Mark A French, Ph.D, CSP, EMT

CDC: Blue Bell Listeria Investigation goes back several years

This recall is a BIG one and seems to be growing! I expect that this will erode their customer base and customer confidence for years to come. It will be interesting to see how they change the way they do business, and how they get their customers back.

US Food Safety

CDC recommends that consumers do not eat any Blue Bell brand products, and that institutions and retailers do not serve or sell them.

This is a complex and ongoing multistate outbreak investigation of listeriosis illnesses occurring over several years. Several strains of Listeria monocytogenes are involved in this outbreak. Information indicates that various Blue Bell brand products are the source of this outbreak.

As of April 21, 2015, a total of ten patients infected with several strains of Listeria monocytogenes were reported from four states: Arizona (1), Kansas (5), Oklahoma (1), and Texas (3). Illness onset dates ranged from January 2010 through January 2015. The patients with illness onsets ranging from 2010-2014 were identified through a retrospective review of the PulseNet database for DNA fingerprints that were similar to isolates collected from Blue Bell ice cream samples. Since the last update on April 8, 2015, two additional patients, one each…

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The Hierarchy of Safety Needs, Part 7

The final phase of the needs based process is when the social recognition needs of the team is met. The team becomes almost self-sufficient. They are able to problem solve on their own and find even more creative ways to assure the safety of the site. The teams in this phase are encouraged to take over entire safety based program from writing the policy to performing the training. The team is driving and self-sustaining the gains. The management’s job is to clear and roadblocks and to help assess the progress. The progress is sustained through assuring that the previous behavioral needs are met. As demonstrated earlier when a lower segment of the pyramid starts to erode, the behaviors will revert to attempt to fill the more fundamental and basic need. This process builds to a true system of continuous improvement in the safety system. The team is finding ways on its own to seek out and correct issues before they happen. The gains that the safety teams have made are well sustained and ingrained in the culture. There becomes a total sense of ownership in safety. This is a tough phase as it is about letting go of the programs and truly empowering the team to make safety about the team and culture. It is critical during this phase, that the lower needs are reviewed regularly to assure that they are being met. It gains will not be sustained if: The business itself cannot be sustained, the safety items fail to get fixed, or the teams are not given time and resources to do a proper job. Gained this level of the a team based safety approach is about investing the team and investing in the individuals. This is truly a phase where break-through behavioral growth is over, and the focus in more on continuous improvement and total system sustainment. The goal is to not assume that the journey is over. The journey is always continuing. The focus will shift to auditing the process and looking for ways that improvements can be created. It is the process that has to maintained. The process drives the strong results.

Weekly Safety News Roundup – April 11, 2014

In the “What did you say?” category

A manufacturer was cited for multiple items “Four serious violations include equipping exit doors with sliding locks that could prohibit employees from leaving the facility quickly; not providing proper hand protection; failing to establish a noise testing program; and not training employees on the hazards of excessive noise levels.” It is interesting how many business latch their doors or have odd styles of handles that they try to do the right thing, but ultimately create a bad practice. In one case I remember, a door marked “EXIT” had been welded shut. When I asked why the reason was the door kept coming open. They also removed the stairs on the other side. So if it had not been welded shut, the people evacuating would just fall a couple of feet out the door. The simple plan was to mark the door as “not an exit.” The details always matter!

Noise is a whole topic all its own. Sadly, many companies think that handing out ear plugs is the right solution without realizing how complicated a true hearing conservation program can be. There are many factors in a compliant program including: monitoring, engineering, hearing screenings, selection of the right PPE, and a written program. In a loud environment, it can be a big program to manage.

In the “multiple citation” category

A foundry was found to be in violation of many OSHA regulations. These items included lack of guardrails, training, and storage of flammables. Basic OSHA compliance is achievable. It takes time and effort, but it is a shame to see citations that just keep going on and on. It makes me wonder about the morale of the employees? If a company cares so little about them, can they care about the company?

In the “Fight it all the way” category

A roofer was fined significantly when two workers fell and were hospitalized. According the article, “the owner and president of said he plans to contest the findings “all the way to the end.”’ WOW! The guy hospitalizes two workers, and he is mad that he was fined. It would be like speeding, then getting mad because you were pulled over. The way to prevent being fined is to follow the law. Even in this case, it was not just an inspection. It was an investigation into a serious accident. I have a feeling that the families of the two workers would have preferred if the law had been followed and no fines issued.

The Hierarchy of Safety Needs, Part 6

This is part 6 to a series of posts based on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. The theory takes that same basic premiss of having a progression of needs based behaviors and applying them to how safety progresses in an occupational environment.

This phase of the pyramid is a focus on progressing the teams and having the teams watch for safety issues for each other. It is important to note that the progression to this phase is marked by having an effective safety program that creates a strong sense of safety in the individuals in the organization.

The change from team work to recognition is slight from a mechanical approach, but dramatic from a behavioral aspect. The teams are no longer reliant on management for the solutions. The teams are finding and implementing solutions on their own. The resources are available and accessible. The teams know how to correct, report, and follow up on any safety concerns that are arising. They have the support of management through financing, resources, and attention. The supervisory responsibilities would include following up on work to assure corrections were complete and assuring the team stays focused on the tasks they begin. The most important aspect that has to be fulfilled is the need for recognition. The environment has to recognize these teams individually and publicly for their accomplishments. Their need has grown beyond simple social interaction, but now the desire to be appreciated is apparent. The company should take time to recognize and reward the work of their committees. The goal is to fulfill the need to be recognized.

This phase is marked with behaviors that are looking for the next safety improvement. The team knows that the company is committed to correcting and improving the safety of the site. The teams are now on the look of any predictive measures and items to correct to assure that injuries and incidents are prevented.

The teams are conducting self assessments for behaviors and conditions that can lead to safety issues. They are not worried of offending or judging others. The primary focus is helping each other to be safer. They coach each other and share success across the organization. If one department find a creative solution to correct a safety condition, that practice is carried to other departments. The key factor is to seek ways for the team to improve various aspects of the safety program.

Weekly Safety Roundup – Easter Weekend

I am a little late getting this one together, but without further ado here is what I have found interesting in safety news this week.

In the “Lockout is for everyone” category

A bowling alley was cited by OSHA after a fatality where a mechanic was caught in a pin setter mechanism. The premise of safety guarding from equipment is simple. Either it has to be guarded, or it has to be locked out. There are very few exceptions from an OSHA standpoint, and they are hard to prove. Even with work that sounds simple, it is very important that the equipment is guarded or securely turned off. Even at home, there are times where it is important to make sure the item is unplugged or that you maintain exclusive control

In the “scaffold” category

A scaffold collapse in North Carolina resulted in multiple fatalities. It is still not exactly known of what caused the collapse. It is a good reminded of how important competent scaffold builders are and inspections of the scaffolding. It will be interesting to see what comes from the investigation

In the “get the job done” category.

A roofer had an electrocution fatality and following the even sent another guy back to the same site under the same conditions to finish the job. Sadly, this happens more than it should. I remember a few years ago sitting in the TOSHA annual review of state fatalities. In their PowerPoint deck was a photo of roofers on the job. The previous day one of the roofers fell off the roof and was killed. The next day when the compliance officer showed up, the exact same work was going on with no additional safe guards. It truly makes me shake my head and wonder “what were they thinking?”

In the “makes me wonder about humanity” category

Wal-Mart has chosen to end their appeal of the 2008 Black Friday trampling death. I remember when this happened and wondered what kind of cheap electronics is worth a mob mentality tramping someone to death. How could people just keep charging into the store and not see they were killing the guy who opened the door. In Wal-Mart’s defense, I am sure they did not see that as a potential risk. I have in years following the incident an increased awareness of employee safety around Black Friday.

In “that’s interesting” news

A database of state OSHA laws has been compiled. It is an interesting read.

Easter Egg Cookies Recall for Undeclared Egg

As someone who came from the food industry, I still follow food safety sources. I was not part of the food safety division, but the people safety part of the business.

I found this one to be particularly interesting as they are Easter “Egg” cookies and they forgot that to put that it contains egg on the label.

The issues that come with processed foods is a big reason my wife and I (more my wife than me. gotta give credit where credit is due) have a garden in the spring and summer. It is also reason we have recently moved into backyard chickens (again, its all my wife). It is good to be more in control of the foods the family consumes.

US Food Safety

All lots of Silver Lake brand Easter Egg Cookies, NET WT. 8 OZ (226g), have been recalled due to undeclared egg (Allergen) in the ingredients.

The recalled Easter Egg Cookies were primarily sold to supermarkets in the following states: MN, WI, NY, GA, IL, CT, PA, MA, and IN.

There are no reported illnesses to date associated with this recall.

The Easter Egg Cookies were sold under The Silver Lake label with the UPC code of: 0 37695 49817 1

Customers with an egg allergy who have purchased the affected product should dispose of it. Consumers with a questions can call Silver Lake Cookie Company at 1-800-645-9048 x263, Monday through Friday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM EST.

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Weekly Safety News Roundup – May 28, 2015

This week had plenty of safety news but only a couple really got my attention. Some of the stories that seemed to be new news, was really just week old safety information other media outlets finally got their hands on. There were many stories (not really remarkable) about lockout tagout and machine guarding. These two items usually go hand-in-hand when referencing an OSHA inspection. If there is not a guard, there has to be a lockout tagout in place. It is an easy one-two punch from an OSHA citation standpoint. No guarding = fine. No lockout with no guarding = another fine. The inspector sees a trend and keeps finding the same problem over and over and over. The fine racks up to a hefty sum, the local news runs with it. On the other side, there are workers who have serious risk of amputation and death from the lack of those two basic programs.

On to other news.

In the “Most Creative Headline” category:

OSHA: Trains Aren’t the Only Things Blowing the Whistle at Union Pacific. EHS today continues to find interesting ways to grab the reader’s attention with punny headlines. The story is interesting. Workers’ have the right to report safety issues to OSHA without fear of retaliation. There were several documented cases where workers were retaliated against for either reporting safety issues or reporting work related injuries. The story focuses on one such case in which a work related injury appeared to result in a termination. Documentation is key. Just because a worker reports a safety issue or injury does not mean they have a free pass from the other rules of the workplace. The key is to consistently follow policies and document concisely when there are breaches in the policy. In this case, the story also lists other instances which this seemingly unfair practices were conducted.

In the “Learn from the Past” Category:

At the 10 year anniversary of the BP Texas City explosion, the CSB released a statement. This was a dramatic event and reviewing what went wrong is critical for prevention. PSM is a performance based standard and good mechanical integrity is very important to making sure catastrophes like this do not happen. Personally, I saw this event as one where a zero recordable mentality, should have been one of preventing injuries and incidents. They let their maintenance slip, but was proud of no OSHA recordables. In the end, there should have been more focus on the process and not on the results.

My Thoughts on the ASSE Interview with Paul H O’Neill

A week ago, the American Society of Safety Engineers hosted a Q&A session with Paul O’Neill. He is the former CEO of Alcoa and is recognized as a true safety leader. I would highly recommend seeing the interview if at all possible. It was quite a sobering experience of how easy he made safety leadership sound. There were a few items that really struck me as pertinent.

1) Before taking over as CEO, he asked himself, “what do you want to be remembered for?”

His answer was “safety.” I think of my own life and career and wonder what I will be remembered for. As a safety professional, I hope that people will see me as a strong advocate for worker safety. A few other attributes that come to mind are leadership, compassion, and fairness. I also look around at other managers and leaders and wonder what their answer would be to that same question. If we are truly being honest with ourselves, what would that answer be? What would others say we stand for? There are leaders whose answer would be leadership, profitability, innovation, or productivity. Are we really considering the human factor in these decisions and assuring that we protect the most valuable resource of any organization?

2) If you take care of the non-financial aspects of the business, the financial aspects will be there.

He was specifically talking about people. If you take care of the people in the organization, they will help the company take care of financials, quality, and productivity. This message highly resembles my postings on the Hierarchy of Safety Needs. Until the people of the organization feel their safety need has been fully realized. they will not progress to higher levels that drives true breakthrough skills that progresses the company. This philosophy also strongly resembles Toyota’s systems. As Toyota’s systems continue to be bench-marked, there is one clear idea that resounds: follow good processes, and the results will be achieved. Instead of driving the results, focus on the people and processes. They will help create organization success.

3) All safety issues will be corrected

He actually said that this statement scared his financial team. He stated that he could not expect people to believe in the message of safety if there were limitations to what they were willing to do to make the sites safe. This is definitely a lofty goal, and it did not happen overnight. There were processes and methods in place, but the issues were addressed and organization was transformed.

4) All incidents/injuries can be prevented

There is no such thing as an accident. There are measures that can always be taken to prevent injuries. I also found it interesting that he did not classify injuries as OSHA Recordables. He meant that near misses and first aid cases deserved swift, decisive, and focused attention. A first aid case is still someone who has been hurt on the job. It is not as severe, but it is still a person who has been hurt at work. His vision was not just an OSHA related goal, but one that was people and process focused.

Overall, I enjoyed the interview and found it to be very informative. His methods were not complex or difficult. They were focused on a few key principles that helped revolutionize his organization.

Weekly Safety News Recap – March 21, 2015

Here are a few news stories that I felt were interesting from this week.

In the “You Mean OSHA Can Do That” category:

A federal court has banned a company from performing construction and excavation work. After repeated violations that seemed not deter this this company from protecting its employees, the court told the company that it would need to find a new line of work. If it could not protect its employees, then it would not do those types of jobs. This is an interesting case against a smaller employer. I wonder if OSHA would do the same for a larger corporation for repeated violations?

In the “I Have Always Wondered” category:

McDonalds has been hit with multiple OSHA claims of unsafe work practices. I remember as a teenager and young adult hearing the stories of friends slipping, getting burned, getting cut, lift heavy bags and items, while working at their fast food jobs. I always wondered why this was acceptable from a safety standpoint. Evidently, I have my answer. It’s not. Are there really any excuses not protect workers?

In the “This Means You” Category

A garbage truck operator was struck by a passing car. I cannot stress this enough: when there are emergency vehicles, garbage trucks, and road crews, slow down, pay attention, and watch for them. They are focused on their job and do their best to watch for cars, but they need help protecting their lives.

In the “I’m Not Sure That’s the Root Cause” category

A petition to OSHA to regulate speeds in the meat and poultry industry was denied. One, we do not have a ergonomics standard which would help in this case. Two, the speed is not the hazard. The hazard is the repetitive motion. Yes, fast repetition is a cause of cumulative trauma injuries, but the focus should not be on the speed as much as the process, tools, automation, rest periods, rotations, etc. There are other ways for workers to be protected. OSHA has never really branched into the work flow and speed legislation.

The Hierarchy of Safety Needs, Part 5

So far, we have discussed the inherent process of having a job, creating a safety culture, and creating a team culture. At this point, it would make sense to have a simple validation process of understanding needs based safety.

A reverse logic approach can be applied as part of a validation of the behaviors. If a company has a functional safety committee with good participation and ideas, then it can be implied that the company has fulfilled the obligation to provide a workplace that is perceived to be free from serious hazards. This process does not take the place of a strong physical hazard auditing system, but it gives indication of the culture, behaviors, and perceptions that are present among the members of the workplace. With all the behavioral tiers of the pyramid the same reverse logic can be applied to the needs below. If employees feel safe, then there is a perception of employment stability as is seen with workers’ compensation when layoffs are a potential. Safety can be affected when gainful employment is at risk. The lowest filled need is the one that behaviors gravitate toward. The perceptions drive the behaviors, as the behaviors are driven by a fundamental needs based approach as theorized originally by Maslow.