So, you’re meeting the status quo and passing your safety inspections. That’s great, but it’s no reason to let your safety program stagnate. Why not aim a little higher?

While a no-accident policy is definitely a noble goal and achievable in some industries, it is important to set realistic yet demanding goals. OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) is a great way to start.

VPP essentially recognizes worksites that have gone above and beyond in their health and safety efforts by implementing top-of-the-line safety management systems. Sites awarded by the program are considered exemplary leaders in safety performance and are eligible to receive one of three rankings:

• Star: The highest level of recognition, the Star Program recognizes sites that have achieved injury and illness rates at or below their industry’s average, self-sufficiently control workplace hazards, and boast the most robust, comprehensive safety management programs.
• Merit: Merit sites are on the road to becoming Star-recognized, but need to boost health and safety performance to be considered excellent.
• Star Demonstration: This designation is reserved for worksites that address unique, often sector-specific health and safety concerns and issues.

Many employers might wonder why they ought to exceed basic health and safety requirements and seek recognition through the program. There are many reasons, all of which will contribute to any organization’s social and economic bottom lines:

• Fewer Accidents: On average VPP participants see at least 50 per cent fewer accidents on an annual basis and a Days Away Restricted or Transferred (DART) case rate of 52 per cent below the average for their industry.
• Increased Productivity and Efficiency: Fewer accidents mean less downtime and a more effective, efficient use of your human capital.
• Reduced Insurance Rates: As your company or worksite demonstrates superior safety performance and encounters fewer or no fatalities or accidents, annual insurance rates will plummet.
• Attract and Retain Talent: Not only will existing employee morale get a boost from your exemplary safety record, being VPP Star-recognized will help your company attract top industry talent who will be lured by your commitment to safety.
• Marketing and Brand Equity: With fewer or no accidents, injuries, fines and fatalities, VPP recognition can ultimately be leveraged with marketing campaigns to boost brand image and attract high-calibre customers.
  

Achieving VPP recognition is demanding, but completely realistic if a worksite has implemented a robust, streamlined software-based safety management system.

To learn more about VPP or join the program, contact OSHA’s Office of Partnerships and Recognition at (202) 693-2213 (or the VPP Manager at your OSHA Regional Office). Read all about VPP here.

Courtesy of the help of its Middle East partner, Barik IT Group, Intelex Technologies is cornering the market on providing comprehensive EHS management software solutions to utility companies across OMAN. 

Recently, Oman Electricity Transmission Company (OETC) joined Muscat Electricity Distribution Company, Al-Ghubrah Power and Desalination and Majan Electricity Company by turning to Intelex for its industry-leading EHS software solutions.

Check out our Press Room for more details on this exciting new relationship and Intelex's continuing growth across the Middle East.

The Smurfit Kappa Group is a world leader in the paper-based packaging industry, producing over 12 million tons of paper annually, employing over 40,000 individuals, and operating over 300 plants and mills worldwide. 4 Years ago, with dozens of manufacturing sites across the UK, each using their own variation of a paper-based safety incident tracking system, Smurfit Kappa Recycling wanted to remedy this disjointed approach and implement a system to standardize and streamline the recording, tracking and reporting of safety incidents across their UK sites.

Smurfit Kappa selected Intelex’s Safety Incidents Reporting application to meet their needs as it provided a centralized reporting system, accessible via the web by any employee at any location. Smurfit Kappa’s paper incident form was translated into an easy-to-complete digital version and a simple user interface was configured so that upon logging in, users were presented with the incident form, ready to be completed and submitted.

“Intelex’s Safety Incident Reporting Application provided such a high level of visibility into our safety performance that we were able to identify areas for improvement that would have never been uncovered otherwise. Detecting root causes and driving corrective and preventive actions, it has been a critical component to the success of our entire safety program and maintaining OHSAS 18001 conformance,” commented Mark Montgomery, Compliance Manger for Smurfit Kappa Recycling UK who spearheaded the project.

Since implementing Intelex’s Safety Incident Reporting application 4 years ago, Smurfit Kappa Recycling has experienced significant savings and has seen vast improvements in their safety performance. Quantifiable results include a 58% reduction in lost-time accidents and a 63% reduction in number of absent days through injury. Also, per annum their accident frequency rate reduced from 1.9 to 0.83 and accident severity rate reduced from 32.52 to 8.55. The elimination of paper forms streamlined the reporting process and centralized all of their safety incident data, making it instantly available for review and analysis through real-time reports and dashboards. The user-friendliness of the application resulted in the recording of virtually all occurrences of incidents, near-misses and hazards, improving the ability to trend and analyze data.

To learn more about Intelex’s Safety Incident Reporting application – click here.

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.

In yesterday's weekly update EHS Today announced their list of the 50 most influential leaders in EHS.

The list is an interesting cross section of executives from government leaders to researchers and academics with a mini-bio of each of the appointees. Do you think anyone is missing from list? There is definitely a contingent of senior people with a wide breadth of expertise.

I was particularly struck by the impact that several of these leaders have made to the field and the interesting projects they are currently part of.

For a detailed description of the products that Intelex offers in EHS be sure to visit our product pages for Environment or Health & Safety. Or call us at 1-877-932-3747 for more information.

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.