As a leading vegetation management and emergency restoration service, ABC Tree works in one of the most dangerous industries in the U.S. When a storm hits, for example, and a fallen tree disrupts electrical utility service, ABC Tree is on the job.

Since the work is so dangerous, accidents are an unfortunate yet sometimes inevitable reality of the job. But by implementing Intelex software, ABC Tree has shown steady decreases of the incidence of accidents and safety violations and is on their way to a safer—and eventually accident-free—future.

Head over to our press room to learn how ABC Tree has actually mitigated the impact of fines associated with OSHA penalties, and how the company is working to make penalties a thing of the past.

Mine safety legislation across the States is poised to get a new set of teeth.

Democrats are prepared to reveal the framework of a new bill to tighten mine safety and increase penalties for mines with a record of repeated safety violations after U.S. lawmakers reconvene on July 9. 

The bill follows the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster in April when 29 miners were killed after an explosion at the West Virginia coal mine. The accident was the worst mining tragedy in the U.S. in four decades. The exact cause of the disaster is unknown, but the mine had a poor safety record and was cited for a number of safety infractions in the previous month. Last year, the mine was fined nearly $400,000 for serious safety violations relating mainly to ventilation and equipment, as well as poor execution of its safety plan. 

The Upper Big Branch disaster is not the only recent coal mining catastrophe in West Virginia. Only four years ago, 13 miners were trapped underground for two days following an explosion at the Sago coal mine. Only one miner survived. Multiple state and federal investigations failed to reveal the exact cause of the explosion, but—as with Upper Big Branch—the mine had a poor safety record and was cited for 208 violations by the Mine Safety and Health Administration in the previous year. 

With any luck, the forthcoming legislation will make mining tragedies a thing of the past by shutting the doors of mines that show a poor track record of safety compliance. It is also expected the bill will boost protection for whistleblowers who identify serious safety risks.

Democrats hope to have the bill passed by the end of the year and, in light of April’s tragedy—and in spite of some early criticisms by Republicans—it is unlikely the bill will receive much opposition. As a result, now is the time for mining companies across the U.S. to implement comprehensive, safety management systems to ensure ongoing compliance with safety requirements, avoid costs associated with safety violations and—most importantly—save lives.

Here's an update from the ASSE Safety Conference...

Live from the ASSE Safety 2010 conference in Baltimore, MD!  Intelex has been having a great time at the show meeting many new people and connecting with the numerous Intelex clients who are attending. 

We had a fantastic time hosting a little after-show meet and greet on Monday night, attended by a number of potential and current clients.  We tried some local brews, chatted about the software and got to know each other a little better. 

The show continues through the end of June 15th, so feel free to swing by the Intelex booth and meet with Jason Fitzpatrick and Kyle Dodsworth.

To find out more about Intelex's solutions for Safety Management have a look through our products pages or give us a call at 1-877-932-3747.

Why buy safety management software? The answer is simple:You’ll ensure the safety of your human resources and maximize profit by generating a substantial ROI.

The trick is buying the right solution. Of course we here at Intelex are biased, since we offer the best solution. But we’ve recently released a White Paper geared towards helping your organization find thesoftware fit that is right for you.

“An Insider’s Guide to Buying Safety Management Software in the New Economy” is a great starting point for safety managers and any other safety personnel at any organization considering streamlining their safety management system.

The paper shows how the right software solution will result in fewer injuries and accidents, fewer resultant insurance claims, greater efficiency for safety personnel and, most importantly, more money in your company’s pockets.

For the first time since it was created more than four decades ago, the legislation protecting America' workers is about to get a new set of teeth.

The Protecting America's Workers Act (PAWA), currently before Congress' Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, represents the single biggest expansion of workers' rights since the 1970 establishment of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, which has only seen minor amendments in the intervening years. Dr. David Michaels, Assistant Secretary of Labor for the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), spoke before the subcommittee last month in strong support of the passing of the proposed bill, HR 2067.

"The workplaces of 2010 are not those of 1970," he said during his March 16 address, underscoring the urgency of updating the legislation. "The law must change as our workplaces have."

The proposed bill's many changes to the original act include significantly increased civil penalties and prison sentences for violators, more protection for whistleblowers and coverage for government employees currently without protection. The reforms proposed within PAWA would throw a lot of old conventions out the window and significantly transform the existing regulatory framework. And, as Michaels cautioned, employers will have to adapt.

"Because OSHA can visit only a limited number of workplaces each year we need a stronger OSH Act to leverage our resources to encourage compliance by employers," he said. "We need to make employers who ignore real hazards to their workers' safety and health think again."

PAWA's many changes to the Occupational Health and Safety Act include the following:

More protection for whistleblowers: If an employee has a reasonable apprehension that performing a duty may result in injury or a serious impairment of the health of an employee, PAWA will ensure they are not discriminated against and will face no consequences, if their concerns are deemed warranted.

Expanded coverage: If enacted, PAWA would extend coverage to more than 10 million local, state and federal government employees not currently covered by the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Criminal conduct: PAWA would make it easier for employers to be criminally charged in the event of a violation. Some of the provisions include the following:

• Whereas a misdemeanor represents the most severe criminal charge applicable to an employer, under PAWA, an employer could be charged with a felony offense.
• Employers who can be charged would include "any responsible corporate officer."
• Maximum prison sentences would expand from six months to 10 years for a first offense and from one year to 20 years for additional convictions.
• The threshold of conduct required to trigger criminal liability would be lowered.
• The burden of proof in a criminal case would be broadened from "willfully" to "knowingly", making it easier for employees to make a case.

Increased civil penalties: The current $70,000 maximum penalty for willful and repeated violations would nearly double to $120,000 under PAWA. Also, penalties for willful or repeated violations resulting in an employee's death would fall within a minimum of $50,000 and a maximum of $250,000.

All indications—including President Barack Obama's outspoken support for strengthened health and safety legislation—suggest the reforms proposed in PAWA will be implemented. It is incumbent on proactive employers to begin a review of how these changes will affect their current workplace safety and health management programs, a process rendered headache-free with Intelex's health and safety management software solutions.

For more information, find the act here or read Michaels' remarks to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections here.

Compliance is not a sporadic, ad hoc responsibility. Instead it should be thought of as a religious commitment or a way of life.

Forget that the inspector may arrive at any time; the lives of your most important asset—your human capital—are on the line whenever your facility is up and running. Oh, and if it’s money that’s on your mind, potential six-figure fines for non-compliance will provide additional incentive to ensure all your ducks are in a row.

As a recent issue of Industrial Safety and Hygiene news reiterates, continual compliance is the order of the day when it comes to dealing with workplace spill, splash and blow particulate incidents.

“Manufacturers have come a long way in designing better and better ways of minimizing the collateral damage associated with in-plant injuries,” Casey Hayes writes in the informative article entitled “A checklist for compliance: Are you ready for an inspection?”

Part of the safety infrastructure required to respond to spill, splash and blow particulate incidents are emergency showers and eyewashes.

The go-to document for minimal requirements pertaining to emergency showers and eyewashes is ANSI standard Z358.1. And while it is important all facility managers refer to this document, last updated in 2004, regularly, ISHN has made things easy for facility managers by culling a convenient checklist from the document. Here’s a rundown:

• The 10-second rule: can your emergency showers and eyewashes be reached within 10 seconds of the hazards in question?

• Visibility: Are your emergency wash stations identified by large, clearly visible signage?

• Valves: Can wash stations be activated easily and within one second or less? Remember, in the event of an emergency, the user could be temporarily blinded.

• Protection: Are the spray nozzles protected from exposure to any contaminants? Note that the protective mechanism should be removed automatically as the wash station is activated.

• Water: Eye wash stations must eject clean, plumbed and self-contained water

• Flow: Face and eye washers must feature controlled flow at a minimal rate of 1.5 litres per minute. Eye washers must be equipped to flush both eyes simultaneously.

• Nozzles: Eyewash outlet nozzles must be at least six inches from walls or any other obstructions.

• Shower heads: Emergency shower wash heads must stand between 33” and 45” above the floor. Drench showers must eject water at 20 gpm, stand between 82” and 96” high, and feature flow patterns 20” wide at 60” above the floor.

• Obstructions: No barriers should exist within 16” of the centre of a drench shower or shower/eyewash combination.

Additionally, remember that combination shower/eyewash equipment is subject to the individual standards that apply to each component individually. Also, this equipment must be capable of performing both essential tasks simultaneously.

While manual monitoring of safety compliance is possible, large companies stand to benefit from Intelex Technologies Inc.’s innovative Safety Management System. The system features modules that save time and lives by ensuring sustained compliance with ANSI standards (and the similar OSHA standards many companies follow) through automated checklists and reminders.

For examples of how Intelex has helped clients implement standardized health and safety practices company-wide, review our client success stories at www.intelex.com/clients. For a complete list of minimal requirements, refer to ANSI Z358.1, an overview of which can be found here.

Along with our Middle Eastern partner Barik IT Solutions, Intelex is pleased to announce two new additions to our client roster, Majan Electricity Company and Daleel Petroleum both located in Oman, have selected Intelex Technologies to provide them with an EHS Management System.

Both companies are key players in Oman’s energy industry with Majan Electricity being a leader in electricity distribution and supply and Daleel Petroleum a top oil and gas operator. Majan Electricity selected the Intelex EHS Management System as a means of automating all of their Environmental, Health & Safety processes into one unified system, working to effectively manage and track such core business components as Audits Management, EHS Training, Incident Reporting, Permit Management, Document Control, Environmental Management and Risk Assessments. Daleel Petroleum selected Intelex’s Safety Management System as a means of automating and tracking their EHS activities across all of their operating sites. Both companies will be leveraging the web-based Intelex platform to foster real-time reporting and generating a complete 360-degree view into their EHS business processes and performances.

To learn more about how an Intelex solution can help you improve your organization's EHS performance, request a free demo here.

Intelex is pleased to announce that Virgin Atlantic Airways (VAA) has gone live with their Intelex Safety Management System organization-wide. VAA, one of the world's leading long haul airlines, employs over 9,000 people and has flown over 65 million passengers in its recently celebrated 25 years of existence. VAA first approached Intelex in search of a solution to unify their multiple incident reporting processes into a single streamlined application that could be accessible to all staff across the entire company. After an analysis of the functionality of the Intelex system to meet their requirements, the Intelex platform was selected as it allowed VAA to utilize proven Intelex modules as well as the versatile Intelex iForm® tool to create their own customized Incident Reporting Management and Analysis System (IRMA).

With the new 100% web-based system launched, all VAA employees can now access Intelex's system from any location. VAA is now actively monitoring and tracking all non conformances, maintaining auditor's checklists, proactively assessing risks, analyzing incidents and tracking, managing and reporting on safety meetings and employee training. By implementing an integrated Intelex solution, VAA was able to significantly increase the integrity and usability of the data they were capturing, all through a very simple and user-friendly interface. Congrats to everyone on both the VAA and Intelex teams who worked on this project to make it such a success!

Intelex Technologies is pleased to announce the FBI’s Aviation Section as one of our newest clients. The Aviation Section will be implementing both the Intelex Safety and Quality Management Systems which were selected for their high level of configurability, range of functionality, ease of use and implementation, as well as their capability to securely track and report confidential and sensitive data.  The Intelex systems will be implemented across all locations and will be accessible to employees bureau-wide.

In search of a solution that would foster the collection of all safety metrics from multiple locations into one central and easy-to-access platform, the FBI’s Aviation Section also required the capability to generate a 360-degree view of all safety-related incidents across the entire organization, permitting internal audits, increasing transparency into processes, and identifying problematic areas. Intelex’s web-based Safety Management System allowed for this functionality, giving each location the ability to independently log incidents which can then be tracked and reported on organization-wide. A flexible system with the ability to customize components (configurability) was another essential priority which Intelex’s custom iForm® application was able to address. Using the iForm® application the section was able to create an FBI specific hazard reporting iForm® to track all non-conformances related to flight operations, and from which problem reports can be generated from.

Intelex Executive Account Manager Bryden Waggott worked with the FBI - Aviation Section to identify the key requirements needed in their management systems and create an implementation plan that focused on safety in the first phase and quality in the second. “The main goal of the FBI – Aviation Section is to consolidate all aspects of safety, including incident reports, hazards reports, and training management into one central place,” said Waggott, “By implementing the Intelex system, the section will be able to significantly reduce the amount of time, effort, and resources that was previously required to produce safety-related reports and metrics. These are elements that will be critical to internal and external audit preparedness as well as gaining an overall visibility into areas for improvement. In Phase I, the primary focus will be on implementing Intelex’s safety management system while Phase II will address the capture and management of the metrics associated with the division’s quality management system.”

EHS Today Magazine’s 2009 National Safety Survey was recently conducted with nearly 1000 industry professionals taking part and providing some qualified insight on the topics of EHS programs, work environments, targeted injuries/illnesses, management support, job duties, OSHA performance and more. The results of the survey are discussed in a recent article entitled “National Safety Survey: Can We Still Afford To Be Safe?” penned by Laura Walter which was featured on EHS Today’s website. Walter outlines some of the trends that surfaced from the respondent’s answers and provides us with a look at the various views that were expressed on some of today’s popular EHS industry topics.

It is no surprise that an area receiving a particular amount of focus was the current economy and how it has reflected upon EHS programs and budgets. When respondents were asked about this topic, as Walter writes, “EHS professionals reported lower morale among employees, reduced or eliminated incentive programs, reduced travel opportunities, reduced training, layoffs, facility closures and fewer new equipment purchases. One respondent even claimed he had just lost his job and was preparing to file for unemployment.” EHS budget fluctuations were also reported with 10 percent of respondents indicating their budget was decreased more than 10 percent in 2009, 13 percent indicated a decrease of 1 to 10 percent, 47 percent reported their budget had remained the same, 11 percent reported an increase of 1 to 10 percent and a happy 4 percent reported a budget increase of more that 10 percent in 2009. Although some felt cuts to budgets to be threatening to their safety, several respondents indicated that their organizations had utilized layoffs as a means of eliminating inexperienced employees who commonly took risks and shortcuts which as a result improved their safety performance.

In one area of the survey, respondents were asked to rate President Obama’s approach so far to occupational health and safety. The responses to this particular question yielded a variety of opinions on the subject. With 16 percent rating Obama’s performance as good, 26 percent felt it was average, 13 percent rated it as fair, 15 percent felt is performance was poor and 27 percent indicated it was just too soon to tell. Another question dealt with OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the main federal agency charged with the enforcement of safety and health legislation in the US), asking what occupational safety and health challenge would you most like to see OSHA address during the Obama administration? This question also yielded a mixed bag of opinions with respondents expressing that OSHA focus on a range of issues such as ergonomics, workplace aggression, updating antiquated standards, the nomination of an OSHA administrator and spending more energy investigating the circumstances of violations before issuing out fines. Overall the 2009 National Safety Survey is a valuable tool for gaining insight into the current EHS landscape from the perspective of those who work directly within it. Surveys such as this one are important as they help to further understand the current trends and help to project where the industry is headed.