speech on occupational health and safety

33 Original and Exclusive Think Pieces

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An unacceptable human cost

World Day 2019 in the Media

ILO on Global Connections TV with Bill Miller

Interview with Deutsche Welle: 7500 people die of work-related illness and injury daily

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World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2019 around the world

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International Trade Union Confederation General Secretary Sharan Burrow's message on OSH

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Maria Neira on Towards a healthier future of work

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Never Give up on Your Dream, Motivational Speeches

When you show courage in the ..., template: letter to request to attend a conference, do you want to attend a ..., motivational speech template to congratulate your team, an excellent safety motivational speech, i recently saw safety ....

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I recently saw safety leadership speaker, Billy Robbins speak at a Safety Conference. His safety speech was effective and well designed to compel the audience to make safety a priority.

In his safety speech, the funny keynote speaker asked the audience, How many people here think an Accident Free Workplace is possible ? Only about 10% raise their hand. Why? The resounding answer was because we are people and people make mistakes.

In the workplace, it is that one critical moment where that mistake can cost you your life. The safety motivational speaker asked an audience member to come up and he put socks on both hands to prove that accidents change people's lives.

Without the use of his hands, this audience members life drastically changed, his freedom was taken away. That's what accidents do. They impact quality of life. Not just his life, his family, his spouse, his workplace.

The safety keynote speaker drove the point home suggesting that kids think their parents can fix anything. (If you can't fix it, you can go buy another one). But what if parents couldn't help their kids anymore? They would have to go ask the neighbor to get the lawn mower fixed or to change a light bulb. Because their parents do everything for them, they aren't able to do things for themselves.

The trouble is people hate change. If an accident happens that affects your mobility, that change is forced on you in a very distinct way. Many of the personal freedoms you once had, are gone.

If you want an accident free workplace, you have to be motivated. It is a big commitment. It has to be controlled, you can't be up one day and down the next. You can't be committed one day and not the next.

The funny motivational speaker cruised the audience and suggested that people who have been doing their job 20 years or longer are going to be the first to have an accident. The longer we are on the job, the easier it is to become complacent and to take safety for granted.

Seasoned professionals often take shortcuts because they know how to. It's quicker, it's faster and you think, if I can just get through this quickly, I can do get it done.

I was a motivational speaker for a safety conference where the group  decided that the most important thing safety managers can do is provide regular safety speech. OSHA requires regular safety day speeches to provide an opportunity to collaborate and provide a broader idea of safety. Safety first 

These safety keynotes are designed to remind and inspire employees to be safe on the job.

Good motivational safety speeches will be short and frequent.  A safety speech will be from 5 to 15 minutes and should be considered at least once a week.

Like any good motivational talk a safety speech should have an Opening, Body and Close:

Opening. Say what your going to say.

To start a safety speech, consider the audience. Why is this information important? What makes it new and relevant for them? Give the audience at least one compelling reason that they should pay attention -and remember that the average attention span is 9 seconds or less. Give a basic outline of what you are saying and what your speech objective is.

Body. Unravel the content.

As a guideline, here are some things to consider in your safety day  speech:

Talk about any new safety initiatives, considerations, near misses, errors, etc.

Reinforce your corporate commitment to safety and regulatory safety procedures.

Identify unsafe conditions or near errors and misses. This section should bring out some analogies and stories to engage the group. The more on the job examples, the more interesting and relevant your safety speeches will be.

Remind people of resources available to them when they have safety concerns.

Include a discussion or safety Q & A before you wrap up your safety motivational speeches. It is always better to close a safety talk in a memorable way, not with tentative question and answer interaction. Do this before your close your talk.

Close. Include a Call to Action

A compelling close will specifically identify what you want people to do differently as a result of your motivational safety talk.

Some calls to action may be:

-Identify safety hazards in your immediate workplace

-Increase awareness of safety within your work division

-Promote safe work safe procedures to others

A safety attitude isn't just reserved for the workplace. It's much easier to embrace safety as a lifestyle where it is priority no matter what environment your in.

Safety Speaker Jody Urquhart

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News Release

Biden-Harris administration announces proposed rule to protect indoor, outdoor workers from extreme heat

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor  has released a proposed rule with the goal of protecting millions of workers from the significant health risks of extreme heat. If finalized, the proposed rule would help protect approximately 36 million workers in indoor and outdoor work settings and substantially reduce heat injuries, illnesses and deaths in the workplace. 

Heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the U.S. Excessive workplace heat can lead to heat stroke and even death. While heat hazards impact workers in many industries, workers of color have a higher likelihood of working in jobs with hazardous heat exposure.  

“Every worker should come home safe and healthy at the end of the day, which is why the Biden-Harris administration is taking this significant step to protect workers from the dangers posed by extreme heat,” said Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su. “As the most pro-worker administration in history, we are committed to ensuring that those doing difficult work in some of our economy’s most critical sectors are valued and kept safe in the workplace.”  

The proposed rule would require employers to develop an injury and illness prevention plan to control heat hazards in workplaces affected by excessive heat. Among other things, the plan would require employers to evaluate heat risks and — when heat increases risks to workers — implement requirements for drinking water, rest breaks and control of indoor heat. It would also require a plan to protect new or returning workers unaccustomed to working in high heat conditions. 

“Workers all over the country are passing out, suffering heat stroke and dying from heat exposure from just doing their jobs, and something must be done to protect them,” said Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Doug Parker. “Today’s proposal is an important next step in the process to receive public input to craft a ‘win-win’ final rule that protects workers while being practical and workable for employers.”   

Employers would also be required to provide training, have procedures to respond if a worker is experiencing signs and symptoms of a heat-related illness, and take immediate action to help a worker experiencing signs and symptoms of a heat emergency.   

The public is encouraged to submit written comments on the rule once it is published in the Federal Register. The agency also anticipates a public hearing after the close of the written comment period.  More information will be available on submitting comments when the rule is published.  

In the interim, OSHA continues to direct significant existing outreach and enforcement resources to educate employers and workers and hold businesses accountable for violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act’s general duty clause, 29 U.S.C. § 654(a)(1) and other applicable regulations. Record-breaking temperatures across the nation have increased the risks people face on-the-job, especially in summer months. Every year, dozens of workers die and thousands more suffer illnesses related to hazardous heat exposure that, sadly, are most often preventable. 

The agency continues to conduct heat-related inspections under its  National Emphasis Program – Outdoor and Indoor Heat-Related Hazards , launched in 2022. The program inspects workplaces with the highest exposures to heat-related hazards proactively to prevent workers from suffering injury, illness or death needlessly. Since the launch, OSHA has conducted more than 5,000 federal heat-related inspections.  

In addition, the agency is prioritizing programmed inspections in agricultural industries that employ temporary, nonimmigrant H-2A workers for seasonal labor. These workers face unique vulnerabilities, including potential language barriers, less control over their living and working conditions, and possible lack of acclimatization, and are at high risk of hazardous heat exposure. 

Learn more about the rulemaking .

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Speaking Up About Health and Safety at Work

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It’s important that you feel comfortable speaking regularly about health and safety at work. It helps you to be on the same page with your co-workers and your employer when it comes to following the rules and procedures.

Most employers want to keep their workers healthy and safe. A good safety record also helps the business succeed and keeps insurance costs down. So employers will usually appreciate your questions and suggestions.

But no matter what, if you feel unsafe, you must speak up.

Know your rights

Occupational health and safety resource portal.

Alberta has laws to protect your health and safety at work. These outline your rights as an employee, which include the right to:

• Refuse work you feel is dangerous and be protected from reprisal.
• Know about workplace hazards.
• Take part in making decisions about health and safety at your workplace. For example, you can get involved in your work health and safety committee.

If a workplace is unsafe, Alberta Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) officers can require changes, shut down equipment, or stop work all together. They can also impose administrative penalties and give tickets to people who are not following OHS regulations.

Take time to learn about your rights and responsibilities , as well as those of your employer and supervisor .

Your First 2 Weeks at Work

Ask about health and safety.

Talking directly with your supervisor about health and safety will show how important these topics are for you. You might want to ask about your health and safety rights or your responsibilities. Below are some other questions you can ask.

What are the hazards at my job?

Hazards are anything that could possibly hurt you, even if it does not affect you right away, including:

• Loud noise that could lead to hearing loss
• Radiation, dust, mould, or chemicals that could contribute to illness or disease
• Weather that could cause sunburn, frostbite, or windburn
• Violence or harassment

Health and Safety Training Checklist

Will i receive training.

Your supervisor must make sure you have the information and training to do your job safely. If you’re still learning, someone with all the training has to directly supervise your work.

Do we have a health and safety committee (HSC) or a health and safety (HS) rep?

Work sites of a certain number of workers must have an HSC or an HS rep. If your work site has one, the HSC’s or HS rep’s contact information must be posted so you know who to talk to.

What safety equipment do I use?

If there is a breathing or noise hazard, your employer has to provide personal protective equipment (PPE). If you need a hard hat, safety boots, flame-resistant clothing, or eye protection, you may have to supply them yourself. No matter who supplies it, your supervisor has to make sure you use the required PPE.

When should I expect emergency training?

Your orientation should include emergency training—for example, evacuation procedures, fire drills, or Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) training.

Where are the fire extinguishers, first aid kits, and emergency equipment?

Your supervisor or a co-worker has to show you where these are. Instructions for how to use them should be clearly marked on the equipment.

Who has first aid certification?

The names of certified first aid responders who are available at all times, and where they are located at work, should be posted in a place you can find easily.

Injured at Work? Here's What to Do

What do i do if i’m injured.

You should have access to first aid responders and kits. Know and follow your workplace incident reporting procedures.

What do I do if I have a health and safety question?

Talk with your supervisor. Your HSC or HS rep (if there is one at your workplace) is a good source of information.

Speak up if you feel unsafe

If you’re not comfortable talking to your supervisor:.

• Ask a family member, an older friend, or a teacher for advice.
• Talk to the HS rep, or someone on the HSC at your workplace.
• Ask a co-worker you trust for advice. You can even ask that person to go with you when you talk with your supervisor.

Though it is your right to refuse work you think might be dangerous, it’s not always easy to talk about this with your supervisor.

Even if you think it may be a tough conversation, always go to your direct supervisor first. Only talk to your supervisor’s boss if your supervisor does not deal with your concerns.

How should you start the conversation?

Start the conversation in a way that shows your respect and positive attitude . Politely ask for a minute of your supervisor’s time, and say something like:

• “I really want to make sure I do this job right. What should I know about doing it safely?”
• “I’d like to do this job, but I think it could be dangerous because (say why). What do you think?”
• “I need some training before I do this job. Can we set something up?”

You might be asking yourself:

• Trust your gut. If in doubt, don’t do it. Stay respectful and calm.
• The OHS Act protects you by law.

How should your supervisor respond?

A good supervisor will likely:

• Get rid of any hazards so the work is safe
• Train you on the spot
• Get a more experienced worker to do your task until you are trained
• Have you work with a more experienced co-worker

What should you say if your supervisor does not help?

If your supervisor still insists you do the work , start by saying you know you have the right to refuse a task you feel could be dangerous. Then say that you really like your job but that you cannot do the task until:

• You have the training to do it safely
• The equipment is working properly
• Both you and your supervisor know you can do it without getting hurt

Choose whichever option fits your situation best.

The law says you can’t be fired

It is illegal for you to be fired because you refuse work you think is unsafe. The OHS Act [pdf] says that no one can take, or threaten, any discriminatory action against a worker (like firing them) because the worker did what the OHS Act tells them to do.

Every supervisor will react differently when you bring up an unsafe situation. Most will thank you and change things. But others won’t, and you might have to talk with them more than once. They may get impatient or angry. That’s OK because things could still work out.

If you work for an employer who does not handle things properly or who fires you, you have the right to take legal action and report your employer. OHS has information on how to make a report or take other actions .

Most employers know it is in everyone’s best interests to work together on health and safety at the work site. Take your responsibilities seriously. You, your co-workers, your supervisor, and your employer each play an important role in protecting people from hazards and maintaining a healthy and safe workplace.

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The impacts of climate change on occupational safety and health

Climate change is already having serious impacts on planetary health, human health and the world of work. As this problem intensifies, workers around the globe find themselves at an increased risk of exposure to hazards such as excessive heat, ultraviolet radiation, extreme weather events, air pollution, vector-borne diseases and agrochemicals. Numerous health conditions are linked to climate change, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory illnesses, and mental health disorders.

Promoting, respecting and realizing the fundamental principle and right at work of a safe and healthy working environment also means addressing dangerous climate change impacts in the workplace. Mainstreaming occupational safety and health (OSH) into climate policies and integrating climate concerns into OSH practices is crucial. Legislation may need re-evaluation or new regulations as climate hazards evolve.

Collaboration between governments and social partners is vital for climate mitigation and adaptation policies. The time to act is now!

On the occasion of the World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2024, the ILO has launched a new report titled " Ensuring safety and health at work in a changing climate ," which reveals alarming new data on the impact of climate change on workers’ safety and health.

In 2003, the International Labour Organization (ILO) , began to observe World Day in order to stress the prevention of accidents and diseases at work, capitalizing on the ILO's traditional strengths of tripartism and social dialogue.

This celebration is an integral part of the Global Strategy on Occupational Safety and Health of the ILO, as documented in the Conclusions of the International Labour Conference in June 2003. One of the main pillars of the Global Strategy is advocacy, the World Day for Safety and Health at Work is a significant tool to raise awareness of how to make work safe and healthy and of the need to raise the political profile of occupational safety and health.

28 April is also the International Commemoration Day for Dead and Injured Workers organized worldwide by the trade union movement since 1996.

Prevention of occupational accidents and diseases

The annual World Day for Safety and Health at Work on 28 April promotes the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases globally. It is an awareness-raising campaign intended to focus international attention on the magnitude of the problem and on how promoting and creating a safety and health culture can help reduce the number of work-related deaths and injuries.

Each of us is responsible for stopping deaths and injuries on the job. As governments we are responsible for providing the infrastructure — laws and services — necessary to ensure that workers remain employable and that enterprises flourish; this includes the development of a national policy and programme and a system of inspection to enforce compliance with occupational safety and health legislation and policy. As employers we are responsible for ensuring that the working environment is safe and healthy. As workers we are responsible to work safely and to protect ourselves and not to endanger others, to know our rights and to participate in the implementation of preventive measures.

Emerging risks at work

New and emerging occupational risks may be caused by technical innovation or by social or organizational change, such as:

• New technologies and production processes, e.g. nanotechnology, biotechnology
• New working conditions, e.g. higher workloads, work intensification from downsizing, poor conditions associated with migration for work, jobs in the informal economy
• Emerging forms of employment, e.g. self-employment, outsourcing, temporary contracts

They may be more widely recognized through better scientific understanding, e.g. the effects of ergonomic risks on musculoskeletal disorders.

They may be influenced by changes in perceptions about the importance of certain risk factors, e.g. the effects of psychosocial factors on work-related stress.

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A global event featuring experts and guest speakers from governments, employers and workers to discuss how to protect workers and respond to the global climate crisis.

When: Thursday, 25 April 2024, 13:30 – 15:00 CET Where: ILO HQ Auditorium (Geneva) and ILO Live

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Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work

The ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, adopted in 1998 and amended in 2022, is an expression of commitment by governments, employers' and workers' organizations to uphold basic human values - values that are vital to our social and economic lives.

Why do we mark International Days?

International days and weeks are occasions to educate the public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems, and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity. The existence of international days predates the establishment of the United Nations, but the UN has embraced them as a powerful advocacy tool. We also mark other UN observances .

5 Topics to include in your Workplace Safety Speech

Writing a safety speech can be a daunting task.  But rather than staring at a computer screen for inspiration, we've put together some helpful topic reminders to include in your speech to get maximum motivation and attention from your workforce.  Refer to these five must-have topics to help get you started.

1. Give appreciation - In the book, Positivity , by Barbara Fredrickson, her research found that just by getting staff to think of positive things, before a meeting, enables them to be more open to new ideas.  One way to do this, is at the start of your speech express gratitude to work members who have done a job well.  An example is "Let's be thankful team for the for the recent improvement in your safety record and the attention you have put into improving safety here".   Also, publicly thank those who have done the right behaviour.  This is a great reward for good safety performance and is more effective than financial incentives.  Just by starting your speech on a positive note, you will find people more open to your speech and staff moods will lift.

2. Explain why safety is important - People need to feel that they are part of something bigger than themselves.  Don't just say safety is important.  Explain why and follow it up with action.  Staff want to feel safe at work and that their safety is important to the company, so make sure safety initiatives are always followed through by senior management.

Make sure you discuss:

the current safety performance and why it needs to be improved  (explanation)

the benefits to staff, company and community (expectation)

any negatives (explanation)

how the new safety initiative will be measured and what is expected from each staff member (expectation).

2. Refer to your company safety message/core values  - The more you remind people of your company safety message, the better.  Aim to tie it in to you speech, at least twice.  Also mention your core values to gently nudge people in the right direction of the behaviour required. 3. Tell a safety story - Telling stories helps people to remember information and also provides an emotional connection to information.  Become a story detective in your company.  Talk to staff about their experiences and re-tell stories that provide examples of the behaviour you want to encourage  Even better - get someone who was injured to tell the story for you.  Research has found that staff are more likely to believe an end user's story about their experience, resulting in a greater likelihood of behaviour change.  A great resource to help you write better safety stories and messages can be found through the book, Transform your Safety Communication .  Get a free chapter here . 4. Focus on what's working - It's easy to blame people and get negative about a situation.  But this is the quickest way to get people to turn off and do more of the behaviour you don't want.  Rather than focusing on problems or negatives, get people to focus on what's working and what they need to do more of.  According to Chip and Dan Heath from the book Switch , in tough times we see problems everywhere (and let's face it, there are some people who see negatives even in good times).  To make progress, discovering what is working can help solve your problem.  By finding what is working and cloning it, you can start to direct people on what to do and how to get there. 5. Encourage team talk - Again, in the book, Switch , by Chip and Dan Heath, they stated that identities are central to the way people make decisions, any change effort that violates someone's identity is doomed to failure.  It's important to encourage group behaviour when people need to consider the group rather than themselves.  Staff will frame questions to themselves based on a whole range of identities such as gender, race, age and their job title.   The trick in using group identity when wanting staff to change behaviour or embrace a new goal is to word it so they make a decision based on what's best for the group.  Rally the troops by using inclusive language.  "Come on, guys, we're production people we're good at doing things safely!' or "Come on every-one, we're XYZers the best company in our industry, as a leader in our field we can do better than this!"

By incorporating these topics into your safety speech, you'll ensure that your staff are open to your message and keen to make improvements.

Related Articles

How to write the ceo safety speech.

How the safety speech is written depends upon it's form of delivery (eg: written speech for the annual report, face to face presentation to staff or video presentation)...

What is inconsistent corporate training costing your company?

It goes without saying that staff training is incredibly important for continual company improvement.

Free Safety Talks to Print for Your Next Safety Meeting

Looking for safety talk topics to use at work? Scroll down to browse the list of 250+ completely free safety talks below! Print them off to use for your next safety meeting or safety moment with your employees. Use the links below to segment the talks by the most relevant topic category to easily find what you are looking for.

Members have access to over 320+ additional toolbox talks that are not found on this free site. There are also PowerPoint presentations with quizzes, 80 Spanish safety talks, and hand-picked weekly topic ideas. Additional members-only content is added every month!

Click the image of the safety talk to the left to download 1 of the over 550+ ad-free talks that are available for Members!

Save time and money from having to create your own resources. Instead, use that time to continue furthering your safety program.

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Free Safety Toolbox Talk Topics Complete List

• * Advice for Using These Toolbox Talks *
• Achieving Safety Goals
• Alcohol Use
• Amputations
• Annual Checkup
• Asbestos Dangers
• Attitude and Safety: Fostering Positive Attitude at Work
• Auto Accident Procedures
• Automated External Defibrillators
• Back Injuries and Prevention
• Backing Up Hazards
• Battery Handling
• Battling Complacency
• Bees and Wasps
• Before a Work Task Begins
• Being Client-focused (Construction Industry)
• Being Observant
• Being Respectful to Coworkers
• Benzene Dangers in the Workplace
• Bloodborne Pathogens
• Burn Hazards and Injury Prevention
• Burn Severity
• Carbon Monoxide Safety
• Carcinogens in the Workplace
• Chainsaw General Safety
• Choices at Home and Safety on the Job
• Clothing and Safety
• Cold Stress Hazards
• Common Cold
• Common Issues with Fire Extinguishers
• Communicating Issues
• Communication and Safety
• Communication Tools and Safety
• Concrete Burns
• Concrete Work
• Continually Learning
• Conveyor Belt General Safety
• Costs of Drugs on the Job
• Dangers of Excessive Sitting
• Dealing with Hazards
• Dealing with Stress from Home
• Defensive Driving
• Diesel Exhaust Dangers and Safeguards
• Distracted Driving (Cellphone Use)
• Distracted While Walking
• Distractions Created by Smartphones When Not in Use
• Dog Attacks
• Doing Work Tasks Wrong the First Time
• Driving Safely Where Deer Are Present
• Dropped Objects on the Job
• Drowsy Driving
• Drunk Driving
• Dump Truck Operation
• Dump Truck Overturns
• Dust Hazards in Construction
• Easy Way Instead of the Right Way
• Eating Habits
• Electrical Injuries
• Electrical Safety
• Elimination of Hazards
• Embracing Change in the Workplace
• Emergency Exits
• Energy Drink Dangers
• Everyone is Responsible for the Culture
• Excavation Safety
• Excavator Quick Coupler Device Safety
• Eye Damage Due to Sunlight
• Eye Injuries and Prevention
• Fall Protection
• Falls in the Construction Industry
• Falls on the Same Level
• Fatal Four Hazards (Construction)
• Fatigue on the Job
• Fatigue on the Roadways
• Filter Pot Sock Filter Changeout
• Fire Extinguishers Use and Inspection
• Fire Safety at Home
• Fire Watch General Safety
• Firework Safety and Injury Prevention
• First Aid Preparedness
• First Day Back to Work
• Five Common Contributing Factors
• Fixed Objects (Motor Vehicle Safety)
• Fixed Open Blade Knives
• Food Allergies
• Forklift Fatalities and Injuries
• Four Focus Items for Work Area Inspections
• Front End Loader Safety
• Gasoline Safety
• Glycol Reclamation
• Good Enough Mindset
• Ground Personnel and Mobile Equipment
• Habits and Safety
• Hand Safety and Injury Prevention Safety Talk
• Hand Tool Inspections
• Hazardous Chemicals- Four Routes of Entry
• HDPE Pipe Welding
• Health is Everything
• Heart Attacks
• Heat Stress
• Heat Stroke
• Heavy Equipment (Four Other Hazards)
• Heavy Equipment (Two Significant Hazards)
• Heavy Equipment Operation
• Helping Out
• Hierarchy of Controls
• High Wind Dangers (Construction)
• Horseplay on the Job
• Hose Parting Pneumatic Testing
• Housekeeping in the Construction Industry
• How Observant Are You?
• How to Calculate Your Company’s TRIR (Total Recordable Incident Rate)
• How We React to Our World
• How What We Do at Home Affects Work
• Human Performance
• Hydration: The Importance of Water
• Hydrogen Sulfide
• Importance of Mentoring
• Importance of Organized Laydown Yards
• Incident Report Writing: A Comprehensive Guide
• Insect Sting Allergies
• Instant Gratification and Safety
• Involve the Right Person
• It Was a Matter of Time
• It Won’t Happen to Me
• Know Your Limits at Work
• Knowing What to do in an Emergency
• Lack of Time
• Ladder Safety
• Lawn Mower Safety
• Lead Paint Dangers and Safety
• Learning From Past Incidents
• Learning the Hard Way
• Leave Yourself an Out
• Lifting and Rigging
• Lightning Safety at Work and Home
• Line of Fire Hazards
• Lube Oil Flushing
• Lyme Disease
• Machine Guarding
• Manual Handling Injury Prevention
• Material Recovery Facilities General Safety
• Mechanical Issue-Related Crashes
• Motor Vehicle Safety
• Motor Vehicle Safety (Loose Cargo)
• Muddy Work Areas
• New Employees on the Job
• New Equipment
• Nine Basic Construction Safety Rules
• Noise at Work and Home
• Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
• Not a Big Deal Until it is
• Not My Problem
• Occupational-related Cancer
• Office Safety
• One Billion Dollars Spent on Injuries a Week
• One Decision
• One Safeguard Doesn’t Make it Safe
• Opioid Abuse
• Organization of Work Areas
• Orthostatic Intolerance
• Pinch Points and Hand Injuries
• Playing the Lottery and Workplace Injuries
• Pressure to Get Work Done
• Pressure Washing
• Preventing Equipment Damage Incidents in Construction
• Proactive Versus Reactive Safety Approach
• Questions to Ask Before a Work Task
• Rabies in the US
• Radio Communication on the Job
• Rationalizing Unsafe Choices
• Ready For Work
• Recognized Versus Unrecognized Hazards
• Recordable Injuries – Why Employees Should Care
• Relying on Memory
• Report All Injuries
• Respirator Donning, Doffing, and Seal Checks
• Road Rage (Motor Vehicle Safety)
• S.O.R.T Tool
• Safety Awareness: Being Present in the Moment
• Safety Can Be Redundant
• Safety Glasses
• Safety Related Paperwork
• Seatbelt Use and Safety
• Securing a Construction Site
• Selective Attention at Work
• Seven Basic General Industry Safety Rules
• Severity and Frequency
• Shift Work Dangers
• Shortcuts are a Choice
• Shoveling Snow
• Silica Dust Dangers and Safety Measures
• Skid Steer Safety
• Skin Cancer Due to Sun Exposure
• Sling Inspections
• Slip Hazards and Safety
• Slips, Trips, and Falls
• Smoking and Your Health
• Snakes in the Workplace
• Spill Prevention
• Spotter Safety at Work
• Stopping Work
• Stretching Pros and Cons
• Strokes- Signs and Emergency Response
• Struck-by Incidents (Construction)
• Success Through Reaching Potential
• Surveying (Construction)
• Table Saw General Safety
• Take Safety Home
• Taking Action to Work Safe
• Taking Ownership of Safety
• Taking Safety For Granted
• Taking Shortcuts
• Task Planning
• The “WHY” for “WHAT” Needs Done
• The Little Things
• The Negative Side of Quick Reactions
• The Ripple Effect of Safety
• Theft from a Construction Site
• Think of the Next Person
• Three Self-Centered Reasons to Work Safely
• Three Types of Poor Housekeeping Hazards
• Three Way Communication
• Top Five Reasons to Work Safely Today
• Tornado Safety
• Train Safety
• Trip Injuries and Prevention
• Truck Driving – Hazards On and Off the Road
• Two Types of Workplace Stress
• Types of Fire Extinguishers
• Underground Utility Strikes
• Unloading Trailers (Construction)
• Unsafe Acts
• Unsafe Conditions in the Workplace
• Utility Vehicle Safety at Home and Work
• Vehicle Inspections
• Verbal Communication and Workplace Safety
• Verifying Safeguards
• Weakest Link on Your Team
• Weed Wacker Safety
• West Nile Virus
• What Can Hurt Me Today?
• What is Your “Why”
• What Kind of Influence are You?
• Which Safeguard Makes the Difference?
• Why We All Should Care
• Wildlife in the Workplace
• Wind Chill Index
• Winter Weather
• Winter Weather Driving
• Work Area Best Practices
• Working Alongside Subcontractors
• Working From Home
• Workplace Inspections
• Workplace Shootings
• Workplace Suicides
• Workplace Violence
• Young Drivers and Motor Vehicle Accidents
• Zero Injuries in the Workplace

What Are Workplace Safety Talks?

Safety talks are short safety messages for the members of a work crew prior to work beginning. These talks can be as short as a few minutes or longer than 20 minutes. On average, they are in the range of 5 or 10 minutes long in duration at most companies when conducted often. The talks can cover a range of topics or just a single focal point.

Below are answers to some other common questions individuals may have about conducting these types of talks for their work crews.

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What are other names for these meetings.

There are many names for safety talks. Some of the more common names are safety toolbox talks, toolbox talks, safety moments, safety briefings, safety pep talks, and tailgate meetings. For the most part, many of these names represent the same thing. However, there can be slight differences between companies or industries.

These meetings, no matter what they are called, are the safety message of the day for a work crew prior to the start of the day.

Providing a Safety Moment of the Day

When done correctly, these talks can have a profound effect on the overall safety program at a workplace. Companies that spend time holding these meetings are less likely to have injuries compared to a company that does not hold them on a regular basis.

Conducting meetings often is an effective way to deliver relevant and timely safety messages to an entire work crew. The time spent conducting these talks also goes a long way toward reinforcing prior training efforts.

Even just holding a 5-minute meeting every day equates to a massive amount of knowledge for your workforce over a year’s time. To be exact- it results in over 20 hours of education per employee a year! (5 minutes X 5 workdays per week X 50 work weeks= 1250 minutes… 1250 minutes/60 minutes per hour= 20.8 hours of education) Imagine the difference that education can make if you make the most out of every talk!

What Topics Should You Cover for These Safety Talks?

The topic or topics you should cover for the next safety toolbox talk will vary greatly from what topic(s) another company should be discussing. Some general questions you can ask yourself to narrow in on some topics:

• What training needs to be reinforced?
• What problems have we been having lately?
• What are common injuries in this line of work?
• What have our near misses been a result of?
• What trends are occurring in the workplace or in our industry?

There are many other questions or guidelines you can use to determine what topics or topics you should cover. Keep topics useful, relevant, and timely.

Where Can I Find Free Safety Topics Online in 2023? 

This site has one of the largest libraries of free topics found online today. That being said, there are also a number of great resources online to find topics for your next safety meeting. One of our favorite resources for topics is on OSHA’s website. They have a page called Safety and Health Topics that has a large list of high-quality topics.

Some other high-quality and reputable sources for toolbox talks or materials to support talks:

• Mine Health and Safety Administration
• Center for Disease Control
• National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Bureau of Labor Statistics

Who Should Deliver a Safety Talk?

The person who is directing the work should be the one responsible for conducting or leading the safety talk. The responsibility at many companies, however, falls onto the safety officer or EHS manager instead. The reason for having the individual who is directing the work lead the talk is to show support for the message and efforts to work safely.

If it is constantly the EHS department’s responsibility to present, then employees can be led to believe that the frontline supervisors or managers do not truly support safety. If the workers’ supervisors or managers are not participating in the safety efforts, why should they?

The EHS department should instead serve more of an advisory role to the supervisor conducting the talk. They can provide the supervisor with topics, materials, or information for the talk, as well as chime in as needed to add value.

Do not be afraid to offer employees the chance to present at a meeting. While most employees would never choose to present a topic, you may be surprised to find that many would if given the chance.

How Often Should You Conduct Safety Talks?

There is no short and dry answer to how often your company should be conducting these talks. Some companies do multiple talks daily, and other companies may only do them monthly. A monthly schedule is probably way too sparingly for most companies, and two talks a day may be too often for others.

Companies often settle on conducting daily or weekly talks. At many companies, daily safety meetings prior to work beginning is an appropriate practice. Holding meetings that often may not make sense for all operations, however.

As mentioned earlier, these talks do not have to be extremely long. A lot of value can be added in a short amount of time if the talks are completed often. Employees are more likely to take more away from these talks if they are shorter in duration but are more frequent compared to longer meetings that occur infrequently.

Where Should Safety Talks Be Conducted?

These talks should be held in a place where employees are comfortable and can focus. Meeting rooms or break rooms are common areas where companies choose to hold their safety meetings. Another setting that can be even more effective is the work area(s) themselves.

This should only be done if the work area is comfortable, safe, and convenient for all involved in the talk. Conducting the talk in the work area itself can help employees visualize the information being conveyed, as well as allow the presenter to point out specific examples of what they are discussing.

If holding it in the work area is not an option, pictures or maps of the worksite can be great tools so that employees can visualize what is being said.

What Else Can You Do to Have a Better Safety Meeting or Safety Moment?

There are many things you can do to hold a better meeting. Below are a few quick tips that have not already been mentioned in this post:

• Prepare ahead of time.
• Keep topics relevant and timely to the audience.
• Only take the time necessary to cover the topic; do not drag it out.
• Do not read the talk word for word from the paper.
• Get the audience involved by asking for stories or examples relating to the topic.
• Use visual aids as needed to help get your message across.
• Have fun- don’t take yourself so seriously!

For more tips, check out this post on this site that outlines 10 tips for a better toolbox talk .

Does OSHA Require Safety Toolbox Talks?

While OSHA does not specifically require a company to hold safety talks or toolbox talks in any of their standards, doing so can play a part in helping to ensure compliance with some standards. For example, OSHA requires that employers make employees aware of the hazards of the work that they do and how to eliminate them.

One specific example of this is found in the construction standard under 1926.21(b)(2), where OSHA states: “The employer shall instruct each employee in the recognition and avoidance of unsafe conditions and the regulations applicable to his work environment to control or eliminate any hazards or other exposure to illness or injury.”

While training will be a large part of ensuring compliance with this specific regulation, safety toolbox talks are also a way to help to ensure compliance. These talks need to have the correct documentation to do so.

How Should You Document Safety Toolbox Talks?

Without documenting these efforts, there is no actual proof they were done. Meaning there is nothing to show OSHA or someone in your company in response to whether or not you were educating your employees on the hazards involved in their work. A lack of documentation can be problematic.

Every time a talk is conducted, a sign-in sheet should be completed by the presenter and signed by everyone present for the meeting. Some guidelines for documentation:

• Include the date and time.
• Include the presenter(s) name(s).
• Have everyone sign the sheet.
• Be detailed about what topics were discussed.
• Attach any materials used for the talk to the sign-in sheet.
• File documentation in chronological order so they can be easily found to be reviewed if needed.

The answers to the who, what, when, why, and how of safety talks can be as long of a list as the possible topics you could cover in your next meeting. The bottom line is your company should be conducting these talks on a regular basis as well as giving thought on how to continually improve on giving them. Use some of the insight here and tailor it to your company’s needs.

Consider checking out the Members Area of the site. There are plenty of other safety topics covered in there (with additional content added each month) if you find yourself not finding what you need in all of the free content offered on this site!

Head of OSHA Gives Speech on Workplace Safety Challenges and Trends

(This blog post has historically been one of our site’s best performers and I finally figured out that most visitors are actually trying to learn more about safety speeches.  As a result I decided to create this video which explores the topic by telling you everything you need to know about safety speeches and if you should give one at your company.  Check this out before you do….)

The blog post below which is summary of a speech given by Dr. David Michaels, head of OSHA at that time, summarizing the importance of workplace safety.

The post is the 6th most viewed page on our website, so we wanted to briefly update it and offer more perspective on the subject.

First of all, Michaels who was appointed by former President OBAMA is no longer the head of OSHA, however the Biden administration has sent clear signals that OSHA intends to return to a similar enforcement heavy policies put into place by Michaels.

Secondly, we believe that the post is so popular because of the subject which can be summarized by the words “safety speech.”  In other words, we believe that people find the post because they’re trying to learn how to give effective speeches to their employees, in hopes of somehow establishing the importance of “safety” at the company.

If true, this is worth further discussion, because it’s a mistake to believe that simple speech is somehow going to have a lasting and meaningful impact on safety at any given company.  In other words, implementing and managing an effective workplace safety program is a complex undertaking which requires a significant “long term” commitment from upper management and significant planning and work.

This includes developing comprehensive OSHA compliance programs , conducting hazard assessments, conducting consistent inspections to identify and correct safety hazards, consistent delivery of appropriate safety training to employees by qualified trainers , injury and illness tracking and reporting, and the list goes on and on.

In other words, there’s no simple substitute to implementing and managing an effective OSHA compliance program, such as delivering a one time “safety speech” to a group of employees. If it were only that easy!

For those who want to learn more about the importance of managing workplace safety, checkout the blog post below….

From OSHA’s website.

Dr. David Michaels, current head of OSHA, made the following speech where he addressed many subjects such as who really pays when workers are injured (the worker, their family and tax payers), the increased trend towards outsourcing labor and poor safety compliance that results, the fact that OSHA compliance is the “minimum standard,” oil and gas hazards, new reporting requirements, and so forth.

The speech gives a good overview of Dr. Michael’s opinion and methods, and what drives OSHA’s agenda.

Remarks As prepared for delivery by Dr. David Michaels Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health NACOSH Meeting Thursday, June 18, 2015

I’d like to begin by welcoming everyone — those here with us in the room and those who are participating by phone and Webex.

You play a very important role in representing the interest of the public, employers, employees and the states and advising OSHA and the Department of Labor.

Thank you for your work and your service. Together, we have made great progress in protecting workers. But there’s more work to do.

Every year, employers record more than three million serious injuries on their OSHA log. And we know that is an underestimate.

Several studies have shown that many, and perhaps even most work-related injuries are not recorded by employers, so the actual number of workers injured each year is likely to be far higher. And another 4,500 workers are killed every year on the job.

Why do we accept that there are millions of worker injuries each and every year?

This is a huge toll on the nation — and I believe because it is workers, somehow it is acceptable.

When is the last time a corporate executive was fired after a worker was was killed on the job? It just doesn’t happen.

A worker dies and the police investigate and say — it was an accident. By that, they mean it wasn’t intentional. It wasn’t murder. But it also suggests that it was something random and unpreventable.

But these deaths, these injuries are predictable and preventable.

Work injuries and illnesses can have a devastating effect. According to the National Safety Council, workplace injuries and fatalities cost our economy $198.2 billion each year.

But these injuries and illnesses are not only detrimental to business — they can also force working families out of the middle class and into poverty, and crush a family’s hope of entering the middle class.

For many workers and their families, a workplace injury creates a trap which leaves them less able to save for the future or to make investments in skills and education that provide the opportunity for advancement.

This directly hampers the ability of many working families to realize the American Dream.

OSHA has detailed this problem in our report “Adding Inequality to Injury”.

Most of us think that when a worker gets hurt on the job, they are made whole by the workers’ compensation system. The reality, however, is that the costs of workplace injury and illness are actually borne primarily by injured workers, their families, and taxpayer-supported safety-net programs.

And now in many states we see a race to the bottom. State legislatures have made it increasingly difficult for injured workers to receive the payments for the lost wages and medical expenses that they deserve.

In fact, there are so many barriers to getting adequate benefits through state workers’ compensation programs that a sizable portion of eligible workers never even apply.

In all, workers’ compensation payments cover only about 21 percent — a small fraction — of lost wages and medical costs of work injuries and illnesses.

Workers and their families now end up paying for nearly 63 percent of these costs out of pocket and taxpayers shoulder the remaining 16 percent.

Tragically, many injured workers end up on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Medicare, which means taxpayers subsidize the dangerous employers who refuse to take the necessary steps to prevent their workers from being seriously injured.

The number of SSDI beneficiaries and the amount of benefits paid by that program has grown dramatically in recent years. And, at least part of the growth in SSDI benefit payments can be attributed to work injuries and illnesses.

The state-based workers’ compensation system is inadequate for the average worker and it performs even more poorly for low-wage workers, and especially the most vulnerable in the workforce.

Many of these workers never apply for workers’ compensation benefits; afraid they will lose their job, don’t know their rights, or have a limited command of English.

And the challenges are even greater for those with work related illnesses. Few workers with occupational illnesses receive any benefits from the workers’ compensation system. One study estimates that as many as 97 percent of these workers are uncompensated.

This is partially because many cases of work-related chronic disease are never diagnosed as work-related. Often when a linkage is made, the diagnosis generally comes long after employment ends.

Even when a proper diagnosis is made, a worker who is eligible for benefits under Medicare, Medicaid, Veterans’ Benefits or private insurers is more likely to take that route. They do this because it is easier than obtaining benefits through state workers’ compensation programs.

Fissured Workplace

Important changes in the very structure of the employment relationships are also fueling this problem. In many workplaces, work is increasingly being performed by contractors, subcontractors, employees of staffing agencies, or often a combination of all of these.

Unless properly managed, these changes greatly increase risk of injuries and illnesses among all the workers in these workplaces, and further contribute to the issue of income inequality.

Too often employers do not provide these workers with the same protections or training as permanent employees. And too often employers of different workers at the same worksite fail to communicate about the presence of hazards, therefore endangering some or all the workers at the site.

New tools are needed to address these changes in employment relationships – that’s why your work on this issue is so important.

There is no doubt in my mind that all of these deaths, injuries and illnesses are preventable. And we know that addressing the se

rious problem of growing income inequality in this country means doing more than just raising the minimum wage.

As important as that is; we also have to make our workplaces safer.

Compliance Not Always Enough

Compliance with OSHA standards are the minimum requirement, but oftentimes employers must go beyond what is legally required in order to effectively protect their employees.

We don’t have specific standards for every workplace hazards. Perhaps the most well-known example of this is killer whales. Working with killer whales can be very hazardous, but there is no killer whale OSHA standard. But it’s no secret that killer whales can be dangerous — the name alone gives it away. (And using our General Duty Clause, we issued citations to SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment Inc. in Orlando, Florida, in 2010, after a trainer was killed by a killer whale.) Moreover, many of our standards, especially our chemical exposure standards, are outdated and inadequately protective.

When employers focus primarily on complying with regulations, they develop a static, rigid safety culture, rather than one that is dynamic and constantly learning and improving, able to respond to changing conditions and hazards.

It’s OSHA’s job to help employers with dysfunctional safety cultures become compliant, and to help employers with compliant cultures become exemplary.

Changing the Way We Do Business / Reporting

This January, OSHA changed the way we do business.

Before 2015, employers only had to report to OSHA work related fatalities or incidents where three or more workers were hospitalized.

But we have seen that when we inspected after these tragic events, that these worksites — the worksites reporting a fatality — often had previous serious injuries and amputations that we had never known about.

These were red flags that there were serious hazards in this workplace that needed to be prevented.

As you know, on January 1st, OSHA changed the requirements for all employers we cover.

Employers must now report — in addition to all work related fatalities — every work related hospitalization, amputation and loss of an eye.

In the first 5 1/2 months, we have already received more than 5,400 reports. We are triaging every call and initiating inspections in about 34% — but we are engaging with every employer.

We are working with employers in new and different ways. For those employers that we are not inspecting, we expect them to conduct an investigation and let us know what changes they will make to prevent further injuries.

Employers blame too many injuries on “careless workers” when we know the real cause of most incidents in which a worker is hurt is the presence of an unabated hazard.

Too often we see employers blaming workers for being injured when that very employer has failed to provide protective equipment or guards or failed to train their workers in safe work practices.

We have to make sure employers know that injuries are not the worker’s fault — and that the employers are responsible for preventing injuries. That’s what the law says.

Investigating a worksite incident — a fatality, injury, illness, or close call — provides employers and workers the opportunity to identify hazards in their operations and shortcomings in their safety and health programs.

Most importantly, it enables employers and workers to identify and implement the corrective actions necessary to prevent future incidents.

Incident investigations that focus on identifying and correcting root causes, not on finding fault or blame, also improve workplace morale and increase productivity by demonstrating an employer’s commitment to a safe and healthful workplace.

Incident investigations are often conducted by a supervisor, but to be most effective, these investigations should include managers and employees working together, since each bring different knowledge, understanding and perspectives to the investigation.

In conducting an incident investigation, the team must look beyond the immediate causes of an incident. It is far too easy, and often misleading to conclude that carelessness or failure to follow a procedure alone was the cause of an incident.

To do so fails to discover the underlying or root causes of the incident and, therefore, fails to identify the systemic changes and measures needed to prevent future incidents.

When a shortcoming is identified, it is important to ask why it existed and why it was not previously addressed.

For example:

• If a procedure or safety rule was not followed, why was the procedure or rule not followed?
• Did production pressures play a role, and, if so, why were production pressures permitted to jeopardize safety?
• Was the procedure out-of-date or safety training inadequate? If so, why had the problem not been previously identified, or, if it had been identified, why had it not been addressed?

These examples illustrate that it is essential to discover and correct all the factors contributing to an incident, which nearly always involve equipment, procedural, training, and other safety and health program deficiencies.

Addressing underlying or root causes is necessary to truly understand why an incident occurred, to develop truly effective corrective actions, and to minimize or eliminate serious consequences from similar future incidents.

Working with the National Safety Council, we have developed tools for the employers to use to get to the root causes of the incident.

Thank you to Jim Johnson and NSC for being a great partner in helping employers investigate these incidents and rid their workplaces of potential hazards.

When employers say an injury was a worker’s fault, an inspection will likely take place. Employers need to realize, in the words of James Reason “human error is a consequence, not a cause. Errors are shaped by upstream workplace and organizational factors… only by understanding the context of the error can we hope to limit its reoccurrence.” (Managing the Risks of Organizational Accidents, 1997)

Now, these new reporting requirements enable us to work with many employers we previously had no contact with. In many cases, we didn’t even know they existed.

By establishing a relationship with all employers who report these severe injuries, and by encouraging them to investigate the incidents in which the worker was hurt, I believe we will make a huge difference

We are hearing about issues and getting to workplaces we never heard about or got to before.

Value of Injury Reports

Our field staff are already using data from the Severe Injury Reporting Program to focus their life-saving activities.

For example, the Pittsburgh area office received a telephone referral from an employer reporting an employee’s amputation of the left index fingers while he was operating a large circular saw at a sawmill in Kittanning, Pennsylvania.

The Area Office conducted an on-site inspection and found that the 52 inch blade of the saw was not guarded. We also found incidents of inadequate guarding of other machinery and evidence of poor housekeeping practices and possible build-up of wood dust around electrical equipment.

The company accepted the citations.

As part of the enhanced abatement in the settlement agreement the company will retain a qualified Safety Consultant to assist in the writing of a safety and health program that addresses the hazards at the work place and to train company managers concerning the applicable OSHA standards.

Given the remote location of this company, it is likely that absent the new reporting requirement, OSHA would never have known of the hazards at this workplace.

In Texas, our Houston North area office became aware of a trio of incidents including the electrocution death of one worker and serious injuries to two others after a storm went through East Texas in April.

Under the old rules, employers didn’t have to call OSHA unless there was a fatality. With the new rules in place, OSHA can spot trends more quickly and intervene with resources and suggestions.

As a result, this office was able to begin warning local businesses about electrical and other dangers of storm repair. This quick response may have very well saved another worker’s life or prevented more workers from getting injured.

These are just two of the many success stories we’ve seen so far as a result of the new reporting rules. But the successes haven’t been limited to our field work. We’ve also reacted quickly to new information here in the National Office as well.

We developed a new fact sheet on hazards from food slicers and meat grinders used in grocery stores, restaurants and delis based on information we saw in initial reports from the new requirements.

These machines can cause serious cuts and amputations when workers are using, maintaining or cleaning them. In 2013, at least 4,000 incidents involving meat slicers occurred that resulted in lost workdays.

This is an issue we likely would not have seen without the new reporting requirements and now, because we did see it, there is a resource to help employers protect workers from these hazards.

Going forward, we are looking at how to code these reports in a way that will help us continue to identify trends and help employers protect their workers.

Injury and Illness Prevention Programs

And the work that you are doing on this committee to help us improve our guidance to employers on protecting temporary and contract workers is invaluable.

Comprehensive injury and illness prevention programs, characterized by high level management commitment and active participation by workers, are necessary to successfully prevent work injuries and illnesses.

These programs are not new; 34 states and many nations already have requirements or voluntary guidelines for workplace injury and illness prevention programs.

Most successful injury and illness prevention programs are based on a common set of key elements.

The basic idea behind these programs is to change the workplace culture. It involves developing a process to figure out where the hazards are and fix them.

This OSHA initiative involves outreach and education on the benefits of these programs. We have a website with resources to help employers establish these programs in their workplaces.

OSHA is updating its 1989 Safety and Health Program Management Guidelines, building on lessons learned about successful approaches and best practices under OSHA programs such as the Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) and the Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP).

Your work on developing recommended practices for protecting temporary workers and contract workers within an injury and illness prevention program will also help guide this effort. I thank you for your work on this important issue and look forward to receiving your recommendations.

The primary audience for the guidelines is small business and workers who need a straightforward, proactive way to find and fix workplace hazards.

We expect the updated Guidelines and tools to be published on our website in the Fall of 2015.

Injury and illness prevention programs work in enterprises of all sizes and in every industry. The keys to success are management commitment to safety, and workers who are empowered to participate.

Injury and illness prevention programs are critical to driving injury, illness, and fatality rates down and ensuring that workers are able to go home safe at the end of every shift.

These programs also help businesses save money. When employees feel protected, morale goes up, and both performance and profitability increase.

Together, we can share the message of how investing in safety and health is good for workers and businesses.

Oil and Gas

As our nation moves toward energy independence and develops our important natural resources, OSHA is collaborating with the oil and gas industry to protect the safety and health of workers in that sector.

In 2003, the National Service, Transmission, Exploration and Production Safety Network was founded in South Texas by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and industry to share best practices in oil and gas safety and health.

Since then, the organization has expanded to 22 independent networks serving 15 oil and gas producing states.

At the Oil and Gas Safety and Health Conference in Houston, December 2014, OSHA entered an Alliance with the National STEPS Network.

The purpose of the Alliance is to work collaboratively to prevent injuries, illnesses and fatalities among workers in the upstream oil and gas industry.

Through the alliance, the participants will develop fact sheets and videos on the leading causes of fatalities in oil and gas exploration and production, provide OSHA materials and training resources for employers and workers, and support oil and gas safety stand-downs

The first product of the OSHA – National STEPS Network Alliance was the publication of an infographic, Tank Hazard Alert: Gauging, Thieving, Fluid Handling, in April, 2015.

The purpose of the alert is to provide educational information to workers involved in these activities so that they may learn how to recognize and avoid hazards associated with these activities.

The May 29 CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report provided an analysis of occupational fatalities during the oil and gas boom in the United States.

During 2003 – 2013, the U.S. oil and gas extraction industry experienced unprecedented growth, doubling the size of its workforce and increasing the number of drilling rigs by 71%.

During this same period, the number of work-related fatalities in the oil and gas extraction industry increased 27.6%; however, the fatality rate significantly decreased 36.3%.

Collaboration between industry, government, and academia might have contributed to improved safety for workers and likely should continue to drive the fatality rate further down.

In February 2015, OSHA issued an RA memorandum to authorize the addition of upstream oil and gas hazards to the list of High-Emphasis Hazards in the Severe Violator Enforcement Program.

This policy is targeted to upstream oil and gas drilling and well servicing employers based on their industry’s significant worker fatality rate over time.

Over the last twenty years, upstream operations have experienced a fatality rate that has ranged from five to eight times greater than the national average for all U.S. industries.

We are using all the tools in our bag to help address the high fatality rate in the upstream industry. We’ve employed significant compliance assistance resources, but we also continue to utilize our enforcement tools and SVEP is one of those tools.

By focusing SVEP on upstream employers, we believe that more employers will be deterred from unsafe conditions at their worksites, which in turn will help address the industry fatality rate in a positive manner.

Chemical Safety EO

Following the deadly explosion in West, Texas in April 2013, President Obama issued an Executive Order on Improving Chemical Facility Safety and Security.

The Department of Labor was tasked, along with the Department of Homeland Security and the Environmental Protection Agency, to serve as tri-chairs of the working group to improve the safety and security of chemical facilities across the country

Last June, the working group released a status report to the president, which summarized the Working Group’s progress to that point.

Last year’s status report was a milestone, not an end-point.

Last week, we released another update to highlight actions that have been taken since the release of the report last year.

Several actions related to Process Safety Management were highlighted in the update, including:

• Initiating a SBREFA panel to get feedback from small businesses on improvements we are considering for the PSM standard.
• Revising current interpretation of chemical concentrations covered by the PSM standard
• Clarifying what is covered and aligning with better established practices.
• Revising the current interpretation of “retail facilities” to more accurately reflect original intent of exemption.

Every year, dozens of workers die and thousands more become ill due to working in the heat. About one-third of heat-related worker deaths occur in the construction industry, but outdoor workers in every field — including agriculture, landscaping, transportation, and oil and gas operations — are susceptible to the dangers of heat.

In 2011, we launched a partnership with NOAA and the National Weather Service to educate employers and workers on the dangers of working in the heat. As a result, important worker safety information is now included in all National Weather Service extreme heat alerts and on NOAA’s Heat Watch Page.

We also worked with the National Weather Service to develop a smartphone heat safety app that allows users to calculate risk levels at a worksite and learn the protective measures needed to prevent heat illness.

This spring we released a new version of the app for Apple devices, with full screen color alerts, improved navigation and accessibility options. This improved version let you know instantly if you are in a high risk zone due to heat and humidity — and precautions that need to be taken to prevent heat-related illness.

More than 200,000 people have downloaded the app so far.

The apps are available through our website, at http://www.osha.gov/heat , where you can also find fact sheets, training manuals, community posters, and more in English and Spanish.

Our safety message to workers comes down to three simple, but important, words: Water. Rest. Shade.

Employers are responsible for providing workplaces that are safe from excessive heat. This means providing regular breaks for workers so they can cool down, and ensuring regular access to water so workers can stay hydrated.

If these precautions are taken, it can mean the difference between life and death.

I also want to let you know about how the Labor Department is taking the lead to implement President Obama’s executive order on Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces . The Executive Order, issued last summer, requires prospective federal contractors to disclose labor law violations-including OSHA violations.

Taxpayer dollars should not reward corporations that break the law. With this executive order the President is helping ensure that all hardworking Americans get the fair pay and safe workplaces they deserve.

One of the goals of this order is to give companies who have violated the law a chance to let the government know how they abated hazards or mitigated the violations. Companies with labor law violations will be offered the opportunity to receive early guidance on whether those violations are potentially problematic so that they can remedy any problems.

Again — we don’t want to bar companies from federal contracts — we want to make sure every company with a federal contract treats their workers fairly.

We are working closely with the Wage and Hour Division and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to implement this executive order.

On May 27, the Department issued proposed guidance to assist contracting agencies and the contracting community in applying the order’s requirements.

The comment period on this proposed guidance is open for 60 days, until July 27, 2015. We are eager to know what you think, so please submit your comments .

Poultry Poster

In our continued efforts with the USDA to protect the health and safety of poultry processing workers, we developed a new poster (in English and Spanish) detailing these workers’ rights to report injuries and illnesses sustained on the job.

USDA is sending these posters to poultry processing plants across the country.

Worker Voice / It’s the Law

And on April 28th, Workers’ Memorial Day, OSHA unveiled a new version of the “ OSHA: It’s the Law ” poster that employers must prominently display in their workplace.

This poster will reach workers and employers every day and it reinforces our message about prevention: employees have the right to request an OSHA inspection of their workplaces, receive information and training on job hazards, report a work-related injury or illness, and raise safety and health concerns with their employer or OSHA without being retaliated against.

It also informs employers of their legal obligation to provide a safe workplace — and that means eliminating the hazards that injure, sicken, or sometimes even kill their workers.

The poster was updated to include the new reporting obligations for employers. And it emphasizes a very important principal when it comes to prevention — that every worker has a voice.

Workers must be allowed to speak up about health and safety hazards and to advocate for the safety of themselves and their co-workers.

Thank you again for your service in advising OSHA and the Department of Labor. The work of this committee is very important in helping us meet the challenges we face in protecting the safety and health of workers all across the country.

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Giving a safety presentation these tips from stage performers will protect your voice.

About 10% of the workers in the U.S. are “heavy occupational voice users,” according to the Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research — and some are safety professionals. (Ever given a presentation in an active production setting? What about an outdoor toolbox talk with a large crew?)

Unfortunately, people in this group are “at higher risk for occupation-related voice disorders than the general population.”

Symptoms of a voice disorder include hoarse or raspy voice; a suddenly deeper voice; a raw, achy, or strained voice; difficulty speaking; and repeated throat clearings, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Any of these symptoms could progressively get worse, leading to laryngitis or vocal cord paralysis.

It's important to maintain your own health while you’re working to protect others. These tips from stage performers and vocal professionals can help.

1. Take Good Care of Yourself

A lot of the same advice for taking good care of your body applies to taking good care of your vocal cords. Here’s what the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders recommends :

• Get plenty of rest.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Include whole grains, fruits and vegetables in your diet. These foods contain vitamins A, E, and C and help keep the mucus membranes that line the throat healthy.
• Exercise regularly. Exercise increases stamina and muscle tone. This helps provide good posture and breathing, which are necessary for proper speaking.
• Wash hands frequently to avoid infection.
• Don’t smoke and avoid second-hand smoke.
• Avoid or minimize caffeine and alcohol.

Opera singer Jennifer Wilson must keep her voice in good condition: She often sings without a microphone over a full orchestra. So Wilson hydrates, avoids caffeinated beverages, uses a humidifier at home and takes 200-400 milligrams of coenzyme Q10 to keep her immune system healthy, she tells NPR .

2. Hydration Is Key to Mucus Production

Hydration is so important to healthy vocal cords, it’s worth reinforcing. Here’s why: When you’re properly hydrated, your body produces a thin, watery mucus. Your vocal cords vibrate more than 100 times a second when you speak, and they need that mucus to help them stay lubricated, says Lesley Childs, M.D., associate professor of Laryngology, Neurolaryngology and Professional Voice at UT Southwestern’s Clinical Center for Voice Care .

If you want to take it an extra step, Amy Lee, lead singer of the rock band Evanescence, tells Reverb her “secret weapon” is called Ponaris, a nasal emollient that was used in NASA’s medical kit for astronauts. “It coats your nose and throat and stops you from waking up with that dying of thirst, craggy, dry throat in the morning,” she says.

3. Warm Up Your Vocal Cords the Right Way

Just as runners warm up by stretching and walking, you should warm up your vocal cords before speaking engagements. Jackie Gartner-Schmidt, a speech-language pathologist and University of Pittsburgh professor, does plenty of speeches herself, including a TED Talk on public speaking .

To relax the vocal cords before speaking, she has an easy exercise. Basically, pretend to be a ghost :

• Hold up your index finger a few inches in front of your mouth.
• As you exhale steadily, make a wooooooo noise for 5 to 10 seconds.
• Do this five to 10 times.

This “establishes breath and airflow and voice stability, which are the cornerstones of any strong, clear voice,” she tells TED.

4. Retrain Your Speaking Voice

As the longtime vocal coach for singers like Brandy and Macy Gray, Roger Burnley has been featured on VH1, MTV, “The Voice,” “American Idol,” and “Saturday Night Live.” In an article for Backstage, he writes that the secret to a healthy voice is to “stop your swallowing muscles from coming down, engaging or interfering with your sound production while singing or speaking.”

To train yourself to avoid using your swallowing muscles , follow this three-step process.

• Locate your swallowing muscles by placing your thumb under your jaw in the center and then swallowing. You will feel those muscles push down, Burnley says. “When those muscles are working, they will block your air and cause you to push to attempt to create sound. This is what leads to hoarseness as well as exhaustion while singing or speaking,” he says.
• Determine how much you use those muscles while speaking by placing your thumb in the same position under the jaw and then reading something aloud.
• To retrain these muscles, place your thumbs under your jaw where those muscles are located, close your mouth and keep it closed as you attempt to read again. “You are somewhat becoming a ventriloquist,” he says. “This will not sound great as you are doing it, but do it over and over until you can speak all the words without those muscles coming down.”

After you have done this for a while, go back to speaking normally and you should notice more clarity and projection from your voice. Repeat until you have retrained your body, Burnley says.

5. Rest Your Voice

Resting your voice is just as important as resting your body. That means silence. Whispering could actually do more harm than good, Childs says.

Ronja Petersen, an expert in applied vocal technique, head of the Modern Music School vocal department and owner of Singgeek , also warns against talking in a low voice. When we try to show authority — for example, in a safety training environment — she says we tend to naturally drop our voices. But unfortunately, using a low voice could tire out your vocal cords more quickly.

Finally, don’t yell during conversations or presentations if you can help it, she says. In place of a microphone (which may not be permitted or available at your work site), it’s worthwhile to consider group configurations, room acoustics, visual aids or even breathing techniques that support your vocal health. After all, you’ll be able to offer better presentations if you know you can be heard.

“We want our voice to reflect our strengths, not our weaknesses,” Gartner-Schmidt says.

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Occupational safety and health aspects of voice and speech professions

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• 1 Phoniatric Department, University of Oulu, Oulu, and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland. [email protected]
• PMID: 15258436
• DOI: 10.1159/000078344

A well-functioning voice is an essential tool for one third of the labour force. Vocal demands vary to a great extent between the different voice and speech professions. In professions with heavy vocal loading (e.g. school and kindergarten teachers), occupational voice disorders threatening working ability are common. Vocal loading is a combination of prolonged voice use and additional loading factors (e.g. background noise, acoustics, air quality) affecting the fundamental frequency, type and loudness of phonation or the vibratory characteristics of the vocal folds as well as the external frame of the larynx. The prevention and treatment of occupational voice disorders calls for improved occupational safety and health (OSH) arrangements for voice and speech professionals. On the basis of epidemiological and acoustic-physiological research, the presence of risk to vocal health can be substantiated. From the point of view of the physical load on the vocal apparatus, loading-related physiological changes (adaptation) may play a role in the occupational risk. Environmental factors affect vocal loading changes. In teaching professions, the working environment is shared with children, who benefit from amendments of OSH legislation concerning their teachers.

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• An overview of occupational voice disorders in Poland. Niebudek-Bogusz E, Śliwińska-Kowalska M. Niebudek-Bogusz E, et al. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2013 Oct;26(5):659-69. doi: 10.2478/s13382-013-0146-7. Epub 2014 Jan 25. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2013. PMID: 24310921 Review.
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O-234 OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH (OSH) TO ACCOUNTING AND AUDITOR’S PROFESSION (AAP) AND ITS IMPACT ON ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, GOVERNANCE (ESG) CRITERIA

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Faiçal Mekouar, Fadel Agoumi, Rim El Kholti, Abdeljalil El Kholti, O-234 OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH (OSH) TO ACCOUNTING AND AUDITOR’S PROFESSION (AAP) AND ITS IMPACT ON ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, GOVERNANCE (ESG) CRITERIA, Occupational Medicine , Volume 74, Issue Supplement_1, July 2024, Page 0, https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqae023.1031

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OEC Morocco wants to offer a robust organization of OSH to its members in the aim to bring several benefits to AAP, while also positively impacting ESG considerations.

Action plan is tailored to create a safer and healthier work environment to ensure compliance with Moroccan’s OSH regulations and international labor standards.

Here’s how OSH and ESG aspects can be interconnected: employee well-being, talent attraction and retention, positive reputation, governance and ethics, social responsibility, long-term sustainability. By prioritizing OSH, businesses improve employee health and well-being, productivity, and overall organizational efficiency. It’s also contributing positively to an organization’s ESG profile and sustainable business practices.

Incorporating OSH actions in AAP not only improves workplace conditions but also aligns with ESG considerations. Robust OSH practices are indicative of strong governance, creating a more sustainable and responsible business environment, demonstrating a commitment to a key social consideration, demonstrating transparent reporting on OSH performance metrics can enhance accountability and credibility of AAP both for its employees and for its customers, which are important elements of the ESG framework.

A well-organized approach to OSH within AAP can lead to enhanced employee well-being, positive ESG outcomes, and a reputation for ethical and responsible practices. By integrating health, safety, and ESG considerations, AAP can create a safe and health workplace and a sustainable and ethical business environment.

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