Occupational safety and health have made great strides over the past five decades. Since the signing of the OSH Act in 1970, standards and regulations have been put in place to improve conditions for workers across all industries. However, there is always more work to do to ensure everyone goes home in the same condition as when they arrived.

In 2020, 4,764 fatal occupational injuries occurred in the U.S., according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Furthermore, OSHA’s top 10 most cited violations relate to many of the same standards year after year. With all of this in mind, what more can safety professionals do — and what can we as a Society do — to improve workplace conditions?
We recently spoke with President Christine Sullivan, President-Elect Jim Thornton and Senior Vice President Pam Walaski for their perspective on the current state of occupational safety and health, the challenges facing safety professionals, what they’d like to see from OSHA, and how we can continue working together for a safer, stronger future in the coming year.

The Current State of Occupational Safety and Health

ASSP: What are your thoughts on the current state of occupational safety and health?

Sullivan: Since March 2020, workplace safety and awareness of workplace safety has changed significantly. Although workers still need to be kept safe from traditional hazards, COVID-19 has introduced significant new exposures.
In the past, safety professionals were primarily asked to prevent injuries and illnesses in their organizations, but now responsibilities are expanding to nontraditional items like wellness, mental health, and environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG). Currently, safety is at the forefront for many company executives, but we need to continue to push to be in the C-suite.

Thornton: Safety professionals have helped to reduce workplace injuries, illnesses, and fatality rates over the years. However, despite their dedicated efforts, injury, illness, and fatality rates have recently held steady. The COVID-19 recovery has created even more challenges: the loss of experienced workers, hiring of new workers, transition to remote work, changing of work schedules, and more.

Novel approaches to OSH management are warranted to further reduce injuries and illnesses. We must emphasize and research the human side of safety, including mental health and workplace stress. In my view, this is the new frontier for OSH programs and represents a monumental opportunity to make a difference.

Walaski: Hardly anyone would disagree that the pandemic created significant changes in the way organizations operate. From telecommuting to worker shortages to supply chain disruptions, these changes required and continue to require organizations to pivot quickly. This is especially true regarding how OSH needs are addressed.

However, I believe that a significant evolution of OSH practices has been going on for much longer and has provided a foundation for managing current changes. In the past five to seven years, we have seen an increased awareness of emerging approaches that focus on the role of the organization’s systems to effect change. More people have begun to appreciate how those systems create capacity and resilience to operate effectively under varying conditions.

Approaches like human and organizational performance (HOP) and Safety Differently focus on understanding human behavior in the context of the system, rather than the other way around. Aligning with these systems-based approaches are those which focus on the role of the OSH leader to create an environment that fosters creative problem-solving and a willingness to speak up without fear of reprisal or shame. 

The Challenges Facing Safety Professionals

ASSP: What are the greatest challenges facing safety professionals today?

Sullivan: Many safety professionals lack business skills such as effective communication, calculating the return on investment of safety, and demonstrating the impact they have on their organizations. Wellness, mental health, and ESG are emerging issues where safety professionals can have an impact. 

Thornton: I have had conversations with safety professionals who say they are having challenges adapting their OSH programs to adjust to new employees entering the workforce as well as senior workers leaving.
But the primary challenge for OSH professionals is to find time for continuing education while keeping their workplaces safe. As we enter our new normal following COVID, OSH professionals will be met with increasing responsibilities and challenges. We must recognize these challenges and find ways to help our members.

Walaski: One is the need to recruit more people to enter the profession. We know that the number of OSH professionals nearing retirement age is high and the number of those entering the profession doesn’t match. Recruitment can take place at the high school level, but finding ways to attract people already in the workforce will be a big part of any targeted endeavor.  
We also know that evolving workplaces require new and different approaches to OSH. For example, “blame the worker” approaches are being replaced in organizations that recognize incidents are opportunities to learn. These organizations understand that workers are acting and reacting as part of a system that needs to be understood for real change and improvement to occur.

How Our Community Can Help

ASSP: How can our Society help safety professionals address these challenges?

Sullivan: We need to be quicker and more nimble. For example, Total Worker Health® has been a topic for many years, but we are not there yet. How do we do this faster so we are not overshadowed by other organizations? Many safety professionals don’t understand ESG and how it ties to human capital and the impact they can have in their role. Education is key, but again we need to be nimble.

Thornton: We must use our Advisory Group to identify emerging trends in the workplace so we can develop solid educational programs to help our members. We must deliver these programs in an efficient and effective manner.
We should also teach safety professionals how to implement specific training programs that are tailored to employee experience levels and cultural differences. Customized, targeted training could be a real gamechanger.

Walaski: OSH professionals join this profession by following a variety of paths. We know from our research than more than half of members enter our profession from other disciplines or with degrees other than those with occupational safety and health in their names.
The formation of the ASSP Foundation’s Educational Framework Task Force is a critical step in meeting professionals where they are, when they are ready.
 
Looking to the Future

ASSP: How do you see work changing, and how can safety professionals adapt to those changes? 

Sullivan: Artificial intelligence and data collection will play key roles. COVID pushed us into a remote work environment, and while currently this is focused on office workers, I see more robotics and AI allowing even those in manufacturing to work remotely.
Continuous learning and change will become important. I think you are going to see a need for people who are more like coaches and teachers as work changes, so those are skills safety professionals will need to learn.

Thornton: The workplace is constantly changing and always will. It is critical that OSH professionals stay ahead of trends in this dynamic environment and participate in networking and educational programs that help them effectively manage their programs and better protect workers.
With technological changes moving at the speed of light and the global economy in flux, the future of work is highly unpredictable. It is critical that the Society remain fully committed to monitoring the evolution of work and adapting our strategic plan.

Walaski: Professions and professionals are always evolving, changing, and adapting — and OSH is no different. I am confident that we will continue to learn and be open to new and different ways of leading our organizations. We have become so much more aware of our role as a partner and trusted advisor rather than a “doer.”
Our role as a safety cop or safety officer should be considered outdated, and our role as an engager who helps workers share their knowledge and expertise should be the norm. We should all acknowledge the dignity of work.
 
What OSHA Can Do

ASSP: What would you like to see from OSHA to help improve conditions for workers?

Sullivan: OSHA needs to reexamine the way it does standards. While standards are important for many organizations, the standards have no impact on where employee injuries are occurring. OSHA needs to use the data they are collecting from companies and do a better job using predictive analytics to focus their efforts on areas where they can make an impact.

Thornton: I think OSHA should require the recognition of qualified safety and health professionals for future regulations. Safety professionals will ensure requirements are properly followed and will be able to provide different control options for regulatory compliance. As a result, many more workers would have a safety professional looking out for their interests.
In addition, I think OSHA ought to consider more frequent use of the “negotiated rulemaking” method of developing OSH standards. Although the moniker carries a negative connotation, the concept is that the agency has the authority to bring affected stakeholders and technical experts together and develop “reasonable-yet-protective” OSH standards.

Walaski: Addressing emerging and changing hazards requires a process that is nimble, so relying on OSHA to promulgate regulations is unreasonable given that its process is part of the OSH Act and unlikely to be modified. However, the approaches and voluntary consensus standards that OSH professionals rely on are based on a model that includes all stakeholders and is revisited on a prescribed basis to be revised or reaffirmed.

I would like to see OSHA find a way to incorporate the required use of OSH professionals who use these standards into some of their activities. Perhaps local area directors who are negotiating with employers for the reduction of fines could require consultation as part of negotiations. In a way, this would expand the use of the consultation programs already in place.
 
 
 
 

Hi, Chris! We already know you are our chapter president, but can you please tell us a little about who you are?
 
Chris: I grew up in Oregon and graduated from Crater High School. I joined the Air Force after a short stint in logging. In 1982, I started my Air Force career in Security Forces protecting nuclear weapons and eventually took on a collateral duty roll in safety in 1993. I loved safety so much that I was able to formally cross train into the profession and graduated from safety school in 1996. 
 
I retired from the Air Force safety program in 2006 with my final assignment as the Occupational Safety Manager for Schriever AFB where we placed space payloads in orbit and operated space-based assets such as the GPS system, communications, reconnaissance, etc. After retiring, I was able to return to Southern Oregon as the regional safety manager for Knife River Corporation. I eventually moved to be the corporate safety manager for Swanson group and eventually landed where I am now as the regional safety manager for Boise Cascade Company.   
 
I enjoyed my Air Force safety career because of the variety of opportunities; I was able to be involved in occupational safety, weapons systems safety, flight safety, space operations safety, and systems safety. Nevertheless, I love being a safety manager here in Southern Oregon, and the safety community peers I get to associate with.
 
How long have you been a member of the ASSP?
 
I have participated in ASSP since 1996 in the Alaska Chapter, I but started my first membership in 2001 in what was then called the international chapter since I had moved overseas. 
 
What do you think is the biggest benefit to membership?
 
Being tied to a community of people in all levels of the safety profession. I firmly believe that my maturity in the safety career field is because of being a member and getting to associate with my peers. I have been mentored by them, and I have mentored some of them. They keep me going! 
 
Do you have any upcoming travel plans?
 
We will do our annual camping trip to Oregon’s Wallowa Lake in July, and then my youngest daughter’s graduation trip to Maui in September.
 
Can you share an item on your bucket list?
 
Since I have traveled to so many places around the world, I want to do something simple and quiet like build a cabin in Ketchikan, Alaska.
 
Is there anything you wish more people understood about your role in safety or safety in general?
 
I wish more people understood that safety is not something you buy in a program. It takes work & effort. A safety person needs to be well rounded. They have to learn laws to comply with, but then work to build a culture that is beyond compliance. It is an art and science to make safety happen. The effort includes being an advocate for the employee and the company at the same time; it requires sales capabilities to convinces ideas and programs; it takes planting seeds and allowing others to take credit for the growth in the safety effort.
 
This one is for fun J:
What would your personal warning label say?
 
Warning: This person loves his family and freedom and knows how to defend them both! Oh, and coffee builds relationships with this person.
 
Thank you, Chris!
 
Check back next month for our continued Member Spotlight series!
​

Help Share Awareness for Preventing Scald Injuries During National Burn Awareness Week
 
National Burn Awareness Week is February 5-11, 2023.
 
 
National Burn Awareness Week is a window of opportunity for organizations to mobilize burn, fire, and life safety educators to unite in sharing a common burn awareness and prevention message in our communities. (American Burn Association, 2023)
OSH Professionals can participate in this national awareness campaign in various ways:

• Review your fire prevention plan
• Evaluate burn hazards at your establishments
• Hold a safety toolbox talk regarding burn hazards in your workplace
• Have a first-aid refresher class for treating burns
• Invite an educator to your facility or host a class
• Share your participation on social media

 
Visit: https://ameriburn.org/advocacy-and-prevention/burn-awareness-week/ to find ways you can participate and share graphics on your social media.
Remember: “Hot Liquids Burn Like Fire!”
​

In January’s Southern Oregon Chapter of the ASSP monthly meeting at Black Bear Diner, we were blessed to hear a presentation from David Hanson, a Senior Safety Consultant with SAIF Corporation. He presented on how to retrain our brain to make conscious decisions that influence safety, time, money, and resources in our organizations. There was a crowd of local safety professionals on hand to participate in this great opportunity to learn and network.
  
Seeing the group made me reflect on past meetings. Prior to COVID-19, we were having excellent meetings routinely, and there were many long-time attendees whose presence assured valuable networking among the local safety community. It was that small town feel where everyone knew each other, and all were willing to ask questions and share ideas. In the meetings since returning from the pandemic, we are again having excellent learning opportunities and starting to see familiar faces. We are seeing relationships build again. This is so important for our safety community. Each person brings a perspective, brings a level of knowledge, and even brings a level of desired learning. We are a group of people who can share experiences and learn from each other. But, what’s more, we are able to continue to build professional relationships and long-term friendships.
 
As I have said before, if you are not regularly attending these monthly meetings at the Black Bear Diner on the first Tuesday of the month, you are really missing out on an opportunity to share what you bring to the table and to learn from what others bring. These meetings give us a chance to meet people who have different perspectives and a variety of experiences. You are missing an opportunity build friendships with outstanding members of our safety community.
 
In all my years of being in safety, becoming an active member of this group is one of the things I cherish most. When I retire down the road, these relationships will be what I will hold onto. I think all routine attendees will convey a similar perspective. We are a community. I hope to see you there in future meetings—I can’t wait to hear your perspective at improving and sustaining safety! It just feels like it’s a place where safety people belong.
 
Chris Lawrence

​ 
A new year is coming!  What will we make of it? I always like the new year feel because it’s a way to tell myself to start fresh with renewed enthusiasm for making operations safer. I feel like I can have a chance to make the new year better than the last!
 
One of the best ways to do this is to have a safety committee evaluate what was done to make the current year as safe as possible. From there, the committee can develop new plans for the new year to make it even more successful. 
 
A committee can look at actual events, review trends, and determine the success of goals and key performance indicators. By doing this, the committee can get a good feel for how things went and define with confidence what didn’t work so well, what did work well, and what adjustments might need to be made. Studying the year’s events for trends and situations that did not go according to plan are very telling for a committee.  As an example, a safety committee had a goal of increasing hazard reports and near miss reports by 15% by the end of 2022. However, after reviewing the data, they found that they were down 11%. Why? What went wrong? In their review they found that the day shift was not reporting as many items as they used to. They found that the shift was down a supervisor, and the supervisor they did have was new. The supervisor was not aware of the intent to increase reporting and did nothing to further the effort.
 
The committee had great intentions but found a “hiccup” in their plans. So, now the committee has to determine whether this situation had a negative impact on their overall goals. Considering the situation above, the safety committee can now see some of the challenges they did not count on. They can now add fixes to these challenges into their 2023 safety plan.  Safety plans are kind of like a play book. The committee sees how the previous year went and can clearly adapt adjustments to the new year plans. They will want to keep the plan manageable and effective but also not so rigid that they can’t make changes as they go throughout the new year. If the committee and leadership follow the plan, and evaluate their success along the way, they can make timely adjustments to ensure a more effective plan that realizes the intended outcomes.
Essentially, the plan becomes a baseline to operate by. When you have a known baseline, your starting and evaluation points are more refined. This truly does help with making minor adjustments and with resetting the plan each year. So, evaluate your year. Consider what worked and what didn’t work and then make a new plan for 2023. Doing this can help 2023 be the safest year on the books!
 
Happy Holidays! End the year safely and make the new year an awesomely safe year for your teams and keeping their families whole!
 
Chris Lawrence
Chapter President
 
 

 I first created this StayWell 18 years ago. It has been so requested that I have updated it over the years and continued it as an annual tradition. My wish is that there is an idea in this that is meaningful, or supportive, for you. I know I learn and benefit from it each year :).

 
Bringing Your Best to Holiday Gatherings
Thanksgiving and holiday gatherings can be full of wonderful moments spent with people we love. I hope your gatherings are full of this.

• Before you meet, think about what you want to bring to the table: your wit, a great story, patience with your 'gift' person, and what do you want to leave in others' hearts and memories about you and this gathering? 
• Attend to your greetings. You set the tone for the whole experience in the first ten seconds of greeting people. Set a kind, warm, or gracious tone.
• We have had much loss, and this gathering might be the first for someone who has recently lost a beloved or is making their way through grief and/or depression and is struggling with feeling thankful. Honor and support them.
• Remind yourself that people who may be challenging for you are important to the person you love. Honor your loved one by rising above pettiness. And have a sense of humor—we are all someone's challenging person!
• Remember your Q-TIP (Quit Taking It Personally). Let others be who they are. Their behavior is not about you. Let go of any urges you may feel to change, criticize, or fix others. 
• Focus on positive aspects of your lives, share funny stories, and remember special family moments. Intentionally bring delight and positive pieces to the conversation.
• If you have children, be aware that you are teaching them important lessons about being kind, polite, and respectful. Model handling holiday gatherings with grace.
• Every awkward or tough situation needs someone to “step-up.” Be that person. Appreciate yourself for taking the high road. Breathe... 
• Use gentle humor to lighten tense moments. Conflict requires two. Avoid it by not engaging in it. Maintain your perspective. It's just a party. You can do this.
• Have a long festivity? Add a walk or go outside and toss a ball with others. Some fresh air and activity are great additions.
• Quick reminder—you can stress, or you can digest, but you can't do both at once. If you are tense, nervous, or angry, those emotions will impair your digestive system. Focus on the positive... you'll be happier in the moment, and your body will be a lot happier in the long run.
• Hosting? Find a moment for yourself, some solitude, to rest, to reflect, to be with your thoughts and feelings. It's easy to lose ourselves in the midst of a busy day in the midst of a stressful year... Take care of yourself; you are important.

I am grateful for each of you and wish you, and those you love, gatherings that bring meaningful connection, a spirit of joy, and moments of pleasure.

Robin

 
Copyright © 2022 Robin Rose Training and Consulting, All rights reserved.
Robin Rose Consulting: https://www.robinrose.com/
Read Robin’s Latest StayWell: https://www.robinrose.com/staywell-newsletter
Sign up for Robin’s Newsletter: https://www.robinrose.com/subscribe-to-my-newsletter
 

​There’s good news and bad news; in the end, we can make it all good with the right outlook.  Think about it; we enjoyed a successful Southern Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Conference because of the hard work of the conference planning team. We are now headed for the holiday season. These are rays of shining light and hope in these trying times. Trying times? The end of the year is bearing down on us. The midterm elections are now unfolding. Decisions in our courts of law and opinion seem divided. The economy has turned some people’s lives upside down with high housing costs, fuel prices, inflation, interest rates, consumer prices, etc. All of these economic markers are hitting very high levels. So, how is it that we can have a successful conference among all this seemingly glooming commentary of the day? 
 
Let’s do a little analysis first. There is a popular saying that seems to remove responsibility by the mere utterance: “It is what it is.” In the normal context of use, it is off-putting and sometimes repugnant. But used in a different context, it may make sense. There is also a saying we use at work: “Manage and lead the things that you are able to control.” Considering these terms, I see these challenging times in the following way: Most of us can’t do individual things to change the economy—it is what it is. Sure, we can be heard as individuals by exercising our responsibility to vote, but our day-to-day individual actions do not have much impact on the nationwide challenges we are experiencing. Nevertheless, we can manage our individual day-to-day outlook and actions which will carry us through. Why is it important in safety to see things this way? It is my opinion that we can hold our heads up, press on, do what is right, and find the positive in our teammates and family. Doing so is an individual action that makes a difference to those around us. Otherwise, we can lose sight of safety because we’re focused on things we don’t have an effect on.
 
As an example, the conference planning committee continued to meet even though there were all kinds of challenges. Mike Hill, the Oregon OSHA conference team, and the local members of the team stayed the course, put on a smile, and controlled the things they could. Despite the challenges of our world, the conference was an overwhelming success—because we did not let the times get in the way.
 
Surely, there is uncertainty in a lot of our organizations, and if we dwell on the issues we can’t control, it can get in the way of success, including safe operations. A mind focused on looming issues that are out of our control is going to be distracted. So, I say, let’s find joy and happiness at work and with our families. By doing so, we can fix our thoughts on positive things we can engage individually. Talk to your teams to let them know that they matter and that people are counting on them. Find ways to engage them in things they can improve or manage directly. Focus on leading success in the work they do and their involvement with family and friends. 
 
If we can get our minds and thoughts to focus on what is in our control—no matter what is going on in this season—we can rise above the bad times. The bad times will have very little effect on our efforts. We can promote a good outlook in ourselves and those around us. This will keep safety happening no matter what. It helped make the conference a success in our community!

​Chris Lawrence, Chapter President

​As the 2022 Conference came to a close on Thursday, October 20th, I had a mixture of emotions, but mostly I was proud! I was extremely proud that we had another conference in the books and that it came together without too many issues. I was proud of the many people who worked hard putting the conference together, starting in January and right up until the day of the event. I was grateful for 19 presenters who did a fantastic job sharing their expertise and knowledge with us. I was thankful for the many sponsors that help each and every year to make our conference happen and provide the high quality training for the 199 registered attendees this year.
 
I’m relieved that, hopefully, a difficult chapter in our conference history, one of pandemic, lockdowns, and outbreaks that shut down many conferences in Oregon for the second year in a row, is coming to a close.
 
I’m thrilled that we are planning on a 100% in-person conference next year, and I’m thrilled that I have the privilege to pass the reigns to the very capable David Hanson next year. Of course, I’ll still be on the team.
 
Thanks again to everyone who helped make this year’s event a success! We had some very interesting new content. We discovered a local leadership expert in Jeff Crapo, a local sleep scientist who would like to continue working with our committee, and even a couple other new planning committee members. If you’d like to join us, starting in January, to build our 33rd annual safety conference, please let David Hanson or me know. We’d be glad to have you join us. We meet for lunch once per month to put together all of the details, and we even have some fun along the way!
 
Lastly, for those of you who attended, please watch your email for a link to a page on our www.sosafety.org website. You will receive a login password to view all the sessions again or just the ones you missed. They should be available until the end of the year.
 
It was my pleasure to serve as the 2020, 2021 and 2022 conference planning chair!
 
Sincerely,
Michael Hill

1.       Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving
2.       Tips to Get Through the Holidays Safely
3.       Click It or Ticket
4.       Thanksgiving Memory
5.       2022 Thanksgiving Impaired Driving Prevention
6.       Rain, Rain, Here to Stay?
7.       Alternative Travel Options During Winter
 
1. You must choose your role before drinking begins:
 
Will you drink or will you drive?
 
Remember, even if you had just one drink and you think you are "okay to drive," you could still be driving impaired.
 
 
2. How to ensure you get to follow through with your holiday plans.
 
1. Don’t drink and drive.
If there will be drinking at your holiday get-together, choose a designated driver who will remain alcohol free.
 
2. Make sure the car is ready.
Be sure your vehicle is properly maintained, in good shape for travel, and ready for winter driving conditions.
 
3. Map your route out ahead of time when possible.
Have a plan and be aware of projected weather conditions.
 
4. Buckle up!
Ensure you and your passengers are properly restrained in seat belts and car safety seats.
 
6. Avoid fatigue.
Get a good night’s sleep the night before, take regular breaks, and share the driving if possible. If you are tired, pull off the road to a rest area.
 
7. Have an emergency plan.
Have a cell phone and charger with you so it can be used in case of an emergency. Keep the contact information for emergency roadside assistance handy.
           
8. Do not text while driving and minimize cell phone use in order to keep your full attention on the road.
 
Use a hands-free device if you need to use your cell phone. See our prior blog posts for details about cell phone and texting while driving laws in Washington State.
 
9. Keep a safe following distance, allowing for ample time to react to the traffic around you.
If someone is tailgating you, allow them to pass. Don’t try to compete with impatient and aggressive drivers.
 
10. Watch your speed.
Drive to the conditions and don’t drive over the speed limit. Give yourself plenty of time to get to where you are going so you are not in a rush.
 
11. Remain calm.
If you feel stressed or irritable, take some deep breaths and stay calm. Don’t drive with road rage – this compromises the safety of yourself and the people around you.
 
 
3. Click It or Ticket
 
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today announced the launch of the annual Click It or Ticket national seat belt enforcement mobilization with the goal of reminding drivers that seat belts save lives.
 
“As we continue to see an increase in traffic deaths across the country, risky driving behaviors, like failing to wear a seat belt, continue to be a contributing factor,” said Dr. Steven Cliff, NHTSA Deputy Administrator. “This campaign is designed to remind drivers that a seat belt is truly your best defense in a crash. Click It or Ticket isn’t about citations; it’s about saving lives.”
 
A $10 million paid media campaign will run May 16 through June 5, 2022, featuring radio, TV, and digital ads in both English and Spanish.
 
The public awareness campaign will coincide with special enforcement efforts May 23-June 5, during which state and local law enforcement agencies across the country will be issuing tickets to drivers who choose not to buckle up.
 
The work of our nation’s law enforcement officers plays an important role in preventing and reducing traffic-related fatalities.
 
NHTSA is committed to promoting equity in enforcement and impartial treatment of all people because the public must feel safe from harm on the road. Knowing that the law will treat them fairly is essential to this goal.
           
The paid media campaign will target drivers who, according to research data, are less likely to wear seat belts. In 2020, more than half of all young adults ages 18 to 34 killed in crashes were completely unrestrained.
 
Men make up the majority of those killed in crashes, representing 67% of all passenger vehicle occupant deaths in 2020.
 
Data show 55% of men killed in crashes were unrestrained, compared to 43% of women killed in crashes.
 
This year’s enforcement mobilization will once again be kicked off, on May 23rd, by the Border-to-Border initiative, a one-day national seat belt awareness event with states participating nationwide.
 
 
4. Don’t have this be your
Thanksgiving memory!
 
1. Plan Ahead
Before you start your trip, make sure your vehicle is in good shape for travel. This is especially important for winter driving conditions. Check the weather before heading out to ensure the roads are safe to drive on. And don’t forget a windshield scraper!
 
2. Stay Fresh And Alert
Make sure you’re well rested before a long drive. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports from 2017 show that 91,000 drowsy-driving-related crashes resulted in 50,000 injuries and 800 deaths. Get home safely this holiday season.
 
If possible, plan your trip with another person who can drive. This makes it possible to take regular breaks to avoid drowsy driving.
 
3. Mind Your Speed
Give yourself plenty of time and distance to react to the traffic around you. An Automotive Fleet Magazine article notes that for every one percent increase in speed, a driver’s chance of an accident increases by two percent, the chance of serious injury increases by three percent, and the chance of a fatality increases by about four percent.
 
4. Drive Defensively
Increased holiday traffic and winter road conditions can be frustrating. Put the safety of everyone in your car first by letting impatient and aggressive drivers pass you or go through the intersection ahead of you so that you control the situation.
 
5. Don’t Drive Impaired
If you plan to drink, don’t plan to drive. NHTSA’s “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign has set out to end drunk driving through cutting-edge technology. Using a designated driver when you have a couple of holiday refreshments is always the safest choice.
 
6. Avoid Distractions
According to Distraction.gov, sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for five seconds. At 55 mph, that’s enough time to travel the distance of an entire football field. Driving requires your full attention. When you’re able to do so safely, pull off to the side of the road or find the nearest rest stop when you must use your cell phone.
 

5. 2022 Thanksgiving
Impaired Driving Prevention
November 23 - 27
 
 Thanksgiving is just around the corner.
 
As we prepare for festivities with family and friends, we want to remind all drivers the dangers of impaired driving.
 
Consequences - 51% of Passenger Vehicle Occupants Who were Killed in 2020 Were Unrestrained
Of the 23,824 passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2020, 51% were not wearing seat Belts — a 4% increase from 2019.
 
Seat belts saved an estimated 14,955 lives and could have saved an additional 2,549 people if they had been wearing seat belts, in 2017 alone.
 
The consequences of not wearing, or improperly wearing, a seat belt are clear:
 
Traffic Safety Facts for Seat Belt Use
1. Buckling up helps keep you safe and secure inside your vehicle, whereas not buckling up can result in being totally ejected from the vehicle in a crash, which is almost always deadly.
 
2. Air bags are not enough to protect you; in fact, the force of an air bag can seriously injure or even kill you if you’re not buckled up.
 
3. Improperly wearing a seat belt, such as putting the strap below your arm, puts you and your children at risk in a crash.
 
 
The Benefits of Buckling Up are Equally Clear
● If you buckle up in the front seat of a passenger car, you can reduce your risk of:
1.       Fatal injury by 45% (kahane, 2015)
2.       Moderate to critical injury by 50%
 
● If you buckle up in a light truck, you can reduce your risk of:
1.       Fatal injury by 60% (kahane, 2015)
2.       Moderate to critical injury by 65% (NHTSA, 1984)
           
 
6. Rain, Rain, Here to Stay?
 
The holiday season brings a number challenges that make safe driving difficult.
 
During this time of year, there can be difficult weather conditions, limited daylight, and drivers in unfamiliar areas.
 
Here are six ways you can drive safely and smartly this holiday season.
 
Rain can create dangerous driving conditions including reduced visibility, reduced traction between tires and the road, and less predictable car handling. When it’s raining, be cautious and give yourself more time to get where you are going. Also remember to:
 
● Slow down, especially through high water. Driving through several inches of water at high speed can cause you to lose control of the car.
 
● Watch for hydroplaning conditions. If you hydroplane, ease off the gas, gently apply the brakes and steer straight ahead.
 
● Keep your distance. If it hasn’t rained in a while, road surfaces will be slick.
 
● Turn on your headlights to improve visibility.
 
● Disengage your cruise control.
 
Maintain your Vehicle
● Before heading out in wet weather, check your wipers for signs of damage. Replace wiper blades regularly.
 
● Make sure your defroster is functioning properly, especially if you haven’t used it in a while.
 
● Check your brakes. After driving through a puddle, check that brakes are working properly by tapping them gently a few times.
 
● Make sure tires are in good condition and are at the recommended inflation level. Tires should have a recommended 2/32 of an inch tread depth at any two adjacent grooves. Driving on over-inflated or under-inflated tires reduces traction and control on wet pavement.
 
 
 
7. Hesitant to Hit the Highway? Try Some Alternative Travel Options During Winter
 
Oregonians have options when it comes to travel. We have bus service in all the major metropolitan areas, and even in some of our smaller communities.
 
Throughout the state, regional bus services offer connections. Here are some options:
 
● Plan your trip using Get There Oregon. You can enter your starting and ending locations and select the transit option to find information on routes.
 
● On Get There Oregon, use the Ride Board feature to find a one-time shared ride.
Amtrak Cascades train and Cascades POINT bus offer service from Eugene to Portland to Seattle to Vancouver, B.C.
 
● POINT intercity bus service makes connections all over the state.
 
● To get the latest tips for safety, including COVID-19 efforts, visit our Public Transportation Division website.
 
 
 
 

Making safety happen is something I speak about with new supervisors all the time. All new supervisors I meet speak well of their knowledge and commitment to safety. Most are not speaking in the affirmative to just appease the conversation with me as a safety professional. Most really do believe in safety. Most really do want a safe operation. 
 
However, there are times when a supervisor will make a comment like, “Yes, I really do tell and expect my team to be safe!” I will often ask how they make that happen. They usually give feedback indicating the idea that communication is important and that one must talk with the team and tell them that they need to be safe and then observe their actions. Unfortunately, this falls short of what is really needed. I tell them this, “You need to be more descriptive because here’s a really uncomfortable fact: You can’t make people safe by telling them to be safe. Telling them to be safe and then becoming upset when they do something you deem unsafe is a losing proposition. Telling someone to be safe means absolutely nothing to the person doing the hard work.”
 
Personnel who work in a production setting are often found working hard, trying to do a great job, trying to be productive for the team, and trying to “own” what they do. Therefore, a supervisor owes it to them to be very clear on the supervisor’s expectation of what is meant by “be safe.”  Because the term “be safe” is a moving target, there is no chance to apply the term to all that is being done on the job. Being more descriptive is key!
 
It is work and harder to do than telling someone to be safe, but for the safety of the team, it changes everything. By doing hazard assessments, by understanding work performance and the safety issues that can arise with it, and by documenting results for continuity, supervisors can have a good foundation to start with. Writing standard operating procedures and completing job safety analyses are essential foundational safety documents. The team must understand all of these elements. Still, this is not enough. Communicating what being safe means rounds out the effort and is the most essential element.
 
I had a supervisor tell me that he brings his crew into the lunchroom before every shift. He tells them that he needs them to wear the gloves chosen for the work, that they need to wear their safety glasses, hearing protection, arm guards, safety-toed shoes, and the appropriate clothes. He tells them that when they have to use tools to overcome a machine system malfunction, he does not want them to use excessive force when pushing or pulling on items or tools. He tells them to “pre-task” the work to discuss hazards before they start and control hazards up front. He tells them to slow it down and not worry about production because the repairs need to be done safely. You see, this supervisor gets it. He understands that he has to be clear on what “be safe” means. His team knows how to be safe!
 
The takeaway is this, the words “be safe” mean very little where the rubber meets the road. Clear and specific communication that describe precisely what is meant goes so much further at building a team who truly does know what it means to be safe. Better stated: The team can apply specific and clear actions from clear and specific description of what safety is. If you have a desire for a strong safety culture, this level of communication is foundational!