The Right Way - I cannot recommend this book enough. Whether a person is in an executive position or an entry level laborer, the lessons of safety gaps from the two case studies or understanding that OSHA policies are simply a bare minimum provide lasting impressions on how valuable and important a safe working environment is. I keep this book on my desk as a talking point for anyone who comes in, letting them know where my priorities are for our company and our employees. Seth Rowney, Vice-President Pre-Construction, Structural Assurance LLC
This would have significantly altered my mindset when entering the profession and I truly believe that this book could change our profession for the better. It is amazing in both content and approach. Wyatt Bradbury, CSP, ASP, CHST, CIT, President - National Capital Chapter ASSP, Hitachi Rail, STS
This book is an informative, concise and thoughtful read. The inclusion and reflection on Human Performance principles provides solid context to Michael's themes. Recommended text for anyone trying to understand their personal impact on safety in the workplace. Peter Lineen, Director EHS Canada & Corporate Strategy at Quanta Services, Inc.
What does one do to create and maintain a successful safety program? How many jackets and caps and savings bonds do we hand out as prizes before employees lose interest? How long does the latest safety buzzword keep traction? What was the latest safety management fad? How long did that last? There are no simple answers to creating and maintaining the successful safety program, but there may be a simple guiding question. Are we doing it the “Right Way?”
In The Right Way, Michael Kleinpeter says, “The answer to safety is whatever positive method works for your organization, whatever your organization needs to have a culture that makes your company successfully safe.” Defining or discovering what those things are is not impossible but does take some work and consideration. However, once people fully understand what it is they should be doing, or are required to be doing in many cases, the simple question from time to time, “Are we doing this the Right Way?” provides a check and a moment to verify that the actions being taken or planned indeed are supportive of the things needed to be successful.
Kleinpeter, in an informative and relatively short read, provides examples of how to define the things that make up your Right Way along with scenarios, roles and responsibilities and guidance to help form expectations of your outcomes along the Right Way you choose to pursue. I think you will find the book and its guidance a valuable source to help you not only understand better how to be successful, but help you to know how to stay on track and get there.
Dr. C. Herbert Shivers, PhD, PE (Inactive), CSP (Retired), NASA (Retired), Professor and Associate Director, Advanced Safety and Engineering Management Degree Program University of Alabama in Birmingham
The Right Way isn't a philosophy just based on research and best practices. It is a system, bred out of real life experiences that works. This book and system would be a great addition to any company's process.
Kyle Duke, Senior Risk Consultant, Willis Towers Watson
The Right Way presents a consistent and clear approach to foster a positive safety culture. Kleinpeter brings life to real world challenges facing safety management at all levels of an organization. The Right Way philosophy provides valuable insights in eliminating incidents and injuries in the workplace. Many lives can be impacted and changed forever.
Lee Gream, Assistant Director of Safety, Enterprise Solutions
"It's a brave person who put’s his/her head above the parapet to declare they have a new philosophy and to call it ‘The Right Way’ could be considered brazen. This is especially true in the world of health and safety and particularly at a time when many of the core beliefs of how health and safety should be managed, beliefs that have been unchallenged for years, are now being challenged. For me, Michael Kleinpeter’s The Right Way isn’t intended to usurp or challenge any of the current or emerging philosophies or methodologies on how to manage health and safety, it’s a treatise outlining some basic home truths and I for one was glad to be reminded of them. It’s easy to become excited by something new and different but the reality is, there is no silver bullet; being good means doing the right things the right way and doing them together for the right reasons. I liked the writing style and the conviction Michael has that permeates every page. Bravo sir."
Michael Emery, Owner and Director, Securus Health & Safety Limited
Coaching for Safety
The Right Way is an easy read that will give OSH professionals plenty to consider. This is not a how-to for compliance; it is more about changing expectations and mindsets.
Kleinpeter provides a nice flow through the book and ties each idea to the preceding one, starting with the introduction, which explains the title. The theme is about achieving a common understanding of a philosophy on improving site and workforce safety, to keep the worker working. This is the purpose of safety personnel; readers may think of their opportunities differently.
The author's experience shows through the examples and case studies presented to explain the various ideas in the book. The case studies in particular reinforce the ideas well. Kleinpeter does not shy away from pointing out inconsistencies between the multiple safety rules that may be necessary to follow: federal, state, local, employer, vendor and client. He also points out that new ideas sometimes require new people, since some cannot or will not adapt to new ideas, admitting this refusal to adapt is something too often ignored in training today.
The author presents an interesting idea of a safety square that encompasses the well-known safety triangle and applies it in detail. The idea has some grey areas but provides a tie to safety at all levels of the operation and the expected behavior. On the last page of the book, an illustration of a white oak tree nicely ties everything together.
This book addresses communication expectations, worker involvement, safety and team effort, and discusses responsibility for safety based on one's level in the organization. In a straightforward manner, this book discusses one area that is too often not addressed: the precondition investigation to identify safety gaps in a project or new process.
This book is best suited to nonunion and construction operations.
Steve Dunn, PMP, SMS for Professional Safety Journal of the American Society of Safety Professionals