• 5 key summer hazards
• 4 ways to support new and young workers
• Boost performance by managing brain-centred hazards
• 9 steps to help you prevent warehouse fires

A 2009 fire in an Ontario ice cream manufacturer's facility set off alarm bells for warehouses and distribution centres after a spark from a welding torch ignited insulation. All 150 employees escaped but the building and product inventory were destroyed and nearby homes evacuated. At considerable cost, the company had to rebuild their business from the ground up.

Risk assessments typically look for physical and technological hazards that may lead to personal injuries and/or incidents. But what if potential hazards are also are housed in the human brain? Such unrecognized brain-centred hazards could explain why so many incidents are attributed to "human error."

You've already provided orientation and hazard-specific training for the new and young workers you've hired for the busy summer months (see Summer Safety for New and Young Workers). They've signed off on the training and are good to go. You may think you’ve done your part, however that isn’t necessarily the case.