Let’s connect on LinkedIn

Thank you to all of those who commented on my near-miss program that I’m helping develop at my organization. I highly appreciated all of your insights which helped me determine where I should improve and definitely training and raising more awareness of what a near miss seemed to be the trend I noticed. Let’s connect on LinkedIn I would love to continue our conversation https://www.linkedin.com/in/keven-guillen-3853b9208?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app

ASSP Professional Development Conference in Central NY

For those in the Syracuse/Rochester area - ASSP PDC Sept. 18, 2025. https://cny.assp.org/events/professional-development-conference-attendee-registration-6/

Service to consider if you have first responders or folks that work roadside

We've been looking into this company and their service for possibly an additional layer of safety for our folks that work roadside. They work a lot with first responders and tow companies. Those that subscribe, it will send out an alert to quite a few different car manufacturers' and commercial truck alert programs that there is a tow, or first responder up ahead to give them time to move over. We've had a few close calls with some of our techs responding to breakdowns with vehicles not slowing down and getting over. This service is not yet available in every car manufacturer yet and obviously those with older vehicles it would not be an option. But I look at it as again, another layer of safety. https://www.haasalert.com/

Safety inspections

Safety Inspections: Your First Line of Defense At JSFireSafeConsulting, we remind our partners of one simple truth: what you don’t inspect, you can’t expect. Regular safety inspections aren’t just about checking boxes for OSHA or NFPA compliance—they’re about: Identifying hazards before they turn into incidents Protecting your people, property, and operations Building a culture of accountability and safety ownership A great inspection program goes beyond clipboards. It’s proactive, consistent, and backed by corrective actions that actually get closed out. If your inspections feel rushed, repetitive, or reactive, it’s time to raise the bar. Let us help you transform inspections into a real safety advantage. Because safety shouldn’t be an afterthought—it should be built into every walkthrough. #SafetyCulture #WorkplaceSafety #Inspections #JSFireSafeConsulting

6/14/2021, Chemtool Grease Manufacture Destroyed

On June 14, 2021, a maintenance accident at the Chemtool industrial grease manufacturing plant in Rockton, Illinois, United States, triggered a chemical fire that lasted four days and injured two emergency workers.

Online NFPA70E Training

I'm looking for a good quality online NFPA 70E training course for my facilities maintenance team. Any good recommendations?

ASP Study Materials

Happy Friday Safety Knights! I am planning to move forward in pursuing the Associate Safety Professional (ASP) Certification. I sent a proposal to my manager today that outlined cost including the optional training materials. For those of you that have obtained the ASP, CSP, etc. are the exam bundle and ExamCORE options worth it? Or did you find better value in other study materials? Thank you in advance! Go Badgers! (Yes, I know it was ugly).

Advanced Training for Outreach OSHA Trainers?

I have been teaching OSHA Outreach since 2012. I lost count on how many course I have taught, my best estimate is I am just over 50 classes. I have taken the OSHA 503 class 3 times. I really love doing Outreach, sometimes I am amazed they pay me good money to so something I love to do! I am 71 and have been in involved with Health & Safety since OSHA was almost brand new! I am Baby Boomer in almost every respect! I started as a Foundry Supervisor after college in 1976. Lately, I am starting to question if I am getting to old for this! Let me give you an example. In one of my last 10-Hour courses I was discussing Lockout. I made the comment, "Not Locking-Out when you should is like playing Russian Roulette!" I have made that comment many times over the years. Well I was team teaching this course with a friend of mine who is an Xer (Generation X). Afterwards he took me aside and told me, "You need to be careful! Someone of Russian heritage might take offense to the term Russian Roulette!" I was more than a little surprised! Made me question my entire mode of training! Maybe something like this might help to get me more current. I see a big benefit as the chance to network with others. For those of you that are trainers do you like the idea of this course? See Link below. It is a big investment for me. With the tuition and expenses if would be about $1200 with mileage. I live 200 miles north of Naperville, IL (Northern Illinois U) plus two days out of my schedule. https://cpelearn.niu.edu/product/advanced-trainer-workshop-enhancing-outreach-training-skills-naperville-october-2025/

Flammable Liquid Transfer Grounding Verification

For those who work in an industry where flammable liquids are transferred via pump or higher volume & static discharge is a potential hazard, particularly in a hazardous classified area, a verification of ground is a great option to ensure earthing is complete. Static grounding monitoring can be set up with an alarm to verify a proper ground is in place & a visual light as well as audible alarm can be implemented to alarm when a ground is not connected. This adds a layer of safety & an immediate reminder for operators to not transfer flammable liquids until the ground is corrected.

Introducing new requirement for PPE or change in operation

I have seen good & bad implementation of change in the workplace. Some of the best changes I've seen implemented were polling operators or "laborers" to vote or choose from some options. This gives them ownership & if there is pushback after the change has been implemented, a reminder that they were the ones who decided on the change helps enforce the change. One example of this was that we needed to implement a requirement for wearing hard hats. We brought in 3 different brand/styles of hard hats & had everyone vote on which hard hat they preferred, tallied the votes & implemented the change. The majority were happy with the decision simply because they had a say in the selection!

Fall Restraint

When working at height, fall restraint may be a better option than fall arrest if other means of protection are not feasible. Fall restraint utilizes a lanyard of a fixed length that prevents a person from reaching the fall hazard. This works well in situations where a roof edge or similar hazard is the only fall hazard & does not restrict the ability of the worker to complete the tasks at height.

Forklift Certification Question

We obtained a new electric forklift our new location, our first electric for that location. The forklift vendor we purchased it from provided some training for our parts folks on how to operate it but when asked if they could provide documentation showing the training, they said they did not do that. Would we need to do some other type of certification training to document it or could we use our normal form we use for certifications on forklifts and note that training was conducted by (Reikes Equipment)? The forklift we purchased was a Bendi which is built by Landoll. Ironically, we are a Landoll trailer dealership, however, when I inquired about their training program to certify someone in house as a Train-the-Trainer and so we could get more materials for the training, I was told to contact their 3rd party vendor they use and the amount was ridiculous.

Zepbound

a truck driver asked me if we are okay if he accepts a presciption called Zepbound. Their doctor said it might show up on a dot drug test. I haven't found anything to support that. How would you handle this?

Sound Meters

Not all sound meters are created equal. A cheap Sound Level Meter (SLM) from Amazon or the like may or may not be calibrated. The SLM app on your phone may or not be accurate. A good SLM will be able to be calibrated pre & post sampling as is best practice. Although OSHA does not require a Type 2 or above SLM to be used for noise mapping, if the SLM used cannot be calibrated pre/post sampling, it becomes difficult to provide evidence that the sampling is accurate. Even a SLM that comes with a calibration certificate does not meet the requirement to calibrate pre/post sampling. A Type 2 SLM is the gold standard for noise mapping & I highly recommend this. At minimum, use a SLM with a calibrator that is calibrated. Phone apps are all over the place regarding accuracy. I have yet to find an Android app that is accurate for multiple phones. Apple has had a much better track record & the NIOSH SLM app for iOS is very accurate & can be used for trusted spot noise sampling but because it is not calibrated pre/post sampling, cannot be used for noise mapping or sampling for evidence in an OSHA Hearing Conservation Program. If using an Android phone that you want to do spot checks, I recommend testing an app with your phone against a calibrated SLM.

Lockout Tagout Procedure Exception

I learned about the "Plug & Cord/Single Source" exception for LOTO procedures early in my career when a site had no LOTO procedures & I was tasked to create a list of equipment that required a procedure. If the equipment has a single hazardous energy source, you may not need to create a LOTO written procedure for it. See the OSHA standard below for further details that need to be met. 1910.147(c)(4)(i) Procedures shall be developed, documented and utilized for the control of potentially hazardous energy when employees are engaged in the activities covered by this section. Note: Exception: The employer need not document the required procedure for a particular machine or equipment, when all of the following elements exist: (1) The machine or equipment has no potential for stored or residual energy or reaccumulation of stored energy after shut down which could endanger employees; (2) the machine or equipment has a single energy source which can be readily identified and isolated; (3) the isolation and locking out of that energy source will completely deenergize and deactivate the machine or equipment; (4) the machine or equipment is isolated from that energy source and locked out during servicing or maintenance; (5) a single lockout device will achieve a locked-out condition; (6) the lockout device is under the exclusive control of the authorized employee performing the servicing or maintenance; (7) the servicing or maintenance does not create hazards for other employees; and (8) the employer, in utilizing this exception, has had no accidents involving the unexpected activation or reenergization of the machine or equipment during servicing or maintenance.

Effectiveness of Signage

I know signs are required for some standards & codes but most of the time I feel signage misses the mark & doesn't grab attention nor convey the message desired. For instance, this sign that wants to convey that the bridge is out ahead! How do you feel about signs in the workplace?

Automatic/Daytime Running Lights in Automobiles

Anyone retrain on when to use headlights for their teams that drive company vehicles? While I have not personally seen any of my employees doing it, I have been seeing an increasing number of folks driving around when they should be having headlights on. My best guess is everyone is getting so used to having newer vehicles where automated lights come on automatically that when they get in a vehicle that does not have the feature they forget to turn them on when needed. Both of my personal vehicles are 2011 and older so neither have auto lights.

EM-385 Training continued lol

I want to clarify something on my last post. I am in no way trying to get out of training and that was not my intention when I was asking about the EM-385 40 hour training. I was trying to find out what is the minimum requirements for someone to become an SSHO based on the EM-385 specifications. I understand that some worksites and some contracts will ask for more then the minimum and that can be dealt with as those present themselves. What I wanted was to figure out the best way to teach my workers in house by creating our own trainings that would ensure the workers got the correct information. By using our own OSHA authorized trainers we can make sure that our workers get an OSHA 30 that is not only based on the OSHA Requirements but also on our requirements as a company. That was why I was so curious about the EM-385 training, and if it isn't necessary, which according to the most recent update it is not, then I can teach my workers the OSHA 30 and then do competent person training that fits to the needs of the jobs to meet the other requirements of 24 hours of training within the last 3 years. My other concern was there seems to be no regulation for the EM-385 training like there is for OSHA so how do I know who is authorized to teach the class and that what they are teaching meets the "requirements". Seems to me the training facility's just don't want anyone to know that the training is no longer mandatory. I do see that it could have some value to SSHO's on bigger projects but only if the training is regulated and done correctly.

Safety and Fire safety violations

Safety Violation: Blocked Fire Extinguishers Hazard: Fire extinguishers were found blocked by equipment, boxes, and other stored items. This prevents immediate access in the event of a fire. Why It Matters: • NFPA 10 and OSHA standards require fire extinguishers to be readily accessible at all times. • Delayed access during a fire can result in loss of property, injuries, or fatalities. • A blocked extinguisher is the same as having no extinguisher at all. Required Clearance: • At least 36 inches (3 feet) of clear access in front of the extinguisher. • Visibility of the extinguisher and signage at all times. Corrective Action: • Remove obstructions immediately. • Re-train staff on the importance of maintaining access. • Include extinguisher clearance checks in regular safety inspections.

EM-385 confusion

For those that saw my last post I found where the misunderstanding was coming from. I realized the EM-385 40 hour training requirement was from the 2014 version of the EM-385 and that requirement has been removed from the SSHO requirements in the 2024 EM-385. Make sure you are always using the most up to date standard. I think the main confusion comes in because the online training company's are still portraying this as a requirement.

Dark mode activated

Just when I start thinking Safety Knights couldn't get any cooler...

Quality Vs. Safety

Im looking for suggestions. I have a situation where one part of the company complies with medical device manufacturing quality standard, and a separate division (sibling company) is not required to follow the same standards and/or policies. Both companies operate in the same building and most of the tools and equipment belong to the division that isn't driven by the strict medical quality standards. The quality driven side of the company began using and applying white, red and black "Danger - Do Not Use" tags for equipment that could not be used for their production because it needed calibration or other annual preventative maintenance. The workers from the company not regulated under the strict quality standards were told, "It's OK, you can use that equipment, it's only tagged-out for our use". The dynamic of sharing equipment is the tricky part here. This seems to create a "normalized deviance" where ignoring LOTO tags may seem acceptable, and where it becomes difficult for a worker to know when they must follow the LOTO tag policy. This has created much confusion for workers because the white labels, with the black and red "Do Not Use" are the same tags they use for Energy Control/LOTO. Has anyone experienced this before, have any creative solutions that would address both sides, or have opinion or ideas for solving this issue?

Compliance Calendar

Anyone use a compliance calendar that they find helps them stay organized throughout the year? Been trying to improve my organization skills. As the only safety person at my company, the more organizatino the better for me. Thanks

EM-385 40 hour training

Update: I realized the EM-385 40 hour training requirement was from the 2014 version of the EM-385 and that requirement has been removed from the SSHO requirements in the 2024 EM-385. The EM-385 training requirements for SSHO's on military sites have come up a few times recently, and I can not find anything in the actual EM-385 saying that it is needed. If you google it of course it comes back as required but every link is to a training company. According to Google: SSHO Requirements: Experience: At least 5 years of experience in construction safety and health, with at least 1 year in the same type of work as the project. Training: Initial Training: 40-hour EM 385-1-1 training course is required. Annual Refresher: 8-hour EM 385-1-1 refresher course is needed annually. Other Training: SSHOs may also need additional training, like 40-hour HAZWOPER training for HTRW (Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste) sites. But there is no mention of this in the Actual EM-385. Has anyone else had experience with this?

Finally Did It!

Well it was time for a touch-up on our website. I have been putting it off for months! Just click on the link below. Do you like it? What other changes could you recommend? Thank You! Keep'em Safe! https://safetyfitz.com/ I am prejudiced, but I do not think it is too bad for a 71 yea-old IT challenged old guy that broke in with Fred Flintstone! I am thinking I need: #1 More recent blogs. #2 add a way to allow others to add content #3 have easier ways for others to contact me.

Personnel dust cleaning

Anyone use a dust cleaning system for personnel (as opposed to guys blowing off clothing & themselves with pressurized air)? Looking at the JetBlack & GuardAir set ups.

Hiring Consultants

What's the biggest headache when hiring a Safety/Environmental Consultant?

Welding Fumes Monitoring

Hello Safety Knights! Looking for my Industrial Hygiene experts out there. There has been some concerns brought up with the process of welding with Aluminum Bronze materials. We have installed local ventilation and the employees welding on it wear a PAPR or other form of respiratory protection but they still feel it is not enough. I would love to throw more ventilation at the area but my Management Team wants to see proof it is needed. We have utilized an IH from our insurance company for air monitoring in the past, but I was asked if I could do it in house. Is anyone aware of a testing kit that I can order to test for this Aluminum welding fumes? Thank you!

Hello!

I found out about Safety Knights via LinkedIn, and I'm excited to be a part of the community. I've very recently got into lab safety after a career working in biomedical and genomics labs - so there's still a lot to learn!

Cheers to Mike Rowe! 😎

Never had a better job than occupational safety!

Near miss program

Hi everyone I’m new here. I’m developing a near miss program at my company which is a large organization. I’m getting some momentum but it seems to be not that engaging as I expected in the beginning. We have 7 submissions in 6 weeks and I’m seeking advice from anyone who have experience this themselves.

Introducing myself

Hello everyone I'm new and exited to be here, I'm a medical doctor in Mexico and because had to support my family I started as a laborer in construction later starter my career as a safety trying to get back in to the medical field with no luck but at the same time blessed not to because the COVID that season was terrific. Anyway glad to be here and eager to learn and grow more and more, have a blessed day!.

Back again!

I joined the Safety Knights several years back, but I didn't post much or really do much at all with the group. This time around, I'd like to be extremely involved! After rejoining on August 4th, attending the first Safety Knights Summit, and winning a prize last week - I'm back! This post is my written commitment to being a regular participant with the Safety Knights! 😎⚔️

Introduction

Happy Marvelous Monday! My name is Mike Berno (only salespeople call me Michael). I've been in Safety for 30+ years after starting off in Health, Human Performance and Wellness. I've been a practitioner of Total Worker Health long before it was a buzz word. I am currently BKCW Insurance's Director of Safety & Risk Control Services with extensive risk management, ergonomics, loss control, safety and employee training, the past 25 years in the insurance industry. I have performed 5,000+ job site and facility safety surveys. I have been an ASSP member for 22 years and on the Safety Committees of the ABC, AGC, and ASA. Drop me a line or just say hello!

Favorite Safety, Leadership, Teamwork and Personal Growth/Development Books

I had posted this on another safety community website as well. While my days of formal education are more than likely over, I still believe it is important to always be learning and love to read. Randy had posted one of his favorite newsletters. I'm curious as to what all are your favorite books regarding the subjects of Safety, Leadership, Teamwork, and Personal Growth/Development (all of which I feel tie into our line of work)? As a born introvert, I've been working hard at coming out of my shell. I love the Dale Carnegie "How to Win Friends and Influence People" book. Another leadership/Teamwork book I like is Kenni Thomas' book "Get It On!" Kenni was a former Ranger and participant in the Blackhawk Down mission. Another of my favorites is Dr. Gina Anderson's "Thrive- How Learning Can Ignite a New Way Forward." There are quite a few other safety books I'm hoping to eventually get my hands on. Some of them were written by Dr. Megan Tranter and Dr. Daniels.

Hello All

Hello everyone, I’m glad to be a part of this group. I’ve been doing safety for the last 2 years as a Consultant. So far I am loving it, I hope to get to know more safety professionals and lean from everyone.

Hello All

I might have the opportunity to retire from the Chicago Fire Department November 1, 2025. If I do, I will be relocating to my summer home just south of Kalamazoo. If anyone hears of any "Safety Guy" jobs please let me know. Thank You!

Average Life Expectancy of CDL Drivers is 61 Years

Did you know the average life expectancy of a CDL driver is 61 years old? Irregular schedules leading to poor sleep, poor nutrition and sedentary driving lifestyle has led to all this. When one thinks about it, this is a very serious safety issue that can lead to work injuries and deaths. When you consider drivers are operating in many cases an 80,000 lbs. tractor trailer down a highway, there is a high chance of injury to the drive and to others on the highway. Project 61 is a non-profit that is working towards changing the stats when it comes to driver health and life expectancy. They are coming out with a free app for drivers to help equip them with the tools make better health and nutritional choices. Currently, they are trying to get folks to sign a pledge to help support the cause of driver health. Their website is https://project-61.org/pledge. I recommend anyone who has drivers for employees to check them out.

Saturday safety at home

I’m always looking for ways to upgrade my at-home safety game, especially when it comes to tools that can take a finger (or worse) if you get careless. Here’s my current setup: a miter saw on a work table. • What PPE are you throwing on in this situation? • Are there any specific PPE brands you personally like? • And before you hit that switch, what are the big things you’re checking for?

Bespoke PIT Proximity Sensor Functions

Hello Knights! In our warehouse, we use Orderpicker/Stockpicker trucks in our narrow aisles. Operations is requesting that we investigate technologies that can allow two pickers to be an an aisle at once time safely. Volumes are up (good problems!) and employees are spending a fair amount of time waiting for an aisle to clear. Or vehicles are mostly Crown, with some Yales. I am aware of the Crown Proximity Assist but it only detects motion in the chassy-first direction, whereas in the aisles we would need sensing in both directions. To that end, we are working with a 3rd party to develop an audio/visual alert system for each picker. Crown will not approve a 3rd party system that ties into the drive of the vehicle, so we are limited to A/V . This vendor regularly creates these types of safety sensors for PITs and otherwise. Some conditions to be aware of: - Vehicle speed is already reduced to 1mph when connected to wire guidance. - Most of the aisles are "dead ends" but some departments who perform inventory control activities could be at the far end of the aisle for a prolonged amount of time, so it wouldn't always be a trapping situation. My question to you all: what criteria would you want to see in a system that would alert the driver to take action? Conceptually, there would be a progressively more annoying alarm as two trucks approach each other, but we would need to provide some more specific criteria to the vendor and this is somewhat uncharted territory for me. 1910.178(n)(1) "3 truck lengths from the truck ahead" - I'm assuming this applies to in-aisle activities?