If you’re willing to pay a high premium for shipping overnight, you can get just about anything you want, when you want it. Now is the time of year when “just ship it overnight” quickly becomes the most often heard statement I hear. Of course you can have ice cleats or traction aids shipped overnight, right? Well, the answer is both yes and no. In some cases, your order will be delivered on time and it won’t reflect any delayed decision-making. However, what happens to your employees and your safety record when after paying for shipping overnight, the delivery fails to be delivered the next da[…]

Let me share an interesting anecdote from one of my many, reluctant visits to Costco. It was my day off, and I found myself strolling through the colossal store with a concise shopping list in hand. As I loaded my cart with an astonishing 1,000 paper plates, something caught my eye and brought me to a halt. It was a captivating display of ice cleats.

From time to time, we like to revisit some of our most popular blog entries. If safety professionals are looking for specific information, we’re always happy to provide it. And one of our most popular topics focused on the lack of regulations when it comes to ice cleats. In my original article, “Why Are There No Regulations Around Ice Cleats?” I wrote that the main reason for a lack of industry standards or regulations around ice cleats is the number of variables in recreating an outdoor slippery surface. But I don’t think that my post was popular because people wanted to hear why these regula[…]

If you’re a safety professional, that word is OSHA. (Yes, technically, it’s an acronym, but stick with me here.) According to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), “Slips, trips, and falls constitute the majority of general industry accidents. They cause 15% of all accidental deaths, and are second only to motor vehicles as a cause of fatalities.” In fact, OSHA regulations state their point pretty clearly: “Employers have the responsibility to provide a safe workplace. Employers MUST provide their employees with a workplace that does not have serious hazards and follow al[…]

This time of year, winter weather really isn’t a surprise, is it? So, imagine after reading about a winter storm approaching, you decide to check your ice cleat inventory, only to realize you’re low on stock – or worse, completely out! Now, the panic starts to set in, “Oh man, I wish I had done something about this a few weeks ago.” If those ice cleats don’t arrive before the storm hits, it’s not good news for your employees’ health and safety, your safety record or the company’s bottom line.

Have you heard the term “Hobson’s Choice? I’ll give you an example: When I was a kid, my mother would often give me a choice regarding outerwear on very cold days, “Either wear your winter coat or don’t go outside,” she would say, effectively offering me a Hobson’s Choice - no choice at all. At the time, my mom wasn’t interested in empowering me or helping me to build my decision-making skills. She simply wanted me to be warm and not get sick. There are many companies that offer this same “no choice” when it comes to safety items – either comply with OSHA workplace safety or go home.