My interest in safety began when I experienced a “near-hit” incident early in my engineering career, and when I realized how many of the equipment operators I had known were missing some of their digits. At that time of my life, I was enjoying playing piano and guitar, and I couldn’t imagine what it would [...]
A little thought can make all the difference
Tag Archive: people
When Workflows Change
It was busy at my house over the holidays. The kids and their spouses, our college son, and 3 dogs were all there at once.
When there are special events in your home, work patterns change. In particular, there is more time spent in the kitchen preparing, serving, eating and cleaning. The kitchen is full of [...]
7 Things That Require Special Attention at the End Of the Year
Our neighborhood has our version of the Griswalds. They really decorate for Halloween, but as soon as November rolls around, they begin converting their decorations to Christmas themes. Rain or shine, on the weekend they have ladders up and wires run all over the place. They do seem to take their time to do it [...]
Unlucky Day For Your Safety?
Do you consider the number 13 to be unlucky? Or maybe you have an actual fear of the number, which is called triskaidekaphobia. If you do, you wouldn’t be alone. Thirteen is frequently left out when numbering floors in a building or even aisles in an airplane.
Yet there are some who consider this a lucky [...]
6 Contemplations During My Run Today
I am in training for another event. I can’t reveal it yet because I haven’t finalized all the details. I have to travel a long way to get there and I want everything just right. It’s not Boston. It’s not even a marathon. But for me, it’s a big deal.
So today’s run was 7 miles, [...]
The Moment of Choice
In this blog I try and present ideas that would give people an opportunity to discuss options, to make choices. Everything we do is decisionable, and we are frequently on autopilot. But if we learn to make the best decisions with each action we take, when the moment of decision is quick we will have [...]
Do You Motivate With Fear or Reward?
I like a good safety incentive as much as the next person. Although I haven’t kept them all, I would guess I have received dozens of items ranging from imprinted pens, flashlights, and portfolios to jackets, gift cards and parking spaces. Each one of them was designed to be a reminder of the importance of [...]
You ARE the Culture!
Company Culture. Our safety culture. The culture of the team. These are all frequently cited as the reason programs succeed or fail. And yet many safety programs are aimed at affecting the culture. Changing attitudes and actions.
Culture is, in a way, a misleading word. It is a collective noun. It represents a collection of attitudes, [...]
Unemployment Hearing or Funeral?
Several weeks ago, I wrote about a Culture of Challenge. This is a concept of an open organization where it is OK, or even required, to confront actions which you think could be done more safely. A corresponding attribute needed in a culture of challenge is Courage.
It might not seem to be a brave [...]
A Motive For Safety
A friend of mine recently complained that the phrase “Our employees are our most valuable asset” is among the most overused in business today. After thinking about that, along with the references to “human capital”, I had to disagree. It appears overused, but in reality it is misused. Too many bosses think it is an [...]
