Take Action: Managing Key Takeaways

While presenting at the Cal/OSHA Safety Summit this week, I challenged attendees to write down one key takeaway, priority or action step from the presentations they heard over the three days. This is my standard practice as one of my biggest challenges is actually putting into practice what I’ve learned. My second highest CliftonStrength is Learner and by default, I can simply absorb new information without actually putting the things I’ve learned into practice and this strategy helps me avoid that tendency. In addition to writing down my key takeaways, I thought it’d be beneficial (and up the stakes on personal accountability) to share them here:

Developing True Safety Performance Indicators by Barry Spurlock: Ensure key performance indicators (KPIs) are true indicators of performance by asking the question “How is performance impacted if this activity is stopped?” If the activity is not critical to the outcomes of the EHS management system then the metrics related to those activities will not be a true indication of system performance.

Effective Injury and Illness Prevention Plans (IIPP) by Lisa Prince: When developing inspection forms and inspection records ensure that each identified hazard also has an appropriate and detailed corrective action, date of closure and responsible party. This provides evidence that hazards are not simply recognized but also mitigated and/or controlled. This takeaway applies to more than just IIPP inspections, it is a valuable approach for all records where noncompliances are noted because it closes the loop and documents effective management of EHS issues.

The Latest Top Cal/OSHA Violations by Jennifer Kienle: Keep abreast of regulatory changes and their applicability for your facilities through the Cal/OSHA Advisory Committee updates. The following Cal/OSHA regulations are on the horizon:

• Indoor Heat: the proposed regulations expand will the current outdoor heat illness protection and will apply to covered indoor places of employment where temperatures are equal to or greater than 82 °F.
• Workplace Violence: current regulations apply only to healthcare facilities, the new regulations will apply to every employer and require each to create a Workplace Violence Prevention Plan including procedures to identify and evaluate workplace violence hazards and training, among other things.
• Cannabis: Cal/OSHA has stated that “all employers in the cannabis industry, including those who cultivate, manufacture, distribute, sell, and test marijuana products, must take steps to protect their employees from all health and safety hazards associated with their work.” While specific regulations are not yet effective following a few key regulations the certainly are applicable: Injury & Illness Prevention Program; Hazard Communications, Exposure Airborne Contaminants; Flammable Liquids and Gases; among others.

There was much more shared at the Cal/OSHA Summit but the abovementioned are those that are most applicable to the industries I serve. Over the next week, I’ll review the Key Performance Indicators and Injury and Illness Prevention Plans of my clients to ensure the inclusion of these elements and where they’re absent, create an action plan for implementation.

What’s your system to keeping key takeaways from conferences and other learning opportunities organized so that you can take action?

Written by Kahlilah Guyah, CHMM, CSP, a Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM), Associate Safety Professional (ASP), and Certified Safety Professional (CSP) with nearly 20 years of comprehensive experience in delivering compliance solutions and implementing management systems. She is the Founder and CEO of EHS Compliance Services Inc, a consulting firm dedicated to helping manufacturers and small businesses manage compliance and mitigate risk.