support the drone industry!
As a part of the safety awareness and skill development init ..
Read more at: www.latestly.com/india/new…
www.havredailynews.com/story/202…
Hill County Commission Administrative Assistant Sheri Williams, also the county’s safety coordinator, said the county’s WorkSafe Champions classes will begin later this month, and she’s put together a 14-person committee that will take what is learned from those classes and use it to improve the county’s safety culture.
She said Hill County has one of the highest workers’ compensation rates in the state, and she’s hoping this program will help get that situation under control, improve safety at the county and save tax-payers some money in the process.
She said the classes will be split into nine one hour to hour-and-a-half-long modules, and she’s gotten participants from every department, especially those which have particularly high workers’ comp rates.
She said the goal is for these classes to be fun and interesting, but attendance will be important and show that the county’s various departments at all levels are committed to improving the county’s work culture.
www.khaleejtimes.com/news/abu-…
A campaign has been launched against illegal modification of buildings and unlawful partitioning of apartments to ensure residents’ safety. The awareness drive - initiated by Abu Dhabi authorities - also highlights the need for landlords to carry out regular maintenance of their properties.
The Abu Dhabi department of municipalities and transport (DMT) said it has joined hands with the Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority in this campaign, which targets residents, property operators, contractors and owners of all residential properties. The aim of the drive is to reduce the phenomenon of random housing in the emirate by educating people on how to implement safety measures and comply with licences and procedures for appropriate uses.
“The campaign aims to promote a safety culture and make people aware about the dangers of improperly modifying properties or failing to periodically check safety equipment,” officials said in a statement.
Authorities have sent direct messages to residents, operators and owners to emphasise on the importance of complying with regulations, with a series of awareness videos on ways to implement safety measures and rules for changing property specifications.
www.bakingbusiness.com/articles/…
While establishing a strong food safety culture is often a critically important task for the food safety team to lead, there is an important role for the human resources (HR) department to play as well.
In addition to screening for and cultivating employees who support food safety, HR plays a crucial role in opening the lines of communication about food safety within the organization and effectively communicating organizational food safety expectations across the organization. Their involvement in establishing and fostering a strong food safety culture cannot be overlooked.
By first partnering with HR to prioritize food safety through the hiring process, they can serve as highly visible leaders in the development and maintenance of your food safety culture.
For instance, when HR understands the importance of food safety culture, that will be reflected in the way they work with new hires. By also beneficially explaining the “why” behind food safety practices, they can play a significant role in cultivating food safety among employees from day one, while then nourishing those beliefs across the organization.
www.navsea.navy.mil/Media/New…
NORFOLK NAVAL SHIPYARD, Portsmouth, Va. –
Norfolk Naval Shipyard’s (NNSY) Occupational Safety and Health Specialist (Code 106.24) Michelle Johnson is a champion for women on the waterfront. As the shipyard’s waterfront ombudsman, Johnson has put in countless hours to make America’s Shipyard a more inclusive workplace. “I assist women in the shipyard with everyday issues they encounter on the waterfront,” said Johnson. “By helping to eliminate any barriers women may face when performing their jobs or trying to grow in their careers, I am able to help women advance in the workplace.”
Johnson has been at NNSY for more than 30 years. She started her career at NNSY in 1986 after graduating high school, following in her father’s footsteps. “I am a second-generation shipyard worker; my father was one of the first Navy nuclear welders here at NNSY. I saw that he made enough money to support a family all while supporting the Navy and its mission. I figured, why not go into the apprenticeship and learn a trade myself so I could do the same,” said Johnson.
When Johnson began her career, the shipyard was far from the more inclusive workplace she sees today. “When I first came to NNSY, there were urinals in the women’s restrooms,” she said.
Today, Johnson is the shipyard’s Safety Deficiency Report (SDR) Program Manager. In this role, she tracks all safety deficiencies on a Combined Deficiency Backlog that is shared with all codes and posted on NNSY’s WebCentral. She communicates with building monitors and safety advocates from various codes to help abate deficiencies in their spaces.
Johnsons’ supervisor, NNSY Hazard Abatement and Analysis Branch Head (Code 106.24) Stephanie Twine said, “Michelle is a hard worker, team player, exhibits C.O.R.E. values in everyday work and is extremely dedicated. She enjoys working with codes and shops at NNSY to enhance the safety culture through communication and knowledge sharing. She is a true asset to Code 106 and to the whole shipyard!”
www.punjabnewsexpress.com/punjab/ne…
CHANDIGARH: A Seminar on ‘Advanced Traffic Management Systems and Road Safety in Punjab’ was organized by the Lead Agency to the Punjab State Road Safety Council (PRSC) at Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration (MGSIPA), Sector-26, Chandigarh. Road safety and Traffic management professionals and experts from all over India participated in the seminar as Guest Speakers. While giving the opening remarks Principal Secretary Transport K. Siva Prasad said “it’s high time for action to bring Road Safety culture and strict implementation to save precious human lives” and Director General, Lead Agency, Road Safety R. Venkat Ratnam said “we want to bring Road Safety Culture in Punjab through active participation of all stakeholders such as Engineering, Health, Traffic management, NGOs and People of Punjab and make a lasting contribution to road safety in the State.” Dr SS Chauhan ADGP Traffic stressed the importance of advanced and electronic enforcement in the State. Dr. Navdeep Asija, Traffic Advisor Punjab has put the light on current scenario of Road Safety in Punjab. Sanjay Goel, Chairman IIA Punjab Chapter has talked about the Smart Solutions for Traffic Management. On the other hand, Shabeer Mohammad, CEO, Sherwood Technocrats and Consultants Private Limited and Road Safety Communications expert has sensitized the participants about Road Safety Management. Swantantra Kumar also expressed his views on this occasion.
The New Jersey Department of Agriculture’s division of marketing and development is one of the leaders in the United States in implementing the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule.
In fact, the department has conducted 225 on-farm inspections and 95 on-farm readiness reviews so far this year.
“The department also performs USDA GAP/GHP, Harmonized, and Harmonized Plus audits. These audits review food-safety plans, records, documentation, procedures and practices of farms, storages, and distribution centers of fresh produce,” said NJDA Secretary Douglas Fisher.
“In any year, the department performs over 300 audits and inspections throughout the state,” he said.
The NJDA, in cooperation with Rutgers Cooperative Extension, The Northeast Center for Advanced Food Safety, FDA, and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, continues to develop educational and outreach programs to educate the produce industry on food safety.
EPISODE SUMMARY
Today we discuss the safety of younger workers in the workplace. The research paper was brought about because of a finding that workers under the age of 30 are between 60 and 70 percent more likely to be injured on the job.
EPISODE NOTES
While there may be many reasons for this - this particular research paper looks at how younger workers are inducted into the workplace and how they learn about the safety practices and requirements that are expected. The findings are pretty fascinating - especially for people responsible for hiring new employees.
It is reasonable to assume, not a single employee aboard MCLB Barstow arrives to work each day hoping to get injured on the job, or get exposed to hazards that may result in an occupational illness. Rather, the expectation is quite the opposite. So much so, the expectation for an employer to provide a work place free of recognized hazards was codified in the Williams-Steiger Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. Under the OSHAct, regulatory requirements are published as Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards in Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations. The regulatory requirements almost exclusively focus on the responsibilities of the employer. Granted, an employer who strictly enforces each and every applicable OSHA regulatory requirement would in fact meet the intent of the OSHAct, but it misses the bigger picture. A safe work environment relies on the mindset and culture of the entire organization, not just an individual C-suite officer, safety representative, first-line supervisor, or employee. In order to shape the safety culture of an organization, employers have many options from which to choose. However, OSHA has developed five cooperative programs designed to improve an organization’s safety and health management systems. Active participation in one of these programs in-turn helps prevent fatalities, injuries and illnesses in the work place through collaborative efforts and continuous process improvement. Of OSHA’s five established programs, MCLB Barstow has been actively involved in the Voluntary Protection Programs since 2006 and STAR certified since 2008. It is almost certain, everyone aboard MCLB Barstow has heard about VPP and possesses a basic understanding of how it enhances our safety awareness and culture. What may be less commonly known is the significance of MCLB Barstow’s continued certification as a STAR site. In essence, MCLB Barstow’s long-term VPP STAR status (13 years and counting) demonstrates our employer’s dedication to cooperatively work with their employees, Union (if so represented) and OSHA to reduce or eliminate safety and health hazards and promote safe work conditions for each and every employee. To date, this dedication to safety has transcended six installation commanders and countless managers, supervisors, and employees. The fact so many personnel have come and gone from all levels of the organization and yet we are still able to maintain our VPP STAR status is a true testament to our organization’s enduring safety culture and all the employees’ contributions, past and present. More importantly, through management and employee involvement we have been able to consistently maintain Total Case Incident Rates (TICR) and Days Away, Restricted or Transferred (DART) well below the national average for our particular industry. In short, this means fewer employees are getting injured on the job or experiencing an occupational illnesses, which is truly the ultimate goal of the program.
codeblue.galencentre.org/2021/08/0…
KUALA LUMPUR, August 3 — Even as the various vaccines for Covid-19 are being rolled out, the world remains vulnerable, with the socio-economic impairment being arguably more destructive than the lives taken by the disease.
With the World Health Organization (WHO) cautioning against these vaccines being seen as a true panacea, allowing a return to past norms and other entities such as the Gates Foundation advocating preparation for future pandemics, more lasting and sustainable solutions are needed, lest we allow for a dystopian future for our children.
Prevention has always been better than cure, and over time, humanity has found habits, typically embedded in cultural norms, to be a more sustainable and even cost-effective means of managing threats to life and limb.
As it stands, the establishment of new cultural norms and behaviours, however painful, have been seen as a necessity for combating the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, such new habits haven’t been sufficiently embedded in society, made evident by rapid proliferation of the disease too soon after movement control restrictions are removed from communities.
There is therefore a need for a more proactive effort to establish a Safety Culture in society through its various institutional platforms, be it school, the workplace, places of government, media, religious establishments and others.
NEW YORK (WWTI) — AAA Western and Central New York are urging drivers to use caution during the end of July, as the public has entered the “100 Deadliest Days.”
The “100 Deadliest Days” is a period between Memorial Day and Labor Day when teen driver crashes dramatically increase. With summer in full swing, and less COVID-19 protocols in place, AAA is warning teens to be more diligent to avoid tragedies.
In New York State, there were 196 crashes involving teen drivers during the “100 Deadliest Days” over a ten-year span, which is down from 222 people from the years 2008-2018.
‘100 Deadliest Days’ for driving are Memorial Day to Labor Day as teen drivers hit the road, AAA warns According to the latest AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety Culture Index, about 72% of teen drivers between the ages of 16-18 have admitted to having engaged in at least one of the following behaviors within the last 30 days:
Israel marked World Drowning Prevention Day hours after the nation experienced the deadliest day of drowning cases since the beginning of this year’s swim season. … “For the first time, the UN recognizes drownings as a global emergency,” said Paul Hakim, President of the Israel Lifesaving Federation, in a statement. “The situation in Israel today is very serious. The solution has been around for over 50 years in Australia and has been proven to be a lifesaver.” Australian Ambassador to Israel Paul Griffiths added, “Australia is proud to have in Israel one of its greatest exports – surf lifesaving!” “Our vision is to bring Australian water safety culture to Israel, while building communities and promoting social values,” concluded Hakim.
EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode, we take a deep dive into a research paper about using fear or shock tactics to inspire behavior change when it comes to health and safety communication. Motor vehicle safety adverts are one of the more common references for this type of method of communication. We discuss what the research has found on the effectiveness of communicating in this way and why it sometimes has the opposite effect.
EPISODE NOTES
The reason we are talking about this today, is because this tactic is often used in workplace safety videos and we ask whether or not it works for everyone, how well it works for workplace safety and whether its even ethical in the first place, regardless of its efficacy.
Topics:
Deciding to discuss shock tactics/threat appeals in the podcast Do they have a place in organization safety management? Ethics behind using fear tactics The research paper introduction About the authors How does fear connect with persuasion? Too much fear-mongering Adaptive vs maladaptive response to the message General problems with research in fear messaging Practical takeaways Six things that determine how people respond to the message: The severity of the fear Susceptibility Relevance Efficacy The wear-out effect The credibility of the message
www.qualityassurancemag.com/article/f…
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The Peanut and Tree Nut Processors Association (PTNPA) hosted its annual Technical Forum June 29 and 30 in Chicago. The focus was “Leading a Culture of Food Safety,” and the conference saw corporate and regulatory agency participants and presenters alike discussing the rapidly changing nature of the technology, collaboration and adaptability required to constantly manage and continue to enhance a safe, stable food supply. The PTNPA Technical Forum 2021 attracted industry leaders and representatives from around the globe.
“The PTNPA Technical Forum brings together business owners and managers, quality assurance and compliance specialists and prominent food safety and regulatory experts to openly discuss current challenges, resources and opportunities. We are proud to be an industry that embraces collaboration to create proactive programs and effective solutions resulting in supply chain improvements and innovative products — all with food safety as a priority,” said Jeannie Shaughnessy, executive director and CEO, PTNPA.
www.freightwaves.com/news/safe…
Developing a safety culture isn’t easy, but establishing one sure does make your job a lot easier down the road.
Reliance Partners Director of Safety Robert Kaferle continues the conversation from his previous article, Safety check: No carrier thinks it’s ‘unsafe’, further explaining the importance of proactive safety amid a high-risk environment.
Kaferle and fellow Director of Safety Brian Runnels are part of Reliance Partners’ risk services team, which works closely with motor carriers to identify potential gaps in regulation compliance and offers strategic guidance for corrective action. Both Kaferle and Runnels have a combined 70 years of trucking experience, with both holding CDLs and CDS certifications. Having been behind the wheel as well as safety department heads, the two are familiar with struggles and safety needs of motor carriers large and small.
“Being proactive takes more work than being reactive, but doing so gives you way more benefits than what reactive measures deliver,” Kaferle said. “At Reliance Partners, we operate on a proactive-versus-reactive consulting model. Most people wait until they have a problem before seeking help, but by then it’s often too late to mitigate the issues at hand.”