Author Archives: Lori Dyne

Intelex pulled together to donate over $2,600.00 for Toronto’s Daily Bread Food Bank Fall Challenge!

Posted on by
Reply

Intelexians were asked to reach deep into their pockets this fall and meet our company goal of $1,000.00, along with any non-perishable food items they could bring into the office. President and CEO Mark Jaine pledged that the company would match any food or monetary donations made during the drive which ran at our headquarters from September 22nd, to October 9th, 2009.

Daily Bread Food Bank is a non-profit, charitable organization that is fighting to end hunger in communities across the Greater Toronto Area. Every year thousands of people across the GTA rely on food banks and Daily Bread serves the majority of these people through neighbourhood food banks and meal programs in its member agencies.

The Intelex staff donated a total of $1,320.00, exceeding our goal by the end of the day on the 9th. With the company matching that amount we rang … Read more...

Becoming Sustainable

Posted on by
Reply

With increasing concerns throughout the world regarding pollution, and the consumption of non-renewable resources, reducing the amount of paper usage is at the forefront of many activist campaigns and multi-national corporations’ agendas.

One tree is able to produce 80,500 sheets of paper. That much paper, although huge to the average person, is dwarfed in comparison to what the world requires. An astonishing 786 million trees are needed to meet the world’s paper demand for one year.  Of that, 1/3  is consumed in North America, resulting in 5 million tons of paper waste ending up in landfills every year. The harm in massive dumping of paper and paper products is that they emit methane gas while decomposing, a very potent greenhouse gas. With such drastic numbers, more companies are regarding recycling as an attractive option.

The reality is that corporations use massive amounts of paper in order to track policies, work … Read more...

High ROI Reported for Performance Management Systems

Posted on by
Reply

Bersin and Associates, an Oakland, California based research and advisory firm, recently released the results of a comprehensive survey on employee performance management. The survey revealed several nuggets of wisdom, but the finding that jumped out the most for me was the fact that more than 85% of organizations reported seeing demonstrable positive impact after implementation of a performance management system. That's a pretty impressive satisfaction rate. The survey involved more than 700 respondents, thirty percent of whom were employees of companies in the top 100 of the Fortune 500.

Business Performance Mangement … Read more...

OSHA Offers Resource Geared Toward Forklift Operators

Posted on by
Reply

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has recently made a four-part training manual available to use for free on its website. The Powered Industrial Trucks (Forklift) eTool is a resource designed to enhance the safety of employees who operate forklifts. It is not meant to be a replacement for OSHA mandated training. Employers are encouraged to use it as a supplement for any existing truck operator training programs.… Read more...

Avoiding Dashboard Pitfalls

Posted on by
Reply

DashboardDashboards have become virtually indispensible to workers and managers. They provide graphical information in the form of charts and graphs as opposed to spreadsheets and reports, thereby enabling a big-picture view of an enterprise.

Despite the obvious benefits, dashboards can tend to become counterproductive if not properly deployed. There is a risk of information overload if care is not taken to select only the necessary indicators.  Privacy concerns and employee morale issues can also arise if details of individual worker performance are widely accessible.

Here are a few suggestions for successful dashboard implementation:

  1. Keep it Simple. Avoid overloading your dashboards with every conceivable metric related to your business.  Information overload will lead to distractions and keep the focus away from your organization’s vital stats. 
  2. Participate in the Development. The design and implementation of dashboards is often left to consultants and IT personnel. It is important to include the
… Read more...

Award Recognizes How EHS Management Leads to Business Success

Posted on by
Reply

The National Safety Council presented its 2008 Robert W. Campbell Award to Fluor Hanford, a department of energy contractor, and Bahrain-based Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company (GPIC).  The Campbell Award honors organizations that have demonstrated how implementation of environmental, health and safety (EHS) management systems can positively impact business productivity and profitability.

Previous winners of the award include Johnson & Johnson and Montreal-based Alcan Inc.

Several studies have shown that implementation of EQH&S Systems not only results in increased productivity, but they also lower costs associated with insurance, medical expenditures, fewer defective products, and workers' compensation insurance. For more information about how your business can benefit from Environmental, Quality, and Health Management systems, please contact an Intelex representative.… Read more...

Environmental Agency Uses Fines and Penalties to Enforce Compliance

Posted on by
Reply

This week, the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) levied a fine of $50,000 on a manufacturer of plastic lamination products for failing to close hazardous waste containers. Last week, an even larger fine of $157,500 was imposed on a residential developer for discharging polluted storm water from a construction site. The EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) describes itself as the “environmental cop” on the beat dedicated to improving the environment and protecting the public health. It is a 3,400 strong team of environmental professionals who monitor compliance, provide compliance information, and when necessary, initiate civil and criminal enforcement action. Last year, the EPA's enforcement program racked up a total of $63 million in fines and restitutions, along with 64 years of incarceration for cases that resulted in convictions. The EPA doesn't just hold corporations accountable for environmental violations – it can also come after individuals.

In order to … Read more...

ISO 14001 Certifications on the Rise

Posted on by
Reply

The number of organizations achieving ISO 14001 certifications around the world continues to grow at a quick pace. The ISO secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland conducts an annual survey of organizations that implement ISO standards. A report detailing the results of the survey is published annually. The most recent report shows a sixteen percent increase in ISO 14001 certifications from the year before. The countries with the most certificates are Japan, China, and Spain – with China showing the quickest growth in total certificates. ISO 14001 is the most widely used standard for implementing environmental sustainable practices around the world.… Read more...

Most Dangerous Jobs

Posted on by
Reply

Forbes.com has put together this list of the most dangerous jobs in America. The
data was drawn from a report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

1. Fishers and related workers (111.8 fatalities per 100,000)

2. Loggers (86.4 fatalities per 100,000)

3. Pilots and Flight Engineers (66.7 fatalities per 100,000)

4. Iron and Steel Workers (45.5 fatalities per 100,000)

5. Farmers and Ranchers (38.4 fatalities per 100,000)

6. Roofers (29.4 fatalities per 100,000)

7. Electrical Power Line Installers and Repairers (29.1 fatalities per 100,000)

8. Drivers (truckers and salespeople) (26.2 fatalities per 100,000)

9. Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors (22.8 fatalities per 100,000)

10. Police Sheriffs and Patrol Officers (21.4 fatalities per 100,000)… Read more...

Attention Grabbing Safety Training Videos

Posted on by
Reply

It is often a challenge to keep employees constantly aware and engaged when it comes to safety.  An occasional dose of shock can go a long way in reinforcing the message. This can come in the form of graphic or emotional videos such as the ones listed below.

WARNING: These clips have allegedly made otherwise "tough guys" break into sobbing fits at the prospect of a serious accident.

Off site accident (prevent-it.ca)

Ladder fall (prevent-it.ca)

Jackhammer accident (prevent-it.ca)

Kitchen fire (prevent-it.ca)… Read more...