WorkSafely.com - Safety (R)evolution

Knocking heads together at the Concussion Summit

2007-06-26T16:49:00Z

National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell ordered every NFL team to attend the Concussion Summit in Chicago on June 19. All 32 team’s health and safety committees, doctors and trainers met to discuss a growing concern in the league: post-career illnesses such as depression, Alzheimer’s and dementia, believed to be linked to multiple concussions sustained during play.

This landmark meeting had sprung out of player and public outcry over safety and health, spurring Goodell (right) to make some serious changes.

While the NFL has spent decades sponsoring medical research into the long-term effect of concussions, it wasn't until the mainstream media reported on the dramatic health risks to high-profile players that real change began to happen. For example, the sports media, including ESPN, has reported on:

the apparent suicide of former Philadelphia safety Andre Waters at age 44 last November
the deaths of Pittsburgh offensive linemen Justin Strzelczyk and Terry Long after long bouts of depression
the February revelation by former New England linebacker Ted Johnson (right) that he suffers from depression

An independent committee of doctors at the Concussion Summit, concluded that in all head injuries, medical decisions should override the player's importance to the team.

Starting points for change: the first raft of rules

Goodell has instated that

each player be evaluated for concussion risk and other health issues beginning at training camp
an injured player return to the field only with the consent of the team’s medical personnel

the NFL establish a fund to help with the healthcare costs of former NFL players who suffer from Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia
neuropsychological testing for all NFL players become mandatory
anyone who suffers a concussion undergo subsequent testing
the league establish a whistle-blower program so that players (or team doctors) can anonymously report any concerns, such as when someone feels pressured to return to the field too early after a concussion
that every player secure the chin strap on his helmet during play

Now let’s go after helmet makers and ‘head hunter’ players

My wish list for next year’s NFL concussion summit includes pushing for better standards by helmet manufacturers, and issuing heavy fines to NFL players who are “head hunting,” i.e. deliberately tackling opponents' noggins during play.

Is this single-day, league-wide meeting about concussions enough to change the way NFL owners view head injuries to key players? Or (worst case scenario) is it just more window-dressing to appease the paying public’s growing concern for the safety of players?

I believe that we’re reaching a point where fans and the media understand the long-term issues of player injuries, and that safety is finally reaching the forefront of human concerns, regardless of the money or careers at stake... As it should be, of course.

Players of all sports will be increasingly demanding the best in medical attention - preventive as well as after care - as an incentive to sign up with a team; that's a great example to set for employees of all workplaces.

This whole move by Commissioner Goodell just reinforces what I’ve spoken about for years: that nothing happens until the CEO or other top dog of an organization mandates improvement in health and safety practices.

Leaders such as Roger Goodell have the much-needed courage to insist that healthy employees are worth fighting for. My hat’s off to him, and to the players and public and media that have driven this huge safety and health issue in football into the light.

Getting paid ‘under the table’ will hurt you long-term

2007-06-12T14:57:00Z

Listening to an angry group of construction and government leaders this week put a new spin on an old problem - the “underground economy,” which continues to thrive in all sectors.

We tend to blame the government and its high taxation rates for wages paid “under the table.” And we continue pointing the finger at illegal alien workers who accept their pay in cash from unregistered contractors. What we don't like to do is take responsibility for our own part, which is agreeing to pay someone "under the table" to avoid paying taxes.

The government loses billions of dollars in tax revenue each year from the underground economy. This, in turn, negatively impacts insurance premiums, medical coverage and investment in apprenticeships.

OK, so that’s a well-understood fact - which no one is doing anything about. Let’s start at home, shall we. For example, you want to finish your basement; let’s look at some quotes on drywall, taping and ceiling spraying:

A big contractor wants to charge you $7,800 including tax.
The plumber with one year of apprenticeship training can do the whole basement for $6,795 including taxes.
The independent carpenter charges $5,400 without tax, cash only.
Your next-door neighbor will charge $5,100, cash only.
The certified electrician is charging $3,000 more than your brother-in-law handyman.

You like the money you save from paying ‘under the table’ - it’s enough to get you that new cedar deck you’ve been pining for, constructed by a couple of students who give you a quote to either pay $4,100 plus tax, or $3,500 cash only. This scenario could also include the yard maintenance guy, the window washer crew, the fence builder …

I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one facing these kinds of tough choices as a buyer. My household budget is always tight; my kids need education, housing, food. My wife says we need a vacation, our car needs a tune up, and the dog should be fixed.

“I’m already paying enough to the government"

I could use the saved costs. “I’m already paying enough to the government,” I think. I want to go with the lowest quote without the extra taxes for my home reno work on the weekend.

Monday morning, it’s back to the world of business and trade, where we face an urgent situation: The need for long-term planning to replace an aging workforce in an increasingly technologically skilled society.

Solving that labor problem is going to take big-time capital investment by governments. Where is that money to come from? Riiiight - taxes.

If we can not collect enough tax revenues to re-invest in world-class training facilities for skilled workers, we’ll end up losing business to countries that have invested wisely in future labor, and/or try to persuade workers from other global economies to join our aging workforce.

But - if we all said ‘no’ to the temptation of “underground” work, we could build a stronger economy together.

I'll lead the way - I'll choose the trained professional who gets paid above-board (taxes et al). My family will foresake fixing the family pet. (I think he might be glad to dodge the bullet for another year!)

"Excuse me, is this job safe? " How rude!

2007-06-07T20:10:00Z

Why do executives so often draw the same boring conclusion that young workers get injured because they're afraid to ask questions? Tomorrow I could stick a "for hire" sign on the front lawn of my factory, and I guarantee that within three hours, I'd have a mile-long line up of adults who will ask me only two questions: "What's the starting salary?" and "When do I start?"

It wouldn't matter if my plant workers had reported 20 serious injuries the week before my employment sign went up;the almighty paycheck still rules. With the workforce's upholding of tradition, by and large we all try to keep our heads down, not ask any dumb] questions, smile and nod - please the boss, above all else.

For many adults, it seems "rude" to ask if a prospective or current employer if they have a good safety track record or if the company had a high turnover ratio. As if it's inappropriate to look after your own butt - literally and/or figuratively!

Bob Magee, President of the Woodbridge Group with more than 50 plants worldwide, recently stated that we must bring a new strategy and innovation to the safety environment. " No matter what the size of the organization - whether it is 5,000 or 50 employees - there must be a family atmosphere where people care about each other and we recognize the individuals who wish to improve their working enviroment," Magee said.

Great companies are never satisfied with yesterday's results in production or safety. They understand that innovative ideas in safety can only be generated by a happy workforce; 'management by fear' only stifles improvements. And they know that employees of all ages and types (new hires, seasonal workers, old timers, contractors) need to be trained with new skills that will enable them to ask the right questions without fear of reprisal from supervisors or management.

It's just not good enough to identify symptoms of sick/unsafe workplaces; we have to find creative solutions and apply them! Imagine the level of excitement created in your workplace if the company president awarded you with two court side tickets to see Lebron James play, or gave you a free cruise in the Bahamas just because you came up with a better way to secure all the racking system in your factory!

Rewarding and recognizing innovative safety champions - it's the wave of the future.

Virginia Tech and now this… school lock-downs are our future

2007-05-28T14:32:00Z

A 15-year-old boy was killed last week at a high school where I spoke a month ago. Two of his classmates at C.W. Jeffreys High School in Toronto, Ontario, Canada were charged yesterday with the crime of gunning down Jeffrey Manners in cold blood in a school hall in the middle of a school day.

I am horrified by this killing, and I really regret not bringing up the topic of “safety in our schools” when I spoke to 450 C.W. Jeffreys High School students last month. I only had 60 minutes to interact with them; I walked away from dozens of unanswered questions about how kids can understand their rights in the workplace.

C.W.Jefferys is located in a high-needs part of Toronto; the students there represent almost 50 nations and speak dialects from all parts of the world. They are an amazing collection of future leaders, and I was honored to meet them and share my story of losing my teenage son to a workplace accident.

I was taken into the C.W. Jeffreys office by then principal Ann Kojima, and given a list of post-secondary scholarship winners from the school to study business, engineering, math, sciences and humanities. The opportunity to achieve and impact the way we live is not taken for granted by students or staff at C.W.Jeffreys.

What would provoke students to bring a hand gun to a place of learning?

The Ontario Minister of Education Kathleen Wynne responded correctly last week by publicly asking, “What would provoke students enough to bring a hand gun to a place of learning?

“There is no simple solution to keep schools safe at all times,” Minister Wynne continued. “If there were, it would already be in place.”

Putting more cameras and computer monitors in schools (C.W. Jeffreys had them on order when the killing happened) will help with patrolling the halls for intruders. But that will never be enough; we need everybody's input - students, staff, parents, police and the community at large - to help protect our halls of learning.

You can help by starting to ask questions:

Ask your kids at home do they know exactly a “lock-down plan” looks like and why it’s important.

Ask the school if their lock-down drills are conducted without or without a heads-up.

Do substitute teachers know what to do during a lock-down?

Is there a code or phrase that students should recognize as an emergency lock-down notification?

Don’t just point your finger at government failings

If you’re a student, email or pick up your cell phone and ask your school staff how you can help. They need your support and POSITIVE suggestions.

As a parent or concerned citizen, consider yourself a community partner and volunteer your innovative safety ideas to the school system. Let’s not point the finger at government officials to deal with safety in our schools; we need to own this issue ourselves!

Schools are places of learning and understanding - not shooting grounds. We’ve seen the reality of killings at C.W.Jefferys and Virginia Tech and Montreal’s Dawson College (last year) and… (the list is depressingly long).

Let’s find better and innovative safety solutions for our schools together. Please, do it in memory of an outstanding young man, Jordan Manners, who died last week in a place he loved - his school.

Shell Oil tries to recruit Tom Brady

2007-05-22T15:09:00Z

I just got Shell Oil to figure out how to sign up an athletic star such as Tom Brady, quarterback for the New England Patriots - without a signing bonus or other offer of money!

When I took this challenge last week to 50 executives at Shell, as well as their newest employees, I split the group in two.

The first group had to act as the general manager of a professional sports team and recruit a "Tom Brady" (right).

The second group had to attract doctors to serve 5,000 new employees arriving in the next year to start a plant expansion.

Both groups had only three minutes to find a way to snag these hot shots for their pretend organizations!

In the recruitment of a superstar athlete, the top three ideas were:

1. Find out who will be playing with him? What are the team's goals (short and long-term)?

2. Take the star player on a tour of your city, pointing out housing and schools, introducing him to the media and business contacts that would help his career.

3. Guarantee superlative athletic training, medical care and easy access to state-of-the-art medical facilities.

In the hunt for doctors, the top three ideas were:

1. Offer the best location (city/town) and the best orientation of that location, i.e. what are the housing, schools, rec facilities, etc.

2. Guarantee training facilities in nearby hospitals (and in a teaching hospital, if one is close).

3. Assure investment in the latest high-tech equipment pertaining to their medical specialty at those hospitals.

I was struck by the fact that both recruiting groups shared common principles in their non-monetary incentives, which were:

Communication
Training
Orientation

Think outside the paycheck, I tell future 'free agents' of the working world

Treat your prospective employees no differently than that quarterback or specialist physician! The size of their paycheck and benefits package is not the only way to draw in the best and brightest talent to your workforce!

When I speak to thousands of high school and college students each year - really, the future "free agents" of the labor market - I urge them to expect to be wooed with the best possible non-monetary incentives by contender employers.

I teach these young workers - tomorrow's employers as well as employees - to ask, before the job begins, "Do you offer orientation, training and open communication?" If the potential employer doesn't measure up in those areas, it's time to move on - to the next, better offer of a job... one that keeps you safe and healthy on the job!

Basically, what I tell corporations like Shell Oil last week, as well as students, is: Workers must be treated with the exact same respect as you would grant doctors or sports heroes. Anything less than that and the organization deserves to lose the brightest and best!

Why Tony Blair's next gig should be as Safety CEO

2007-05-14T18:59:00Z

Tony Blair is an obvious choice as leader of a brand-new movement: Safety-Respect-Prosperity. He could become the "Al Gore" of workplace safety now that's he looking for a job after 10 years leading Britain. I think he's the best candidate for Safety CEO because...

1. During the Blair years, six million people were lifted above the poverty line, crime rate fell by 35 percent and Britain became one of the top performing economies in the world with one of the lowest unemployment rates in the world. Say no more re: Tony delivering the goods!

2. Tony refused to change his position on unpopular decisions such as the Iraq war. Yes, I think that was a good thing... because right or wrong, sticking with his commitment demonstrated courage and decisiveness.

3. At 54, Tony Blair can connect powerfully with fellow Baby Boomers (a generation of much buying and decision making influence), and he can connect with many cultures after running one of the world's most multicultural nations.

Am I a dreamer to hope that the Safety-Respect-Prosperity Movement could attract a leader such as Tony Blair?

Maybe but remember, 20 years ago nobody would have ever suggested that Al Gore would be leading the environmental masses to change the world in 2007!! There are even strong rumors that Mr. Gore would be a perfect candidate as the next White House resident - demonstrating the scope of the US public's respect for his moral commitment to "doing the right thing" for the environment.

So, could someone of Tony Blair's caliber and clout on the world stage be attracted to the Safety CEO position? That's up to us, the citizenry of the world - it can happen if we attach enough importance, respect and money to the movement for Safety-Respect-Prosperity.

Sound far-fetched? Are you one of the hordes of people who shelled out big bucks and lined up at the box office to watch An Inconvenient Truth?

Kids for safety - in US, Canada and Oman

2007-05-07T17:43:00Z

This week on Capitol Hill, five children stood amongst the towering pinstriped legs of officials from the American Society of Safety Engineers' (ASSE), U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE) and OSHA Alliance members representing more than 134,000 businesses.

These kids, ranging in age from 5 to 15, are four Americans and one teen from Oman - and they're as much as part of the launch ceremony of the 10th annual North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week as the suits surrounding them.

After all, their gorgeous and impactful artwork was chosen by the ASSE - America's oldest and largest society of safety professionals - to run on the NAOSH Week '07 poster, Be Safe at Work.

Four of the winners were grade school students from the US, but one international student won for the 13-14 age category: Deepika Rathna Gandhavalla from Muscat, Oman, for a 'Work Safely' cartoon strip (shown here).

I think it's a terrific idea to get kids involved in safety - the younger the better!!

I know personally about the power of youth - how they can teach so much to the adults in their lives. I remember fondly one Take Your Kids to Work Day (back when I was a business owner) when one visiting teen, Tahara, who is from from an immigrant family and is mentally and physically challenged, drew me a picture with a happy face and the words, “Thanks for keeping Dad and me safe today.”

These days I spend all year traveling the continent to speak about safety since my own teen died on the job eight years ago. I choose to focus on tomorrow's workers, leaders and safety champions with the not-profit foundation I founded, called Our Youth at Work.

After I visit a high school, I routinely receive hundreds of letters from students; here's an excerpt from one such letter, from a student who recently performed in a high school play about workplace safety:

“To be honest I did learn a lot while rehearsing and performing the Young Worker Safety play. Before, I didn’t know many of the... warning symbols and I was unaware of how dangerous some chemicals could be... I learned that you should not play around with equipment or machinery on the job, even if you know what it is. I also learned that all the workers need to be trained fully in order to be able to work safely; they also need to be responsible for their learning like having their safety manuals or instructions.

“But the most important lesson that I had learned was that life is not a Joke. A person really needs to be aware of what they are doing and not to do something that can jeopardize safety, especially teenagers, because we are the young ones. We most certainly need to take good care of ourselves because we should be around for a long time. We shouldn’t be ending our lives just as they begin or having a future full of sorrow and pain because of an injury.”

"Life is not a Joke." From the mouths of babes, indeed.

So to everyone - young and not as young ;) - Happy North American Safety and Occupational Week! (Incidentally, it may be the 10th annual such week in the US, but it was celebrated for 10 years before that in Canada, hosted by the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering.)

Anderson Cooper: Numb in the Killing Fields

2007-05-03T14:22:00Z

I’m a fan of CNN's Anderson Cooper, I admit - but why does a young man who will inherit the Vanderbilt fortune keep risking his neck in fields of death and danger? And what’s up with his self-confessed growing numbness around the cruelties done to humans?

I love the CNN superstar’s reports from the eye of the storm in New Orleans, the war-torn streets of Iraq, in the fields of death in Rwanda. Cooper’s clearly a man on a mission, and his edgy style keeps us coming back for more “entertaining” news.

But Cooper has an almost inhuman ability to avoid getting emotionally caught up by the dead and dying people at his feet! I figure that seeing/smelling decaying human carcasses would have a lasting, and shattering, impact on the soul.

However, as he recently admitted on his show, Anderson Cooper 360 Report, walking in the killing fields of Rwanda, he realized he wasn’t seeing the corpses as human. “I was more focusing on the way that the skin of the hands peels off after it has been sitting in the sun for a while.” (Yikes!)

Cooper and his fellow jaded journalists face a danger that I believe is as hazardous as landmines and breaking levies, in a different way. And that is, the separation of our emotions from human suffering leads directly to complacency and a lack of action.

Adrenaline high or compensation for loss?

And I wonder why Cooper puts himself deliberately in the world’s most dangerous spots in his role as a war reporter? Is it an adrenaline rush or an attempt to live life to its fullest? (Maybe the latter since Cooper lost his dad when he was 10 and his brother to suicide 20 years ago.)

I do admire Cooper’s apparent journey of personal discovery, and his celebrity role in “realistic journalism” - but I don’t like the example he projects of shutting down one’s sense of humanity.

You and me and our neighbors, family, friends, coworkers can - and should - do something every single day to change the way we live and work in our own communities or on distant shores. To make it safer, healthier, more fulfilling, prosperous, etc.

Our future generations depend on us to turn off CNN, get off the couch and forge a meaningful, respectful path in a difficult world.