Top Safety Trends of 2018

For those of us in the utility emergency preparedness space, safety trends are important to monitor.  In fact, safety might just be the most important element of emergency preparedness.  The good news is that safety metrics in general are trending in the right direction for not only utility companies, but companies in many other industries as well.   

Top-10 Safety Trends from 2018

There are many online articles and blog posts that focus on safety trends, but my favorite is from EHS Today.  Not all of these trends directly apply to emergency preparedness, but they are good to be aware of nonetheless.  Here is an abbreviated summary of EHS Today’s top safety trends from last year:

1. The increasing use of safety analytics that feed devices and operations to provide enhanced safety information in real time.
2. The emergence of ISO 45001, which is a new international safety system standard across multiple industries and countries.
3. Increased workplace bullying / violence training and mitigation programs.
4. Increased drug use across the U.S. workforce.
5. A rise in the gamification of training, mainly to appeal to Millennials, which are predicted to encompass 75% of the workforce by 2025!
6. The issuance of a new OSHA rule limiting employee exposure to crystalline silica (commonly found in bricks, stone, sand, concrete, mortar, etc.).
7. The increasing importance of rock-solid cybersecurity.
8. The rise of connected vehicles that can communicate with cell phones and traffic lights.
9. Increasing use of exoskeleton suits to prevent injury.
10. Publication of rules by OSHA that deal with robotics and machinery safety.

And there you have it – the top safety trends for 2018.  Got any to add?  Please leave a comment below!