It seems like there are people claiming to be "experts" everywhere- so how do you spot the true experts among all the noise?  This video helps you identify exactly that with some red flags and key questions to ask then next time you hire a third party for PSM or Safety audits or training.   
This video is intended for educational purposes.  Solutions offered are not designed to take the place of an attorney or medical professional, and should not be taken as legal advice.  It is recommended that viewers consult an occupational safety legal team as applicable to help navigate their specific circumstances.

Could something as simple as a microwave be driving up injuries at your manufacturing facility?  We think it very well could be, but it goes deeper than that.  It goes all the way to the culture and environment your employees are working in.  Does your facility have any of these top risks that can drive up stress, and in turn risk of injury? Join us with special guest George Mazzuca this week where we break it all down, and talk about our experiences working in the plants, along with what stressed us out!  Full episode summary below: 

Key Discussion Points:

1. Smoking Areas:

Smoking areas can inadvertently increase stress when they are too far from workstations or in poor weather conditions.

Solutions: Install additional smoking areas closer to key work areas or provide sheltered, weatherproof spaces to reduce break-time inconvenience.

2. Guard Shack Delays:

Long lines at guard shacks during shift changes create delays and anxiety about clocking in on time.

Solutions: Increase the number of lanes during peak times, streamline inspections with clear bag policies, and optimize staffing for guard duties.

3. Parking Lot Challenges:

Large parking lots often mean lengthy walks to entrances, exacerbated by weather conditions.

Solutions: Designate closer parking spots for different shifts or implement shuttle services to ensure timely access.

4. Cafeteria Microwave Shortages:

A lack of microwaves leads to long lines and rushed meals during short break periods.

Solutions: Invest in additional microwaves to accommodate all employees or stagger break times to minimize congestion.

5. Wet Floors:

Wet floors during pre-op and sanitation increase the risk of slips and add to morning stress.

Solutions: Use squeegee teams to quickly dry floors, lay down anti-slip mats, and clearly mark safe walkways.

6. Leaving Work on Time:

Employees often leave a few minutes early to avoid parking lot traffic, creating coverage gaps and added stress for remaining staff.

Solutions: Stagger end times to reduce bottlenecks and improve parking lot flow.

7. Pre-Op Stress:

Pre-op sanitation and equipment setup delays affect the entire production schedule, increasing stress levels for all involved.

Solutions: Build buffer times into the schedule, ensure communication between teams, and prioritize efficient setups.

8. Lockout Accessibility:

Hard-to-reach lockout points deter proper compliance and increase frustration.

Solutions: Relocate lockout points to more accessible locations and provide practical solutions for elevated equipment.

9. Holiday Season Stress:

The holidays bring additional pressures with altered schedules, family obligations, and increased travel.

Solutions: Encourage flexibility, stagger schedules, and prioritize employee well-being during this busy time.

SEO Keywords:

Workplace safety stress, employee morale, guard shack delays, wet floors safety, parking lot management, lockout safety tips, cafeteria solutions, pre-op sanitation stress, holiday workplace stress, Allen Safety podcast, safety protocols improvement.

This video is intended for educational purposes.  Solutions offered are not designed to take the place of an attorney or medical professional, and should not be taken as legal or medical advice.  It is recommended that viewers consult a safety consultant, medical provider or an occupational safety legal team as applicable to help navigate their specific circumstances.  

Its the holiday season, a dinner topic that may be brought up at a lot of tables centers around job and career changes.  For safety managers, a driving force for contemplating a job starts with if they feel the company they work for doesn't have safety values that align with their own.  Is it the company, or is it how the manager is presenting the concept of safety?  Listen to this episode to learn more!
This video is intended for educational purposes.  Solutions offered are not designed to take the place of an attorney, career coach, or medical professional, and should not be taken or acted upon as legal, career, or medical advice.  It is recommended that viewers consult a safety consultant, career advisor, medical provider, and/ or an occupational safety legal team as applicable to help navigate their specific circumstances.

In this episode, Joe and Jen dive deep into the world of training costs and provide practical insights on how to manage your facility’s training budget without sacrificing quality or compliance. From in-house vs. third-party training to hidden fees and travel expenses, they break down the key factors that can make or break your training program.

As a plant manager or safety leader, it's essential to ask the right questions when evaluating training vendors. The episode touches on everything from the true cost of training (including travel and overtime) to how to ensure your team receives effective, hands-on learning that directly applies to your operations. Jen shares real-world examples of the challenges that arise when hiring external trainers and the surprising additional costs, like billing for travel time or the risk of not getting full value from PowerPoint-heavy sessions.

They also discuss the importance of customizing training to your specific needs, whether it’s for confined space entry, lockout/tagout, or specialized equipment, and how to ensure your team is actually getting the skills they need—not just a certification. Joe emphasizes the importance of hands-on training and competency verification, while Jen explains how management can be more involved in the training process to ensure it delivers real value.

Ultimately, the episode gives a no-nonsense approach to managing training costs, understanding bids, and evaluating whether the training you're paying for meets your facility’s needs. With tips on how to get the most out of your training investment, this episode is a must-listen for anyone responsible for safety and compliance training at their facility.

The episode walks through key questions you should ask when selecting a training provider, including:

In-house vs. Third-Party Training: Should you keep it internal or bring in external experts? How do you evaluate the expertise of external trainers?

Customization of Training: Is the training tailored to your specific industry, plant, and job functions, or is it generic and broad?

Understanding the True Costs: Get clarity on whether you're paying for travel time, overtime for your employees, and potential hidden fees.

Hands-On vs. PowerPoint Training: Is the training interactive and relevant to your team's daily tasks, or are you getting a generic, one-size-fits-all presentation?

Managing Competency and Verification: What does competency verification look like, and how do you ensure your team actually learns and applies the training?


For more details, check out their website at Allen-Safety.com or connect with Joe and Jen on LinkedIn.

SEO Keywords: training costs, safety training, in-house vs external training, plant training budget, safety training budget, training vendors, hands-on training, competency verification, safety compliance, industrial training, industrial safety training, confined space training, lockout/tagout training, arc flash training, maintenance team training, training customization, hot work, welding, liability, risk mitigation, risk reduction, safety manager, safety budget

This podcast is intended for educational purposes.  Solutions offered are not designed to take the place of an attorney or medical professional, and should not be taken as legal or medical advice.  It is recommended that viewers consult a safety consultant, medical provider or an occupational safety legal team as applicable to help navigate their specific circumstances.  

In this episode, Joe and Jen cover all of the tangible costs of an injury, but dive deep into the intangible costs that injuries bring that are typically not calculated.  These underlying costs can cause the start of a cycle that can end up repeating for years to come.  Is your business in one of these cycles?  Episode summary below:

Cost of Workplace Injuries:

This episode focuses on the cost of workplace injuries, highlighting both tangible and intangible expenses such as medical bills, management time, lost productivity, and knowledge gaps.
Management Time:

Injuries lead to additional management responsibilities, including investigations, retraining, and compensating for absent employees, which disrupts regular workflows.
Loss of Productivity:

When injuries occur, productivity is impacted. Managers often spend 100% of their time running the business rather than improving it, and the absence of skilled workers further affects operations.
Employee Morale and Retention:

Extended work hours and the stress of compensating for injured colleagues cause employee fatigue, reducing morale, increasing turnover, and lowering engagement.
Knowledge Gaps:

Injured workers often possess critical skills that cannot be easily replaced. Their absence creates knowledge gaps, especially in specialized areas like maintenance, which can lead to further risks and inefficiencies.
Fatigue and Mental Health:

Fatigue due to extended work periods and increased workloads without recovery time heightens the risk of injuries and affects employees' mental health.
Customer and Public Relations:

Injuries can lead to bad PR and strain customer relations, adding pressure to the business to maintain productivity while addressing safety concerns.
Regulatory and Legal Costs:

Managing workers' compensation claims, regulatory compliance, and potential legal fees adds to the financial burden caused by injuries.
Proactive Prevention:

The podcast emphasizes the importance of preventing injuries by improving communication, addressing risks early, and ensuring employees feel heard to avoid burnout and maintain safety.
Closing Remarks:

Hosts Joe and Jen Allen remind listeners to assess all costs (tangible and intangible) associated with workplace injuries, encouraging businesses to prioritize safety not only for moral reasons but also to maintain control over their operations.

This video is intended for educational purposes.  Solutions offered are not designed to take the place of an attorney or medical professional, and should not be taken as legal or medical advice.  It is recommended that viewers consult a safety consultant, medical provider or an occupational safety legal team as applicable to help navigate their specific circumstances.  

In this episode, Joe and Jen debate if making changes based on ergonomic evaluations are worth the money, and how to get a return on any ergo projects.  If you're wondering if JHAs, JSAs, and Ergo assessments are worth the time and effort, this one is for you!

Key Takeaways:

Ergonomics Is Often Overlooked: When businesses are under pressure, ergonomic improvements are frequently postponed, yet neglecting them leads to higher injury rates and long-term costs.

New Hires at Risk: In physically demanding industries like poultry processing, new hires are particularly vulnerable to ergonomic injuries, especially if proper work hardening and ramp-up processes are not followed.

Broaden Ergonomic Understanding: Ergonomics isn't just about repetitive tasks; it involves the entire work environment, including awkward movements, environmental factors, and poorly designed equipment.

PPE and Ergonomics: Ill-fitting PPE can cause significant ergonomic problems, especially for women or other employees whose body types differ from the "standard" sizing used for most PPE.

ROI of Ergonomic Solutions: Investing in ergonomic solutions can deliver a solid ROI by reducing injuries, improving productivity, and even lowering turnover in high-risk roles.

Work Design Matters: Ergonomic assessments should include the broader context of the worker’s environment, not just isolated tasks.

Fatigue Increases Risks: Ergonomic risks increase toward the end of a shift when workers are fatigued, making tasks like lifting heavy hoses more dangerous.

In this episode, Joe and Jen try to give you a step by step guide on how to manage the chaos that can be left after regulators visit your facility.  What do you do next? Where do you start?  It can be so overwhelming, and this episode was designed to help you sort through it all.  

Initial Preparation and Documentation: Jen and Joe emphasize that businesses should have a pre-existing plan in place to handle regulatory inspections. A key point here is that the plan should clearly outline how to interact with regulatory bodies when they arrive on-site. This includes establishing protocols for security, communication, and credential verification when the agency shows up. The plan is typically a few pages long but should be detailed enough to provide clear guidance on procedures to follow.

The Importance of Rapid Action: Joe stresses the urgency of addressing the problem immediately, whether it’s a chemical leak or other significant issue. He explains that actions must be taken within minutes to mitigate risks, even if regulatory agencies take longer to conduct their investigations. The goal is to prevent further incidents by quickly implementing temporary solutions.

Evaluating Systems and Gaps: Joe points out that companies often face difficulties when an incident occurs because they may have been following the same systems for years without issue. When an event happens, it’s an indication that the system failed in some way, and now the company must figure out what went wrong and address the gaps. Jen adds that it's tough for people who have been working in the same environment for years to think creatively about how to solve these problems, which is why an external review is often necessary.

Long-term Solutions and Prioritization: The discussion moves toward implementing long-term solutions. Jen and Joe emphasize that the fixes need to be sustainable—not just temporary patches. Joe explains that companies should consider a timeline for implementing changes, from immediate actions to more permanent solutions that can last for months or years. They stress that companies should avoid trying to tackle everything at once, but instead prioritize issues based on risk and severity. Joe also advises companies to document their progress, showing regulatory agencies that they are making consistent efforts toward improvement.

Systematic Approach and Testing: The hosts advocate for regularly testing safety systems and processes, even when there hasn’t been an incident, to ensure they’re still effective. Joe explains that businesses should run their operations as if they expect failures to happen, and then prepare to address those failures. This approach helps uncover hidden gaps before they become serious issues.

Involving Contractors: Jen and Joe also discuss the importance of considering contractors in safety systems. If contractors are involved in high-risk activities like confined space work or hot work, companies need to have different safety protocols in place than for regular employees. These contractor-specific risks should also be addressed in post-incident evaluations and corrective actions.

Budgeting and Financial Considerations: Another major point is how to handle the financial side of implementing fixes. Joe notes that while fixing all issues may add up to a large sum, businesses need to prioritize spending based on risk and necessity. He spends a lot of time analyzing risk levels and timelines to figure out which part of the corrective actions should be tackled first.

Documentation and Follow-Up Visits: The episode closes with advice on documenting every step of the corrective action process. Jen stresses that companies should keep detailed records of what they’re doing to address issues, as regulatory agencies will often make follow-up visits to check on progress. Showing intent through documentation is key to demonstrating compliance and effort.

Esta semana tuvimos un episodio extra en español con nuestro consultor de seguridad George Mazzuca. Nos divertimos mucho haciendo esta breve capacitación sobre HAZCOM y Hojas de Datos de Seguridad (SDS). ¡Déjanos un comentario abajo y cuéntanos qué te pareció y si quieres más capacitaciones cortas de seguridad en español como esta!

In this episode we welcome our good friend and employee George Mazzuca to chat about a huge potential risk in safety: miscommunication and wrong translations.  George covers challenges he's personally come across in his career in the plants, along with solutions for translating safety training & documents for multiple languages.  Full episode summary below

Episode Summary: "Breaking Down Language Barriers in the Workplace"

In this episode, hosts Joe and George discuss the significant challenges that language barriers pose in the workplace, particularly in industries like food production. They explore common scenarios such as new employee orientations and safety training, emphasizing how language differences can complicate communication. George explains how companies use tools like language lines and certified translators to bridge these gaps but notes that misinterpretation still occurs, especially with technical jargon. The conversation highlights the importance of finding effective methods, like using visual aids, videos, and certified interpreters, to ensure safety and consistency in communication.

The episode also touches on how different dialects and terms can add layers of complexity to training and how video tutorials can standardize procedures to avoid variations in teaching methods. Joe emphasizes the importance of keeping training accessible, efficient, and clear to minimize turnover and ensure worker safety. The hosts wrap up by offering advice on maintaining a safe and productive work environment while navigating the complexities of language barriers.

Key Words: Language barriers, workplace safety, certified translators, language line, orientation, bilingual employees, technical jargon, video training, communication challenges, lockout/tagout, food industry, safety procedures, interpreter, visual aids, employee turnover.

Episode Summary: Contractor Liability and Job Site Safety

In this episode, Joe and Jen dive into the complexities of contractor liability and job site safety, focusing on the responsibilities and legal implications for both contractors and host employers. The discussion highlights the often misunderstood aspects of liability beyond just having insurance, emphasizing the importance of clear roles and responsibilities when things go wrong on a job site.

Key Points:

1. Understanding Contractor Liability Beyond Insurance:
   • The episode starts by clarifying that liability isn't just about having insurance but understanding who is responsible when things go wrong on the job site.
   • The importance of assigning liability for day-to-day operations is emphasized, particularly when using shared equipment or facilities.
2. Specific Examples of Liability Scenarios:
   • Equipment and Safety Gear: Joe and Jen discuss scenarios like using another contractor’s equipment or safety gear, stressing that liability often stays with the owner of the equipment.
   • Confined Spaces and Rescue Operations: They debate who should handle confined space permits and rescue operations, with considerations given to cost, competence, and legal implications.
3. Challenges with Contractor Management Programs:
   • Contractor management programs often rely on data entry rather than safety experts, leading to potential gaps in safety practices and increased liability for host employers.
   • These programs can give a false sense of security, as the actual safety measures may not align with what's documented.
4. Importance of Clear Communication and Planning:
   • The hosts stress the need for thorough planning before the project begins, including who provides what equipment, safety training, and permits.
   • They advocate for risk assessments and clear agreements to ensure everyone understands their responsibilities.
5. Practical Tips for Managing Liability:
   • Lockout/Tagout and Confined Space Procedures: They highlight the importance of having documented and validated procedures to minimize liability.
   • Project Phase Assessments: Breaking down projects into phases and conducting risk assessments for each phase can help manage and reduce liability.
6. Host Employer's Continuous Responsibility:
   • Even when a contractor is hired, the host employer cannot completely remove their liability. They must ensure the contractor is competent and that safety measures are followed.
7. Real-World Examples and Personal Experiences:
   • Joe and Jen share stories from their own experiences, illustrating how misunderstandings about liability have led to project delays and increased costs.

SEO Keywords:

• Contractor Liability
• Job Site Safety
• Confined Space Safety
• Equipment Liability
• Contractor Management Programs
• Risk Assessment
• Lockout/Tagout Procedures
• Host Employer Responsibilities
• Safety Training
• Project Safety Management

This episode offers a comprehensive look at contractor liability, providing listeners with practical advice on how to manage and reduce risks on job sites. Whether you're a contractor or a host employer, understanding these key points can help ensure that your projects run smoothly and safely