A win-win: a win for Americans and a win for American businesses. This is what OSHA expects the newly revised HazCom standard to accomplish. In an effort to better protect workers from hazardous chemicals, the HazCom standard will align with the UN’s Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). Once implemented, OSHA says it will prevent an estimated 43 deaths and result in an estimated $475.2 million in enhanced productivity for U.S. businesses each year.
“Exposure to hazardous chemicals is one of the most serious dangers facing American workers today,” Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis says. “Revising OSHA’s HazCom standard will improve the quality, consistency and clarity of hazard information that workers receive, making it safer for workers to do their jobs and easier for employers to stay competitive in the global marketplace.”
Chemicals pose a wide range of health hazards such as irritation and sensitization, and physical hazards such as flammability and reactivity. It was not until OSHA first created HazCom in 1983 that workers had access to all the chemicals used in their facilities, as well as information on how to protect themselves. “With HazCom came the ‘right to know,’” OSHA Administrator David Michaels says in reference to the initial standard. Since its inception, HazCom has required chemical manufacturers and importers to prepare and implement a written HazCom program. They also must label all containers, provide employees access to safety data sheets (SDS) and effectively train all potentially exposed workers.
The revised rule, which is expected to prevent an estimated 585 injuries and illnesses annually, now gives workers the “right to understand” by removing inconsistencies, inaccuracies and any difficulty reading the materials, Michaels says. When the revised standard is fully aligned with GHS in 2016, it will reduce confusion about chemical hazards in the workplace through use of signal words, pictograms, hazard statements and precautionary statements. The use of Spanish material will greatly improve the understanding of hazards for low literacy workers as well, Michaels adds.
OSHA’s revised standard will classify chemicals according to their health and physical hazards, and will establish consistent labels and SDS for all chemicals made in the U.S. and imported from abroad. This is expected to result in reduced trade barriers and productivity improvements for U.S. businesses that regularly handle, store and use hazardous chemicals. According to OSHA, U.S. businesses that periodically update SDS and labels for chemicals covered under the standard will save an estimated $32.2 million annually.
In addition, unclassified hazards have been renamed “hazards not otherwise classified.” As the science develops, so will new categories for these hazards. “We have a number of things in the pipeline,” Michaels says. “We are working hard on electrical power transmission right now.” He adds that the agency is always happy to hear input from stakeholders.
According to OSHA guidelines, employers must train workers on the new label elements and SDS format by Dec. 1, 2013. Chemical manufacturers, importers, distributors and employers must comply with all modified provisions of the final rule by June 1, 2015; however, distributors may ship products labeled by manufacturers under the old system until Dec. 1, 2015. By June 1, 2016, employers must update alternative workplace labeling and hazard communication programs as necessary, and provide additional worker training for new identified physical and health hazards. During the transition period, all chemical manufacturers, importers, distributors and employers may comply with either 29 CFR 1910.1200 (the final standard), the current standard or both.
The final rule revising the standard is available at http://s.dol.gov/P1. Further information for workers, employers and downstream users of hazardous chemicals can be reviewed at OSHA’s HazCom Safety and Health topics page at www.osha.gov/dsg/hazcom/index.html.
Effective Completion Dates & Key Requirements
Dec. 1, 2013: Employers must train employees on the new label elements and SDS format.
June 1, 2015: Chemical manufactures, importers, distributors and employers must comply with all modified provisions of this final rule.
Dec. 1, 2015: The distributors shall not ship containers labeled by the chemical manufacturer or importer unless it is a GHS label.
June 1, 2016: Employers must update alternative workplace labeling and HazCom programs as necessary and provide additional employee training for newly identified physical or health hazards.
Benefits
The new standard covers more than 43 million workers who produce or handle hazardous chemicals in more than 5 million workplaces across the country. Once fully implemented, the standard is expected to:
prevent more than 500 workplace injuries and illnesses and 43 fatalities annually;
improve the quality and consistency of hazard information, making it safer for workers to do their jobs and easier for employers to stay competitive;
enhance worker comprehension of hazards, especially for low- and limited-literacy workers, thereby reducing confusion in the workplace, facilitating safety training and resulting in safer handling and use of chemicals;
provide workers quicker and more efficient access to information on the SDS;
save U.S. businesses more than $475 million in productivity improvements, fewer SDS and label updates, and simpler HazCom training;
reduce trade barriers by harmonizing with systems globally.
CSHS Mobilizes Safety Community, Makes Strides to Include OSH Metrics in Sustainability Reporting
Since its launch in June 2011, the Center for Safety and Health Sustainability (CSHS) has made great strides in its efforts to influence the OSH metrics in global sustainability reporting. CSHS has been working with Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), a network-based organization that pioneered the world’s most widely used sustainability reporting framework. GRI is working on a new version of its reporting framework, G4. The goal of CSHS is to improve the occupational safety and health metrics in G4, which is scheduled for 2013 release. To that end, the center has:
contacted some 85 OSH groups across the globe to garner support for five new metrics proposed by CSHS;
filed comments with GRI both online and off;
participated in GRI’s first public workshop on G4;
met on several occasions with GRI senior leaders.
The center saw its efforts rewarded in a recent report from GRI on G4 development. OSH was named fourth by surveyed respondents who were asked to list the top material topics that their organization had identified for their sustainability reports. Also of note is that with regard to the GRI survey on material topics that should be addressed, “Occupational Health & Safety tops the Labor category with 25% of all reporters.”
The report also states, “Furthermore, all people wishing to see a standard set for all organizations were asked to provide some indicators they would like to see. . . . 78 respondents offered ideas for indicators, with a large majority offering the same five OHS indicators.” According to center leadership, this result was due in large part to the efforts of CSHS to mobilize the global safety community.
To view the GRI report on G4 development, visit www.globalreporting.org/resourcelibrary/G4-PCP1-Full-Report.pdf. To learn more about CSHS, visit www.centershs.org.
OSHA Talks I2P2
The best way to reduce worker injuries is to prevent them before they occur. With that in mind, OSHA has issued a white paper describing the benefits of safety and health programs. Titled “Injury and Illness Prevention Programs,” the report discusses how these programs work and evidence of their success. It also discusses the costs of workplace injuries and effective implementation of health management systems. “OSHA believes these programs provide the foundation for breakthrough changes in the way employers identify and control hazards, leading to a significantly improved workplace health and safety environment,” the report states.
OSHA also notes that many U.S. employers have been slow to adopt a workplace safety culture that emphasizes planning and carrying out work safely. “Effective injury and illness prevention programs emphasize top-level ownership of the program, participation by employees and a ‘find and fix’ approach to workplace hazards.”
View the white paper at www.osha.gov/dsg/InjuryIllnessPreventionProgramsWhitePaper.html.
UAB Master of Engineering
Program Graduates First Class
University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) launched a digital graduate program for safety professionals in August 2009. Five academic semesters later, 16 pioneers are the first recipients of the UAB Master of Engineering in Advanced Safety Engineering and Management (ASEM). These professionals completed the first-ever graduate degree program that features the principles of system safety and prevention through design.
The program is tailored to meet the needs of working professionals whose schedules do not allow them to participate in traditional classroom-based curricula. All course assignments are specifically designed to be relevant to the student’s workplace.
According to the first graduating class, the program provides immediate return on investment. “The ASEM program was everything I thought it would be and more.” says Tom Reburn, manager of safety for Energen Inc. “Even with a CSP and 24 years’ experience in safety, the ASEM classes significantly enhanced my view of safety for employees, contractors and the public.” Another recent graduate, Major Randy Cadieux U.S. Marine Corps., says the peer-to-peer learning was invaluable, and the projects were directly applicable to everyone’s current work environment.
The unique peer-to-peer learning environment is enhanced by the diversity of the graduate students, according to Martha Bidez, UAB director and professor. ASEM students entered the safety field from a myriad of undergraduate backgrounds and represent a broad range of industries and countries. In fact, 78 national and international, employed safety professionals are currently enrolled, and they represent more than 20 different industry sectors, such as automotive, military, construction and chemical processing.
The students, who hold degrees in fields such as biochemistry, engineering and disaster management, have experience levels ranging from 5 to 30 years. The ASEM program also has active personnel from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. And, while Bidez confirms that the coursework can be challenging for students who do not have formal engineering education, the program has a nearly 85% retention rate.
“The insights and jewels of knowledge that I was exposed to on the weekly discussion boards and live classrooms were far and above anything I expected from an educational program,” says Kathy Mergl, senior safety engineer at BioEchoes Inc. “Some projects were performed as a team, and we learned to master the techniques as well as to work as an integrated team across cultural lines, geographic zones and various levels of management perspective.”
The program was designed to help safety professionals demonstrate their value to their companies, which should increase their earning potential. “I am so very grateful to the University of Alabama at Birmingham administration for its visionary leadership in allowing this program to be created,” Bidez says. All of the ASEM graduate students, particularly the inaugural class of ‘safety blazers’ who just graduated, are inspiring, transformational leaders. . . . What a rare privilege it is to be associated with both a world-class institution and world-class safety professionals.”
Fast-Fact Publications Help Home Healthcare Workers
According to National Association for Home Care & Hospice, in 2008 (the latest data available), approximately 12 million individuals received care at home from more than 33,000 providers (for causes including acute illness, long-term health conditions, permanent disability or terminal illness). According to NIOSH, during 2007 alone, 27,400 recorded injuries occurred among more than 896,800 home healthcare workers.
To help workers and their employers better understand the hazards involved, NIOSH has produced a series of fast-fact publications designed to help home healthcare workers avoid hazardous exposures and prevent injuries and illnesses. The publications cover:
More Employers Are Offering Integrated Well-Being Programs
According to WorldatWork, organizations’ health and wellness offerings have expanded beyond traditional programs, which primarily focus on physical health, to integrated well-being programs that include mental, emotional and financial health; work-life effectiveness; and workplace environment and stress. WorldatWork members participated in a survey that examined current trends in well-being practices.
According to the survey, among prevalent well-being program categories, the top elements employers support are:
stress-related: EAP resource and referral (80%);
workplace environment: Safety (73%);
health-related: Immunizations (73%);
work-life balance: Vacation time use encouraged (66%);
financial health: Retirement education (57%).
The survey also found:
96% of surveyed employers offer employer-sponsored healthcare and 94% offer well-being programs.
77% expect to increase the number of well-being programs and activities offered.
Most report that well-being programs have a measurable positive impact on employee engagement (87%), employee satisfaction (84%) and productivity (76%).
For more information, visit www.worldatwork.org.
Feeling Valued at Work Linked to Well-Being & Performance, APA Survey Finds
A survey by American Psychological Association (APA) found that employees who feel valued at work are more likely to report better physical and mental health, as well as higher levels of engagement, satisfaction and motivation, compared to those who do not feel valued by their employers. The survey found that 21% of working Americans said they do not feel valued by their employers.
According to the APA survey:
93% of those who feel valued by their employers said that they are motivated to do their best at work, versus 33% of those who do not feel valued.
88% of valued employees reported feeling engaged, versus 38% of those who do not feel valued.
21% of employees who feel valued said they intend to look for a new job in the next year, versus 50% of those who do not feel valued.
The survey also found that two out of five employees (41%) reported typically feeling stress at work. Commonly cited causes of workplace stress include low salaries (46%), lack of opportunity for growth or advancement (41%), too heavy a workload (41%), long hours (37%) and unclear job expectations (35%).
APA offers resources to employers for creating a psychologically healthy workplace, including information on employee involvement, work-life balance, employee growth and development, safety and health, and employee recognition. These resources can be found at www.phwa.org/resources/creatingahealthyworkplace.
UL Warns About TV, Large Furniture Tip-Over Dangers
U.S. hospital emergency departments treated an estimated annual average of 43,400 people for injuries related to instability of televisions, furniture and appliances from 2008 through 2010, according to U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Of that average and the 293 fatalities reported between 2000 and 2010, staff note that 58% involved children under age 18.
“This is not as uncommon as people might think, sadly,” says UL’s John Drengenberg. In light of these fatalities, UL reminds families and caregivers how to properly safeguard homes against such hazards.
TV Placement on Furniture
Verify that furniture is stable on its own. For added security, anchor to the floor or attach all entertainment units, TV stands, bookcases, shelving and bureaus to the wall using appropriate hardware, such as brackets, screws or toggles.
Place the TV on sturdy furniture appropriate for its size or on a low-rise base.
Push the TV as far back as possible from the front of its stand.
Remove items from the top of the TV and furniture that might tempt a child to climb, such as toys and remote controls.
Place electrical and cable cords out of a child’s reach and teach him/her not to play with the cords.
Mounting Procedures
While UL tests TVs for safety, it also tests the wall mounting hardware. Homeowners must mount TVs in accordance with the installation instructions supplied with the product.
Check for the UL mark when purchasing mounting hardware to signify that the equipment has been tested for safety.
UL’s current safety standards confirm that a TV can withstand a 10° tilt and a force of 20 lb or 20% of its weight without tipping over. To learn more about preventing accidents at home, visit www.SafetyAtHome.com.
Creating a Scent-Free Workplace
Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) offers a series of tools and resources to help organizations transition to a scent-free workplace. The “Scent-Free Zone” helps employers designate work areas as fragrance free, and reminds employees and visitors not to wear perfume, cologne, aftershave and other fragrances, and to use unscented personal care products. CCOHS’s Jan Chappel offers several suggestions for maintaining a scent-free workplace:
Inform all employees of the policy and ensure that they know what they have to do before the policy becomes effective.
Explain the health concerns related to scents and why the policy is needed.
Address employee concerns openly and honestly. Explain that this policy is being implemented as a result of medical concerns not merely because of a dislike for a certain smell.
Identify the exact source of the problem, if possible. Reduce all emissions from building materials and cleaning products.
Maintain good indoor air quality. Ensure that air is being replaced with fresh air, and that scents are not getting recycled throughout the building.
Chemical Safety Board Addresses CITGO Hydrofluoric Acid Incident
CSB has published an update on the agency’s investigation into a March 5, 2012, release of hydrofluoric acid (HF) at the CITGO refinery in Corpus Christi, TX. CSB’s Johnnie Banks stressed that although no injuries resulted from the incident, “CSB takes any accident involving the release of HF very seriously” due to its highly corrosive and toxic nature.
According to investigators, the leak resulted from failure of the seal on a 12-in. flange on a process vessel in the alkylation unit. Leaks at that flange had been reported since September 2011, and maintenance had been performed on several occasions. More than 3 weeks before the incident, a new clamp to enclose the leak was ordered. “The unit was not shut down,” Banks said. “Rather the clamp was ordered in hopes that its installment would stop the leak.” On the day of the incident, process liquids containing hydrocarbons and about 5% HF were released in a steady stream which worsened through the late afternoon. CSB has determined that the incident resulted in the release of 300 to 500 lb of HF.
The release was eventually detected by sensors that triggered the alkylation unit’s automatic water cannons, which are designed to capture airborne HF. These water cannons are intended as the last line of defense in the event of an HF release. However, CSB learned that the water cannons were activated on 2 days following the incident—as a result of planned work activities during which the company expected that the cannons might be triggered. CSB reported its concern over the facility’s apparent reliance on the water cannons to “control” an HF release during maintenance activities.
CSB says it will examine commonalities between this incident and a 2009 incident at the same facility, in which 21 tons of HF released from alkylation unit piping and equipment, resulting from an intense hydrocarbon flash fire that critically injured one employee and exposed another to HF. Visit www.csb.gov to learn more.
New App Provides Bus Safety Information
DOT’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has released its new iPhone/iPad application, SaferBus, that gives bus riders the ability to review a bus company’s safety record. The SaferBus app gives the public the power to make an informed decision about their safety, or as the agency says, the app is a way to “look before you book.”
According to FMCSA, the app provides access to safety records for almost 6,000 U.S. interstate commercial passenger carriers, including motor coaches, and school and bus companies. Users are alerted to bus companies that should not be operating because of their unsatisfactory safety rating, which is the lowest rating given by FMCSA. The app gives access to up to 24 months of a company’s safety performance data including categories such as driver fitness, vehicle maintenance, fatigued driving and unsafe driving.
In addition, the app provides information on interstate bus companies that are not allowed to operate because they do not have valid U.S. DOT operating authority or that do not comply with federal insurance requirements.
“By placing a bus company’s safety record in the palm of your hand, SaferBus encourages riders to think safety first, supports our agency’s commitment to make bus travel as safe as possible, and provides good bus companies a way to highlight their positive safety records,” says FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro.
Users also have the ability to submit complaints through the app. It links to FMCSA’s consumer complaint database and to the hotline number in the event of a safety issue. Visit www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety-security/saferbus/saferbus.aspx for more information.
Workplace Safety White Paper
A new white paper from Predictive Solutions, an Industrial Scientific Co., discusses how predictive analytics may help prevent workplace injuries. Published as a source for safety professionals, “Predictive Analytics in Workplace Safety: Four Safety Truths That Reduce Workplace Injuries,” provides team research from Carnegie Mellon University and Predictive Solutions that explains why safety indicators (instead of lagging indicators) should be used to drive workplace injury prevention programs. According to the company, the white paper identifies “actionable insights from the research distilled down to four truths about safety observation and inspection data that form the basis of workplace injury prevention activities.”
“Many people have wondered if workplace injuries really can be predicted and prevented, and the simple answer is yes, workplace injuries and safety incidents can be reduced by predicting them before they happen,” says Predictive Solutions’ Griffin Schultz. “When the results of the research outlined in this paper are applied to workplace safety, we are one step closer to the vision many of us share of sending every employee home safe every day.”
After working with various companies, Humantech’s Walt Rostykus noticed a broad interpretation of ergonomic programs in practice. Many programs contain a mix of methods that focus on preventing, reducing and treating musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Based on those observations, Rostykus sees five effective approaches for properly managing MSDs.
Change the work and workplace. Design new or change existing workstations, tools and equipment to fit the people doing the work. This approach uses engineering controls such as adjustments and changes in the physical workplace. Engineering controls ensure that reach, force and distance are within acceptable limits of the collective workforce. This approach also includes administrative controls such as job rotation, rest breaks and slowed pace.
Change the person. Change the capabilities, fitness and stamina of the person performing the work. This encompasses personal fitness and wellness, and it includes elements of stretching, exercise and conditioning. This tactic depends on employees’ willingness and participation as well as their existing physical condition.
Change how work is done. Get people to behave differently in hopes of reducing exposure to MSD risk factors. This is behavioral modification and may include behavior-based safety programs, use of body mechanics, and training and awareness campaigns. This requires individuals to change their perception of work and change how they perform work.
Fit the person to the task. Measure a person’s strength, reach and range of motion and match his/her capabilities to the task. This includes conducting functional job analysis and prework screening to match functional job descriptions. It requires an investment in performing tests on each employee and the time to match them to the physical demands of a task.
Fix the person. When a person suffers an MSD or sprain/strain injury, s/he must be diagnosed and treated, then managed in the return-to-work process. This is medical management, a reactive program to reduce the losses due to injuries that have occurred.
“Depending on your company resources, you may choose one, several or all of the above approaches,” Rostykus says. “We do, however, recommend that the first approach, ergonomics, be the foundation of your process. For if it is done well, you become less reliant on the other approaches.”
Safety Checklists for Plastics Processing
The plastics processing industry poses many hazards, ranging from third-degree burns and electric shock to poisonous fumes and amputations. To help prevent these injuries, Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST) collaborated with professionals from the industry to produce a series of checklists for safeguarding horizontal plastic injection molding, which includes manually feeding the plastics materials and working with heavy machinery. The safety checklists refer to Standard for Plastics Machinery (ANSI/SPI B151.1-2007); include illustrations of the processes and machines used; and review components of a horizontal plastic injection molding machine and associated hazard zones. For more information, visit www.irsst.qc.ca.
Machine SafetyChecklists:
These checklists are available:
safeguard checklist;
additional safeguarding for large molding machines;
safeguarding of the injection unit;
safeguarding of the mold closing unit;
safeguarding checklist for people working on the machine.
NFPA Examines Fire Risks of Compulsive Hoarding
Compulsive hoarding has been in the media spotlight for some time, thanks in large part to television shows on A&E and TLC networks. While those shows usually focus on the social and family problems related to hoarding, another hazard is often overlooked—fire. In many situations, items may be kept too close to stoves and heat sources, exits may be blocked, smoke alarms may not work and frayed electrical cords may be prevalent.
In the January/February issue of NFPA Journal, Stephanie Schorow examines “The Dangers of Too Much Stuff” and how fire service and human service professionals are dealing with safety issues related to compulsive hoarding. “While the relationship between hoarding and fire safety has yet to be fully documented—NFPA, for example, does not maintain specific data on hoarding-related fires—the work of social scientists and the anecdotal reports of the fire service are gradually combining to reveal an important fire threat,” Schorow writes.
What the fire service is also learning, Schorow reports, is that “it may take a variety of professionals, ranging from mental health counselors to building inspectors, to devise a working plan for addressing issues.” In fact, she reports that about 85 communities around the country have organized hoarding task forces, according to Christiana Bratiotis, a post-doctoral fellow at the Hoarding Research Project at Boston University. These groups may include building inspectors, social workers, elderly service workers, social psychologists, animal control officers and first responders.
Read the article at http://goo.gl/4DA9J. To view an NFPA video report on the subject, visit http://goo.gl/h7ml0.
Standard Addresses Hi-Tech Vehicle Safety
Driver assistance systems and electronic-based functions are more common than ever. But what software and hardware risks do they pose? ISO 26262, Road Vehicles: Functional Safety describes an automotive safety lifecycle and outlines an automotive-specific risk-based approach for these vehicles. ISO says the standard can be used to avoid unreasonable residual risk, and to validate and confirm safety levels. “With more electronic-based systems integrated into cars, the need increases to ensure that any potential failures are averted or mitigated,” says Nicolas Becker, leader of the group that developed the standard. Learn more at www.iso.org/iso/store.htm.
Preventing Work-Related Asthma
When not properly managed, asthma, which narrows air passages in lungs and debilitates breathing, can greatly affect a person’s ability to work. In fact, certain workplace chemicals or agents put workers at a higher risk for developing asthma. Asthma symptoms include difficulty breathing, tightness of the chest, coughing and wheezing, and, when work-related, are often worse on work days than on days off. Exposure to an agent in the workplace causes occupational asthma or respiratory sensitization. Meanwhile, work-aggravated asthma occurs when factors on the job worsen the symptoms of workers who already have asthma.
The easiest way to prevent all work-related asthma is to eliminate or reduce exposure to agents that are known to cause it. Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety offers the following suggestions.
Employers Can . . .
Eliminate the asthma-causing agent from the workplace.
Substitute a less hazardous agent if elimination is not possible.
Apply administrative controls such as policies, procedures, safe work practices and job rotation to minimize exposure time of workers.
Control the exposure. Close off the work processes that release the agent into the air or install ventilation systems to contain emissions at the source.
Provide PPE, such as respirators, as the last line of defense. PPE should not be used as the only method of exposure control when exposures are ongoing.
Train employees on the proper use, storage and maintenance of PPE, proper handling procedures, avoidance of spills and good housekeeping procedures.
Monitor the exposure level of hazardous agents to ensure that workers are not exposed to levels greater than recommended in regulations, standards and guidelines.
Employees Can . . .
Learn about workplace hazards by speaking to the employer, safety or union representative, or an occupational health professional.
Attend training on work-related asthma and occupational safety and health.
Be aware of the symptoms of work-related asthma.
Follow safe work practices, policies and procedures provided by your employer.
Use the PPE provided.
Report any problems with equipment, PPE or ventilation systems to your supervisor.
Participate in all workplace safety and health programs.
vapors, gases, dusts, mists, sprays or fumes from industrial materials and cleaning products;
dust mites or mold/fungal spores;
indoor air pollution resulting from poor ventilation;
outdoor air pollution and smog (for outdoor workers).
VPP Sites Exchange Visits, Ideas & Commitment
ABB Inc.’s Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) safety team in Bland, VA, exchanged site visits across state lines and industries. Allegheny Wood Products (AWP) is an OSHA VPP Star site in West Virginia—one of only two hardwood saw mills in the U.S. to achieve Star recognition—and ABB’s Bland facility was the second site inside the corporation to achieve this designation.
What do a sawmill and a transformer factory have in common? The one common denominator is VPP Star performance, says Bland’s H&S Director John Caldwell. And, it’s the shared belief that employee safety is a top priority which brought the two sites together to exchange information. The Bland team found the tour of AWP’s Princeton, WV, plant insightful, Caldwell says, particularly in seeing “how other industries resolve some of the same type of hazards we all have in common.” Caldwell reports that the AWP team shared best practices as well as information on processes, training, documentation and inspections. “They demonstrated a culture that was devoted to making their site safe as well as involving their employees in all of their safety initiatives,” Caldwell says. “Their operations manager was very involved in ensuring that their safety program and processes were in place and being followed. . . . Their management team ‘walked the talk.’”
At the ABB site, Operations Manager Joey Chandler and Caldwell took AWP team members on tours and shared information about the site’s safety program. “Both companies walked away with a great deal of information about safety, safety management and safety culture,” Caldwell notes. “Both companies recognize the impact that safety has on the bottom line and how important it is to continuously improve in safety. Operations managers at each site value the safety of their employees as priority one. Both companies share this core value and the mission of adding the VPP Star flag in front of other facilities.
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When Courtney Malveaux, commissioner of the Virginia Department of Labor, learned of the visits, she personally reached out to Caldwell. “She said, ‘This is a very good development. I am very encouraged by the cooperative spirit by both of the firms to share best practices.’”
