Author Archives: Adrienne M. Selko

What Jobs Will Artificial Intelligence Affect?

It’s impossible to ignore the fact that advances in artificial intelligence (AI) is changing how we do our current jobs. But what has captured even more interest is how the increasing capability of this technology will affect future jobs. In trying to determine the specific effects on which jobs and which sectors, many studies have been undertaking but it’s hard to capture this information. To add further research to this topic the Brookings Institution issued a report on Nov. 20, presenting a new method of analyzing this issue.  “By employing a novel technique developed by Stanford University Ph.D. candidate Michael Webb, the new report establishes job exposure levels by analyzing the overlap between AI-related patents and job descriptions,” the report said. “In this way, the research homes in on the impacts of AI specifically and does it by studying empirical statistical associations as opposed to expert forecasting.” The technique Webb used was able to quantify the overlap between the text of AI patents and the text of job descriptions that can identify the kinds of tasks and occupations likely to be affected by particular AI capabilities. “We find that Webb’s AI measures depict a very different range of impacts on the workforce than those from robotics and software. Where the robotics and software that dominate the automation field seem to mostly to involve “routine or rule-based, tasks and thus lower-or-middle pay roles, AI’s distinctive capabilities suggest that high-wage occupations will be some of the most exposed,” the report noted. Using patents are “useful here because they provide timely predictions of the commercial relevance of specific technological applications. Occupational descriptions are also useful because they provide detailed insight into economic activities at the scale of the whole economy." Findings AI could affect work in virtually every occupational group. Better-paid, white-collar occupations may be the most exposed to AI, as well as some manufacturing and agriculture positions. Business, finance and tech industries will be more exposed, as will natural resource and production industries. AI looks most destined to affect men, prime-age workers, and white and Asian-American workers. Bigger, higher-tech metro areas and communities heavily involved in manufacturing are likely to experience the most AI-related disruption Based on these conclusions the report says that “we have a lot to learn about AI, and that these are extremely early days in our inquiries. What’s coming may not resemble what we have experienced or expect to experience. “Society should get ready for a very different pattern of impact than those that accompanied the broad adoption of robotics and software. While the last waves of automation led to increases of inequity and wage polarization, it’s not clear that AI will have the same effects.” Let's block ads! (Why?)

SLC 2019: Apps Can Enhance Safety Culture

EHS management is changing its organization identity, according to SLC speaker, Steve Bolton, EHS Research Director at Verdantix “Technology in the EHS space is new and there are growing pains, both on the front line who are trying to use it as well on the front-office side,” explained Bolton, whose company is an independent research with a focus on innovative technologies. But it’s part of the solution to improving safety programs he points out. In fact, he goes a step further and says that technology can help ESH become a differentiator for a company. To explore the EHS industry’s view and status with regard to the adoption of technology his firm did a study.  Of the respondents, 38% reported that digital transformation was a part of their EHS strategy.  Asked which digital technologies they are using this year the breakdown is as follows: EHS software                                                            58% Digital sensors for environmental data                     44% Location tracking wearables                                     43% Vehicle telematics for safety                                     40% Predictive analysis                                                    35% Mobil apps                                                                34% Vital sign monitoring wearable                                  22% Drones                                                                      13% Given the results of the survey, Bolten sees an opportunity to increase the use of apps with regard to safety.  He sees an easy transition from the apps that people on their smartphones to the application at work.  An average person has 80 apps on their phone and 175 billion apps are downloaded yearly. And people spend over 3 hours a day getting media from mobile apps. “Mobile adoption is increasing, and we are finding that loyalty is much higher when an employer is adept at using technology and includes technology as part of a regular workflow,” says Bolten. The issue of loyalty and satisfaction with job is especially important during the current economic situation of very low employment and can be used to attract and retain talent. To help companies analyze and adapt apps as an integral part of their safety strategy he offers three stages of deployment Identify EHS program gaps that mobile apps can fill Re-evaluate infrastructure and collaboration for mobile app deployment Push EHS into the next generation through best practices of app deployment In the area of best practices, he advised companies to make sure that the technology is being implemented to improve safety, not as a way to monitor or audit employees. “Technology can both allow us to get to the root causes of some of the known safety issues and also identify problems that were not seen before,” said Bolton. Let's block ads! (Why?)

SLC: 2019 Toyota's Finding Success with Exoskeletons

As is the way of Toyota much study goes into anything new. And while that is usually applied to manufacturing production methods, it’s also applied to using technology as PPE. “After extensive testing, this year we are now requiring the use of an exoskeleton as PPR at one of our plants in Indiana,” explained Marisol Barrero, Project Manage at Toyota Motor North America, at the Safety Leadership Conference. Exoskeletons, which are body-worn devices for the purpose of reducing worker fatigue, have been used by Toyota team members at certain locations since 2015.   Barrero said the idea really took off at an industry meeting where automakers share best practices. “We are all very open about sharing ideas on safety and the use of technology to enhance safety.  Our motto is there are no secrets on safety.” By 2017 a few plants jumped on board with regard to testing on exoskeletons. In 2108 we started exoskeleton working groups from a few plants and then joined with educational institutions to formally study the impact.   In Nov. 2018, Kentucky was the first plant to require exoskeletons as PPE. The Indiana plant followed suit and by the end of 2019 across all plants. In performing overhead work, company surveys showed that those who wore the exoskeletons reported lower Rating of Perceived Discomfort ( RPE). An electromyography (EMG) study noted a statistically significant reduction of shoulder and back muscle maximum voluntary contraction (MVC), which translates to less muscle fatigue. Based on these EMG studies s simple too was developed to systemically identify the processes that would benefit from upper body exoskeleton implementation. So in November of 2018,  a plant in Ontario, Canada became the first plant that required the use of exoskeletons for certain jobs. By the end of this year, it will be rolled out across all plants. This deliberate process is why the program has been successful says, Barrero. “We  didn’t just roll it out but instead involved our team members and studies the impact on workers.” Why did the company choose to categorize its use as PPE? “We feel this best fits the paradigm and was an easy alignment with PPE already in place.” The benefits of this technology for specific jobs at the company have been fewer injuries and lower costs. While the cost of the equipment can range from $3,000 to $70,000 it is much less compared to the toll of a shoulder injury on a team member. Toyota is currently evaluating other technologies and their safety applications through its smart technology roadmap. “Our success is due to a number of factors including a strong safety culture, and our enthusiastic safety leads at each plant that help spread these technologies through the plant.” Toyota is currently evaluating other technologies and their safety applications through their smart technology roadmap. Let's block ads! (Why?)

SLC 2019: Taking the Risk Out of Your Security Management

As companies are digitally transforming their operations and increasing connectivity, they are also increasing their risks, explained Steve Ludwig, Safety Program Manager for Rockwell Automation at  EHS Today’s Safety Leadership Conference. “Does your company view security risks as safety risks?” Ludwig asked the audience during this session. “When you talk about cybersecurity there is a belief that you are talking about information, but we are also talking about risk to workers, assets, the environment and a company’s reputation.” To make his point Ludwig gave a few examples. A German steel mill whose system was manipulated and resulted in massage damage when it was unable to shut down. And at a water treatment plant in Australia, radio commands were sent to sewage equipment causing 800,000 liters of raw sewage to spill into local parks and rivers which killed marine life. How does this happen?  IT and OT are now connected. While being able to access information from operations is essential to secure the data needed to perform the higher analytic function that provides the benefit of Iot and IIot, there is also a higher risk. Often hackers are now getting into the safety systems in order to get into the process systems.  Who are the people behind these cyberattacks? At the top of the list are insiders. Sometimes it’s disgruntled workers and sometimes it’s just worker errors. Then there are cybercriminals, hacktivists, terrorists and even nation-states. No matter who is trying to enter a company's network, there are ways that company's can protect themselves. Ludwig offered some fundamentals of cybersecurity that companies should follow. Asset Management: know your assets and their potential risks Authentication Authorization Accounting: know your users Implement patch management policies and procedures Computer and mobile endpoint protection Disaster recovery (Backup and restore) Raising awareness to personnel Basic network security tasks “Companies must understand that safety and security are no longer separate issues,” says Ludwig. “ The solution is to have a risk management approach and collaborate across all functions of the company.” Let's block ads! (Why?)

SLC 2019: PepsiCo on How to Create a Culture of Caring

It took 26 years for Jana Gessner, vice president of EHS for PepsiCo, to truly understand the connection between the work she did on a daily basis and what impact it had on employees and their families. In a keynote presentation at EHS Today's  Safety Leadership Conference 2019, being held Nov. 5-7 in Dallas, Gessner told the audience the very personal story of her mother and how a slip and fall impacted her and her family as her Mom suffered a traumatic brain injury that led to her death 86 days after the accident. So every time she is “rolling the ball up the hill” as she described the work of many EHS professionals, she knows why she is doing it. “Every time I go to plant and I’m able to get dollars to put towards risk control, that’s what keeps me going,” said Gessner. “I know that I’m impacting lives.” Impacting the lives of her employees at PepsiCo was why she was brought into the company seven years ago. The company knew it needed to improve its safety practices, and Gessner has the ability to create a system that is easily understood, executed and measured. “Are EHS professionals we need to simplify the case we make to senior leaders for programs,” explained Gessner. “While EH&S is a moral compass it must also have a cost association. You need to be able to show the link between what we are doing and how it impacts the cost of a company.” She warned EHS professionals to “not fool themselves that we don’t have an impact on the business, we do.” One way to provide this evidence is to create a structured program such as the one she created at PepsiCo called the Zero Zone. “At a company like ours which is very strong in marketing, creating a brand around our safety programs, was an easy way to talk about, what we were doing,” said Gessner. The goal of the program is to have zero injuries and collisions. It’s based on five zones, functional areas, and has specific elements in each. “It’s easy to keep everyone on the same page and we refer to zone 3, element 4, for example when we talking about safety projects. Everyone knows exactly what we are talking about,” says Gessner. But what Gessner is really doing is creating a safety culture. At the heart of the Zero Zone is that safety is a value proposition. "Safety’s not a priority it’s the culture," Gessner states. The cultural shift that Gessner has implemented is captured in the company’s Courage to Care Program, which was launched in 2019.  “This program is, in fact, a mindset,” says Gessner. “It’s a shift in how we are doing things. It’s designed to stand the test of time.” One of its key elements is right out of the company’s overall guiding principles which is to “voice your opinion.” And this core value is taken to the level where employees are empowered to speak up for safety. “We have the courage to care and put protection of our people over the needs of production,” Gessner says.      And with empowerment comes responsibility. “We have the responsibility to teach and lead,” says Gessner. “It’s the only way to change our culture, and to get executives, supervisors, and front-line employees to have the courage to care about people.” While not always an easy task, from any angle, Gessner reminded the audience that this was well within the scope of possibility. “Don’t ever forget the calling that you have as an EHS professional. “ Let's block ads! (Why?)

Using Technology to Improve Safety

Improving worker safety is an area where technology can have a great impact. By using workforce-first safety software, Anvl, based in Indianapolis, is helping companies predict and prevent injuries and death. “Safety isn’t a competitive advantage but a right that companies owe their workers,” said Robin Fleming, CEO of Anvl. And one way to deliver on this promise of ensuring worker safety is to utilize technology to provide information, in real-time, that helps workers make better decisions.  For example, Cummins, the engine manufacturer uses Anvl’s technology to better understand the working conditions of its employees in order to provide the tools necessary for employees to be safe while performing their jobs. “Having technology at the location of the job is essential,” says Fleming. “A majority of workers, 80%, make up the ‘deskless’ workforce, who don’t have access to traditional desktop dashboards.” And this deskless workforce is still relying, to a large extent, upon to paper-based analytics. Moving to digital opens up a new view into data, as more functionality can be included. " Now incoming data can be shared, in real-time, with manager and leaders,” explains Fleming. “ And lineworkers can now be connected with each other.” This communication is especially important in high-risk situations where conditions are changing such as emergency maintenance, or where work is being done on heavy equipment such as construction. In situations where workers might be alone at a job site, the software is able to assess the job safety for the worker by asking a series of questions. For example, a worker may be asked if they are trained for this situation. They might be asked to take a photo of the situation and asses their ability to manage the risk. Depending on the answer to that question they might be prompted to contact their supervisor before moving forward. One of the most important aspects of the implementation of this technology at the job site is that it now offers line workers a voice. Workers can use this technology to report unsafe conditions that might have been noticed before but there wasn’t an effective way to report it. This is also true for example in manufacturing where sometimes one shift is unaware of what issues, from a safety perspective, the last shift faced. There might not have been a way to report the current state of the job. Adapting to Technology Are workers embracing this technology? Yes, says Fleming. It only takes 20-40 minutes to train someone and the technology is not much different than what most of us every day with our smartphones. “Our studies show us that user engagement with the software is very high at over 90%.”One reason for high engagement, especially for example in the construction industry,  is that there is still a lot of paperwork at the site. Using technology in this manner saves a lot of time.  Including technology as a natural part of performing a job, is something that appeals to younger workers who will fill future jobs. Furthermore, many studies have found younger workers prefer a say in how their jobs are performed. Having a way to provide feedback on a real-time basis fills this need. The ability to provide information at the job level is an important part of driving culture change, says Fleming. “We think about that every day,” Fleming comments. “How can we give workers an expanded voice that in turn filters to management so that can both listen and respond.”  Let's block ads! (Why?)

Cascade Engineering CEO: Why Engagement Matters to Company Culture

Christina Keller, CEO of Cascade Engineering, which manufactures large plastic injection moldings, certainly walks the talk. The first thing you see on their website is “Business with a Different Mindset – through engineering, manufacturing and a meaningful culture, we’re devoted to making things better – people, planet and profit.” The family-owned business, based in Grand Rapids, Mich., has achieved several milestones over the years including manufacturing the first injected molded grille for Navistar’s heavy truck, as well as the first plastic car which they produced as a concept car for Chrysler. These achievements were possible due to a highly engaged workforce, says Keller.  EHS Today talked with Keller to find out how this all started and why it’s so important to her company’s success. EHS Today: How did your company’s culture develop? Christina Keller: The company was founded over 40 years ago by my father, Fred Keller. His philosophy was to do all the good you can, all the ways you can and for as long as you can. So, the company was always a purpose-driven organization. Our goal is to have a positive impact on society, the environment and be financially viable.   As a family-owned business, we are in this for the long run and for generations to come. You can’t outpace your community, employees or environment so you need to rise all boats.  EHS Today: How does this philosophy apply to your workforce? Keller: One of the most important things we do is socially responsible hiring. We were one of the first companies to participate in a welfare to career program.  We walked alongside the people in this system and asked what the barriers to employment were. Most were just basic issues of childcare and transportation. So, we worked with area agencies to provide those services. We also have a social worker on-site. We helped start a group, with other area manufacturers, called The Source. It’s a non-profit employee support organization that helps employees in a variety of way including providing training, helping with housing, transportation, financial counseling and other services that help people stay in the workplace and move up the ladder. EHS Today: Are there other non-traditional workforces that your company employs? Keller: Yes, we have employed over 1000 returning citizens, which are those people who are former felons.  In Michigan alone, annually 9,000 people are released from prison. And they face a number of barriers to employment. But once those are overcome general statistics have shown that these workers stay for seven years which is a strong number. EHS Today:  Another issue related to culture that I noticed is that your company has anti-racism as part of your message. Keller: On our website, we state that we are an anti-racism organization, which means that we are creating an environment where all employees regardless of the color of their skin, know they are valued. Our statement says "We acknowledge that racism can be unconscious or unintentional and identifying racism as an issue does not automatically mean those involved in the act are racist or intended the negative impact.” Acknowledging this issue is part of the process of making sure that we are a welcoming organization. We talk about this at orientation and we hold refresher courses every two years. EHS Today: How does your culture affect operations? Keller:  While we use traditional manufacturing methods of measuring our success, including our own lean program, we also measure how we are doing on our goals for our employees. Those goals include a safe, healthy work environment that also offers opportunities for learning. We measure the engagement level of our employees. Every year we see positive feedback, but we are continually looking at our workforce to ensure they are feeling positive and we tailor programs to correct any issues.   The end goal is that we want to be an employer of choice and we feel our culture helps us achieve that. Let's block ads! (Why?)

Cascade Engineering CEO: How Engagement Matters to Company Culture

Christina Keller, CEO of Cascade Engineering, which manufactures large plastic injection moldings, certainly walks the talk. The first thing you see on their website is “Business with a Different Mindset – through engineering, manufacturing and a meaningful culture, we’re devoted to making things better – people, planet and profit.” The family-owned business, based in Grand Rapids, Mich., has achieved several milestones over the years including manufacturing the first injected molded grille for Navistar’s heavy truck, as well as the first plastic car which they produced as a concept car for Chrysler. These achievements were possible due to a highly engaged workforce, says Keller.  EHS Today talked with Keller to find out how this all started and why it’s so important to her company’s success. EHS Today: How did your company’s culture develop? Christina Keller: The company was founded over 40 years ago by my father, Fred Keller. His philosophy was to do all the good you can, all the ways you can and for as long as you can. So, the company was always a purpose-driven organization. Our goal is to have a positive impact on society, the environment and be financially viable.   As a family-owned business, we are in this for the long run and for generations to come. You can’t outpace your community, employees or environment so you need to rise all boats.  EHS Today: How does this philosophy apply to your workforce? Keller: One of the most important things we do is socially responsible hiring. We were one of the first companies to participate in a welfare to career program.  We walked alongside the people in this system and asked what the barriers to employment were. Most were just basic issues of childcare and transportation. So, we worked with area agencies to provide those services. We also have a social worker on-site. We helped start a group, with other area manufacturers, called The Source. It’s a non-profit employee support organization that helps employees in a variety of way including providing training, helping with housing, transportation, financial counseling and other services that help people stay in the workplace and move up the ladder. EHS Today: Are there other non-traditional workforces that your company employs? Keller: Yes, we have employed over 1000 returning citizens, which are those people who are former felons.  In Michigan alone, annually 9,000 people are released from prison. And they face a number of barriers to employment. But once those are overcome general statistics have shown that these workers stay for seven years which is a strong number. EHS Today:  Another issue related to culture that I noticed is that your company has anti-racism as part of your message. Keller: On our website, we state that we are an anti-racism organization, which means that we are creating an environment where all employees regardless of the color of their skin, know they are valued. Our statement says "We acknowledge that racism can be unconscious or unintentional and identifying racism as an issue does not automatically mean those involved in the act are racist or intended the negative impact.” Acknowledging this issue is part of the process of making sure that we are a welcoming organization. We talk about this at orientation and we hold refresher courses every two years. EHS Today: How does your culture affect operations? Keller:  While we use traditional manufacturing methods of measuring our success, including our own lean program, we also measure how we are doing on our goals for our employees. Those goals include a safe, healthy work environment that also offers opportunities for learning. We measure the engagement level of our employees. Every year we see positive feedback, but we are continually looking at our workforce to ensure they are feeling positive and we tailor programs to correct any issues.   The end goal is that we want to be an employer of choice and we feel our culture helps us achieve that. Let's block ads! (Why?)

Can Microlearning Offer a Better Way to Train Our Workforce?

The days of piling into a large auditorium of a company and sitting for hours, watching PowerPoint presentations might just be over. It turns out, that way of teaching information isn’t very effective since it’s hard for people to absorb so much information at one time. In fact, a learning curve study shows that if you don’t reinforce what you learn, you forget 90% of it within 30 days. There is a better way to learn and it’s called microlearning. “Microlearning conveys information in a short, targeted manner that delivers key points of information delivered in a way that our brains work,” explains Carol Leaman, CEO of Axonify. The training involves presenting content on a regular basis, often daily, and using three neuroscience techniques: Spaced Repetition: Practicing a new topic repeatedly over increased periods of time to deepen memory Retrieval Practice: Using questions to strengthen memory by forcing the brain to recall information Confidence-based Assessment: Measuring an employee’s expressed confidence in a topic to improve memory and self-awareness “Technology, such as artificial intelligence (AI) is able to close the knowledge gap,” says Leaman. “If someone has not mastered a certain lesson or doesn’t feel confident about their grasp of the knowledge, the program repeats that lesson. So, the learning is really controlled by the individual and their measurement of how comfortable they feel with the information. It’s a much better way to learn and master job duties.”  One example of how to use these short lessons that fit into the workflow is in the warehouse. While someone is waiting for their forklift battery to recharge, they can log into a microlearning platform and within in five minutes, they can complete their required certifications. One company, Merck, used this learning to improve its safety culture. Wanting to ingrain safety best practices and behaviors they used the Axonify's microlearning systems across 52 global manufacturing sites, with 24,000 employees. With an 80% voluntary participation, the company saw a decrease in the recordable incident rate (RIR) within a year. They also experienced a decrease in lost time injury frequency rate (LTIFR). The high participation rate is due to what Leaman feels is a key point of this learning. “As the learning takes place on hand-held devices, it’s very easy to use and it puts the employee in charge. Personalize learning is appreciated. Everyone wants to do their job well, so this learning helps fill those gaps in knowledge.” The other angle to this learning is there is a sense of freedom and flexibility when someone can learn what they need or what they want at a flexible pace. It gives people freedom, says Leaman. Building skills through this learning is an important tool to help the manufacturing industry as a whole address the issue of a national skills gap. “To train, attract and retain employees, providing immediate tracking helps them get on a faster career track. As employees become competent more quickly they would likely to stay longer. And training current employees enables the company to hold onto them as well.” Let's block ads! (Why?)

Don’t Be Afraid to Try New Things

As Kathleen Murphy, CIH, steps into her new role as president of the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) this month, she will lean on a career that encompasses more than 25 years of experience within business, consulting and government. Currently serving as director, global regulatory affairs for paint and coatings manufacturer Sherwin Williams Co., she has also worked at global corporations such as PolyOne, Honeywell and ExxonMobil.  “I have been fortunate to have held a variety of jobs in industry, consulting and OSHA,” Murphy says. “My background helps me to understand the needs of many of our members who represent a very diverse set of expectations.” Her various roles within AIHA leadership in recent years have also helped her to understand how AIHA functions. “We are a complex organization with everything from IT and financial obligations to proficiency analytical testing (PAT), accreditation, standards engagement, registries, training/education and the Product Stewardship Society.” EHS Today asked Murphy to talk about her background, leadership style and how she envisions the future of the field.  What got you interested in a career in industrial hygiene?  Murphy: Like many others, I found IH by accident when my sister suggested I apply for a job with OSHA. I worked hard to learn IH, became a CIH and have never looked back. It has truly been a rewarding career. What are some of the top trends that will affect the industry over the next few years?  Murphy: Retirements will continue to impact our membership and our profession. Increased data creates challenges on how to use it; how to set occupational exposure limits (OELs); what privacy protections need to be put into place; and how to explain the results to workers and their organizations.  The move from manufacturing to service industry or contract work will continue to challenge how to characterize their exposures and capture the data for future use. Do you feel that the current state of worker health is better than in the past?  Murphy: Yes and no. We have better methods of detection of illness and many new treatments for diseases than we did in the past, but we also face new hazards like exposure to opioids or cannabis for workers. Also, ergonomic injuries and hearing loss continue to affect our aging workforce. Have technology and the increased availability of data provided better health outcomes? Murphy: Electronic health records may provide data that was difficult to mine in the past, but it also brings questions of privacy. The challenge with some of the new technology is that there are vast amounts of data instead of a few data points. We need to learn how to mine the data to identify health outcomes earlier than was previously possible. How has the practice of IH changed?  Murphy: The “how” has changed or is changing but not the basic principles of anticipation, recognition, evaluation and control. There are new direct reading instruments, sampling pumps and noise monitoring equipment, and OEL setting is moving away from single chemical to banding or other risk determination measures. Industrial hygiene professionals remain passionate protectors of worker health while learning new ways to approach their jobs. How would you characterize your leadership style? Murphy: Inclusive. I try to gather ideas from everyone and then select from the best ideas. My current team knows that we will agree to a path forward, think about it for a few days, then tweak it to be even better.  AIHA has used our Open Call process to try to get more of our members involved and to provide greater transparency, which I think is really important. I am also very interested in career and succession planning and this applies to my job as well as my volunteer work. What are some of the strategies the field is using to attract younger professional? Murphy: We have developed materials to be used from elementary school through emeritus IH to show what is possible in the profession. Mentoring young professionals and providing them with career coaching and leadership training are also important ways to connect with them.  We need to emphasize some of the softer side of our profession, which is about protecting workers and improving health outcomes in addition to our normal message about STEM. Sharing our stories whenever we can, using a message targeted to the audience, will continue to be a winning strategy. What advice would you offer to young practitioners?  Murphy: Work hard, get certified and don’t be afraid to try new things. The variety of jobs that I have held because I was willing to try something different has rewarded me with great jobs, meeting great people, visiting a wide variety of work locations in a lot of interesting places and, most importantly, remaining a lifetime learner.  EHS  Let's block ads! (Why?)