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A Quick Guide for Industrial and Manufacturing Facilities By Keina Jennings, CEO/CFO, SEA

By Don Harkness, East Coast Regional Manager, SEA Ladder Inspection Safety At-A-Glance Ladders of all types are useful in the workplace. They are tools that allow workers to safely reach another level. Working at elevated levels poses plenty of risks, ones that have been covered in many regulatory training courses you have attended. Walking, Working Surfaces and Fall protection all focus heavily on the different hazards, of which SEA would be honored to share with you, but today, I want to focus on what needs to happen prior to using the ladder. The Right Tool for the Job And make no mistake, ladders are tools, and only perform as well as we, the operators, allow them to. So, what do we need to consider when picking the right ladder for our job? Several key factors include, but aren’t limited to: What are we doing? What style do you need? Step Ladders, extension ladders, and platform ladders all serve different purposes! What is the weight limit of my ladder? Note that the weight limit includes you and all the tools/equipment you are wearing, including fall protection! What height do I need my ladder to be? Ladders come in all shapes and sizes, so ensure you pick one that allows you to not put yourself at risk, even if it takes a little extra time to go and get it! What material should my ladder be made of? Most ladders are fiberglass but also come in several other materials. Make sure you plan for the task and don’t pick a metal ladder when working with electricity, for example The Most Important Step After choosing the ladder for our task, we need to perform an all-around inspection of the ladder. How often do we need to perform this inspection? Does it need to be documented? Ladders must be inspected before every use to ensure that no damage has occurred. As far as documentation goes, it is required that a documented inspection occur once a year, but your company policy can dictate more frequent documented inspections.

By Alison Jennings, VP Operations, SEA Sometimes it takes a real-life moment to remind us how quickly routine tasks can turn into injuries. Recently, I had a reminder of just how quickly something simple can turn into an injury. I was hanging a picture frame at home. Nothing complicated—just one of those quick projects you knock out in a few minutes. I picked the frame up by the sides to move it into position. As I lifted it, the bottom of the frame suddenly gave out. The glass dropped straight down and landed directly on the top of my bare foot. Within seconds, what started as a simple task turned into a trip to urgent care. The cut was deep enough that I ended up needing eight stitches. Looking back, there were a few things I didn’t think about in that moment. I was barefoot. I didn’t consider the possibility that the frame might break. I didn’t think about what could happen if the glass slipped or fell. It really wasn’t a dangerous job. I wasn’t using power tools or heavy equipment. I was just hanging a picture. But that’s the reality of many injuries—they don’t happen during obviously dangerous activities. They happen during everyday tasks when we assume nothing will go wrong.

Stepping into a new safety leadership role should be accompanied by a clear transition plan. Too often, it doesn’t. Instead, you inherit outdated procedures, expired training records, unresolved hazards, disengaged supervisors, and a workforce that has stopped taking safety seriously. In some cases, you’re walking into the aftermath of OSHA citations, injury spikes, or leadership turnover. The good news? Even a broken safety culture can be rebuilt — but it requires structure, focus, and decisive action.

Valentine’s Day is about commitment—and in manufacturing, one of the most meaningful commitments an organization can make is to support workplace safety. Safety isn’t a one-time initiative or a binder on a shelf. It’s a system that requires attention, reinforcement, and ongoing support. In fast-paced manufacturing environments, even strong safety programs can weaken over time without adequate resources. 

f you think PFAS regulation is someone else’s problem, think again. The regulatory environment around per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances is shifting rapidly, and safety, environmental, and operations teams are squarely in the crosshairs. Rather than scrambling when the deadlines arrive, your best strategy is to act early. 

Halloween might be the season for ghost stories and haunted houses, but for safety and environmental professionals, the real nightmares happen at work. From unseen hazards to data disasters, these frights are all too real. At SEA, we help EHS managers conquer their fears — and their risks — with smart, proactive solutions that turn horror stories into success stories.

Every year, OSHA releases its list of the most frequently cited workplace safety standards. While the names change little from year to year, the numbers tell a story: employers continue to struggle with the same hazards—falls, hazardous chemicals, and machine safety. Understanding these violations is the first step in preventing costly citations and protecting workers. 

Workplace safety can often be overlooked in fast-paced environments, especially when deadlines loom and production pressures mount. However, ignoring safety doesn’t just put people at risk; it also costs companies hundreds of millions of dollars annually in lost time, medical expenses, and diminished productivity. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 2,000 eye injuries occur daily in American workplaces, costing more than $300 million each year. These statistics reveal a straightforward truth: organizations that neglect safety also risk compromising their profitability, employee morale, and long-term reputation. But here’s the good news—building a stronger safety culture doesn’t require a complete overhaul. With the right approach and leadership commitment, organizations can quickly turn things around.