Articles

TASA ID: 9075

If you own or operate any kind of work vehicle fleet, whether a truck transport fleet or a non-transport service fleet, you should be aware that liability from rear-end road crashes is among the biggest threats you face.  Road crashes are a looming threat to truck transport companies, including delivery operations.  They also threaten the economic welfare of light vehicle service (e.g., taxi, repair, installation) fleets in metropolitan areas or other regions.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among U.S. workers (NIOSH, 2003, 2015) .  Our target in this discussion is rear-end (RE) crash impacts where the transport/work vehicle is the striking vehicle.  The U.S. DOT Large Truck Crash Causation Study (LTCCS) found that about 10% of all serious injury or fatal truck crash involvements were of the RE-striking type (Knipling, 2009).  These crashes may injure truck drivers but they cause much more damage to struck light vehicles and more human harm to their occupants.     

TASA ID: 4192

In Part One of “Keeping Clients Safe,” we discussed how to avoid injuring clients. In Part Two, we will look at another way we can protect clients by attending to their personal and emotional safety. A successful practice is one where all participants—clients and therapists—respect and value each other’s personal boundaries.

TASA ID: 1646

Three friends of mine, all working expert witnesses, called me to recount their experiences with private investigators who interviewed them for prospective cases. One complained that the private investigator “asked me if I could stand up to a Daubert Hearing,” another seemed insulted that she was asked what her answer would be if the prosecutor “questioned my high expert fees,” and the third groused about being asked by the interviewing P.I. “why I prostituted myself in ‘criminal defense alley’ ”— the throng of law offices that occupied a corridor in and around the county courthouse. They accounted for more than 50% of his revenues the preceding year. All of these colleagues demanded to know (from me) what was up! Why were they being grilled like this? Were they viewed as expert witnesses or as suspects? Could P.I.’s even ask such questions? They all claimed this was a “first,” but they suspected it wouldn’t be the last time they’d be so queried. I told them that they had the right to remain silent, if they chose, though by taking that tactic; their value in the P.I.’s eyes might cascade like Niagara Falls. What shocked them; however, was my telling them that P.I.’s could ask such questions—and that more P.I.’s should ask those kinds of questions and many more like them!

TASA ID: 20277

Abstract

The expected outcome of Process Safety Management (PSM) is to minimize the likelihood of a major accident occurring and to ensure that the necessary mitigation and emergency preparedness mechanisms are in place in the event that an accident does happen. PSM programs are designed to establish comprehensive, robust and sustainable systems, practices and competencies for managing process safety and to ensure that a focus on process safety (low frequency-high consequence) issues is maintained. This paper describes in detail how a Barrier/BowTie approach to PSM is established within the framework of an established PSM program and provides the missing link in assurance of process safety. The barrier approach not only enhances process safety but ensures that the processes in place are functioning as expected. A case study example is used to illustrate how continuous improvement is achieved and maintained.

TASA ID: 1648

After 50 years of work with more than 700 companies, I have amassed significant evidence that organizations exhibit the same traits as living organisms. Some are born healthy. Best case, the principals are innately focused on the health of their employees and the needs of their customers. If the win-win vision is inculcated in their culture they stay healthy through the life cycle of the business.

Others are born with latent diseases. The principals are focused on revenue and market share. Business processes evolve without a master wellness program. Sooner or later the hidden disease or a pathogen enters the organization and the health of the company wains. These are the companies that are devastated when they are served with a lawsuit. The principals and the organization wear the scars of the lawsuit forever.