Key takeaways from the 2013 National Safety Congress & Expo

The National Safety Council's Congress and Expo, Leading Safety into the Future, took place last month. The Industrial and Hygiene News (ISHN) published an article, 20 takeaways from the 2013 National Safety Congress & Expo, and we have culled those that seem most relevant for Workers' Compensation:

• "It's 2013 and you'd best be using a smartphone. With at least one new safety app seemingly hatched every day, the smartphone is going to be an essential tool for pros."
• "Safety training for the ever-increasing ranks of temps and part-timers will be critical. Most companies are not hiring full-timers. More than half of the new hires in September that pushed down the national unemployment rate were part-timers."
• "Contractor safety, always a bedeviling issue for safety pros, will only become more of an issue as many companies source out work to contractors instead of adding to payroll."
• " 'Drop zone' has entered the safety lexicon. It's about preventing harm to employees from dropped tools by workers off the ground, or working on floors above vulnerable employees."
• " 'Work at height' is another term gaining popularity, substituting for fall protection. Work at height covers a variety of hazards and safety issues. Fall protection is usually associated with PPE."
• Green safety products are slowly making their way into the safety marketplace, however, they are priced 20-25% higher limiting demand.
• GHS will create a mountain of OSHA citations. One safety specialist said more than 50% of firms have not trained employees on GHS, and the OSHA deadline for completing training is December 1.
• "Two of the most common questions safety vendors hear from customers: "What am I missing?" And "What do I need to know?" Safety product sales reps increasingly act as semi-consultants, answering these questions.
• "Thought Leadership" is a buzz with both safety pros and vendors. Now vendors want to be known as thought leaders in safety, authorities with credible knowledge to share with customers. Safety pros want to position themselves as thought leaders in their company cultures.
• "Safety pros are spending more time watching the Weather Channel. Emergency preparedness for wicked weather - floods, earthquakes, blizzards, blistering temperatures, hurricanes, etc. is becoming more and more of a critical safety issue."
• "Has agility training caught on in your workplace? Some pros are using it with the aging workforce in mind. Stretching and flexibility are important, too."'
• " 'Risk' is being talked about more and more in safety circles. Not risk insurance. But risk in terms of hazards, potential for injury, and acceptable and unacceptable risk-taking by employees. Some safety pros believe "risk" resonates in the executive-sphere more than "safety." Execs have studied risk. They get the concept. Execs hardly ever study safety."
• "Learn more about emotional intelligence (EI) if you already haven't discovered Daniel Goleman's books. It easily translates to safety work. EI requires self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship management, and thanks to globalization, sensitivity to cultural differences.

- excerpted from article by Dave Johnson