Do You Hear What I Hear? Hearing Loss Can be Prevented, but No One is Listening

Workplace safety isn't just about compliance; it's a reflection of leadership and a commitment to employee well-being. Leadership in the workplace plays a crucial role in fostering a culture of safety using leading indicators to identify problem areas as well as leadership strategies that support safety as the balancing point between productivity and quality.  Today on the MEMIC Safety Experts Podcast, Shawn Galloway, CEO of the global consultant agency, ProActSafety joins me to discuss his insights on how business leaders can create and nurture a safer workplace through targeted leadership and the strategic use of leading indicators. Links: Home - Shawn Galloway, Speaker, Author, Consultant ProAct Safety - Experts in Behavioral Safety Safety Culture Excellence® on Apple Music

In this episode, we explore the fascinating realm of AI (artificial intelligence) with Lillith Chute, senior software engineer here at MEMIC. We will go from its basic concepts to its potential for revolutionizing industries.  Join us as we navigate the exciting and complex world of AI, exploring its potential, its limitations, and its impact on our future.

Every summer, MEMIC interns from across all departments dip their toes into the world of safety culture and Workers' Compensation insurance by working alongside industry professionals, both in the field and around the office. Join me as I chat with Isaac, our Loss Control intern, and Caitlin, our Communications intern.

Having the right hiring practices is critical for building an effective, productive, and safe team that will attract other quality candidates. In this episode of the MEMIC Safety Experts Podcast, I speak with Mark Walker and Luck Slabaugh of Safer Hire about using pre-hire surveys to identify applicants who best fit your company's needs and culture.

Slip and fall exposures exist everywhere and can easily be overlooked in the workplace until someone is injured.  Today on the MEMIC Safety Experts Podcast, I have Tim McCarty, MSc, Senior Vice President – Safety & Risk Consulting for Clark Insurance, A Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC Company. Tim has expertise in many fields within the realm of safety, but one that he and I have collaborated on is slip and fall prevention and we are going to delve into the problem of slips and falls, why they happen, and talk about ways to prevent them. Episode Links: https://www.nsc.org/ https://nfsi.org/ https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/2018-12/fy07_sh-16625-07_slipstripsfalls.ppt https://www.osha.com/blog/slips-trips-falls-prevention https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2013-100/pdfs/2013-100.pdf https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2011-123/pdfs/2011-123.pdf https://memic.com/workplace-safety/resource-library/slip-trip-fall

Work, no matter what the work can be physically taxing.  That work can be at home in the yard or garden, working on the car or the place you live, or caring for kids and family.  Or it can be in the workplace – in the office, on the factory floor, on the construction site, in the lab, or on the manufacturing line.  No matter where it is, that work can be hard physically and mentally, the trades especially. On this episode of the MEMIC Safety Experts Podcast, I'm joined by Kelly Feldkamp of ProVention Plus, a woman-owned family business that is passionate about helping people move and feel better.

Many studies have been conducted to determine the efficacy of Virtual Reality (VR) as an educational tool. Results indicate that learning in a VR environment leads to higher rates of retention and recall when compared to computer-based learning. These engaging and controlled environments also allow tradespeople to gain experience in a safe, and cost-effective manner while simultaneously developing requisite skills and muscle memory. On this episode of the MEMIC Safety Experts Podcast, I sit down with Glen Hilt of Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine, as we discuss how they are training the next generation of shipbuilders using this new, cutting-edge technology.

Noise in the workplace can be dangerous.  A loud environment can cause problems ranging from difficulties concentrating and stress to hearing damage and poor decisions.  Controlling noise through engineering controls such as dampening, absorption, or isolation and help reduce injuries and increase productivity. Episode Resources: DDS Acoustical - https://ddsacoustical.com/

Maryann Hoff, MEMIC’s Vice President of Loss Control discusses how industry and safety professionals need to better understand the why behind a safe workplace and breaks it down into the Five Whys of Safety Commitment.

According to the CDC, 22 million American workers are exposed to noise levels above 85 decibels at work every year, and 30 million workers are exposed to chemicals that can be ototoxic. Add to that the 48 million Americans currently experiencing hearing loss to one degree or another, and the stats paint a grim picture. Noise Mapping, Sound Level Meters, audiometric testing, PPE, and hearing conservation programs are tools to help identify and control workplace noise exposure.