Professional Safety - July 2020

FIGURE 2

BRIDLE & VERTICAL SLING HITCHES

Two-leg Legs of Single-leg
bridle equal vertical
hitch length hitch










Weight of load (evenly distributed)




Weight of load (evenly distributed)

FIGURE 3

TENSION IN BRIDLE- & VERTICAL-HITCH SLING LEGS

Two-leg Legs of equal Two-leg vertical hitch/lifting beam Single-leg
bridle hitch length vertical hitch
Sling tension
Stleinngsion tenSsiloinng Sling
tension
Imaginary
Imaginary horizontal line
Weight of load (evenly distributed) horizontal line
Imaginary horizontal line

Weight of load (evenly distributed) Weight of load (evenly distributed)

An important concept for any sling •The designed breaking load is the Readers may have already deduced that
hitch is the angle of loading (some- minimum load that will cause a new the design factor equals the designed
times called the horizontal angle). This sling to break due to internal stress- breaking load divided by the rated
angle is important because it affects es. In practice, we should never load load. For example, if a sling has a de-
the internal stresses within each sling a sling to its designed breaking load. signed breaking load of 5,000 lb and a
leg. Figure 3 illustrates the angle of Instead, we must incorporate an appro- rated load of 1,000 lb, the design factor
loading (θ). For loads being lifted up- priate margin to account for uncertain- is 5 (5,000 lb ÷ 1,000 lb = 5). Design
ward, as examined in this article, the ties that may cause the sling to break factors of at least 4 or 5 are commonly
angle of loading is the acute angle be- unexpectedly. The appropriate margin required by standards such as ASME
tween the sling leg and the horizontal is generally provided when we observe B30.9-2018.
plane. (For nonvertical load handling, the sling’s rated load, which is also
the angle of loading is more generally known as the rated capacity or working To prevent sling failure, we must rig
defined as the acute angle between the load limit (WLL). loads stably and handle them smoothly
sling leg and the plane perpendicular so that slings are not subject to shock
to the direction of pull.) •The rated load is the maximum loading. Shock load is a brief increase
allowable load printed on the manu- in force caused by the sudden move-
All else being equal, angles of loading facturer’s label that is attached to the ment, shifting or stopping of a load.
near 90° create the least stress within sling. The rated load is calculated as Other factors that may cause prema-
slings, while angles near 0° are more the designed breaking load divided ture failure of slings include exposure
likely to cause sling failure. Most stan- by the design factor. For example, if a to extreme temperatures, incompatible
dards and regulations prohibit loading sling has a designed breaking load of chemicals and ultraviolet light (for
angles of less than 30° (unless approved 12,000 lb and a design factor of 4, the some materials).
by a qualified person) due to the extreme rated load is 3,000 lb (12,000 lb ÷ 4 =
stresses involved. 3,000 lb). A major objective of safe rigging is
to avoid excessive tension within sling
Other concepts related to the safe load- •The design factor is a number that legs and other sling components. Ten-
ing of slings include the designed break- accounts for uncertainties in sling per- sion can be defined simply as a pulling
ing load, rated load and design factor. formance during actual load handling. force within a material. Extreme ten-

assp.org JULY 2020 PROFESSIONAL SAFETY PSJ 49

MATH TOOLBOX

sion can stretch a sling or pull it apart. angle of loading in vertical- and bri- Calculating Sling Tension
Slings are at increased risk of breaking dle-hitch slings with no more than The angle of loading was not re-
any time the internal tension exceeds two legs
the rated load. For slings that have corded in the case that introduced this
no more than two evenly loaded legs W = weight of the load (including topic, so we will calculate sling tension
rigged with vertical or bridle hitches, the weight of any hardware added be- using hypothetical values. With that
tension in each sling leg is calculated tween the sling and the load) in mind, imagine that a two-leg sling
as the weight of the load divided by the supports a load of 8,000 lb (including
product of the number of sling legs and N = number of sling legs the weight of any hardware attached
the sine of the loading angle, as follows: θ = angle of loading (angle from between the sling and the load). The
horizontal) acute angle of each sling leg is 35°
sin = sine of the angle from horizontal. Assuming that the



Note: Additional factors (which sling’s own weight is insignificant,
are not explored in this article) must what is the tension within each sling
where: be considered to determine the sling leg in pounds (lb)? This problem is
T = tension (pull) in each sling leg tension for other types of hitches illustrated in Figure 4, and the data
due to the force of the load and the (such as choker and basket hitches) as can be summarized as follows:
well as for slings with more than two
FIGURE 4 legs and slings with legs that are not •The load weighs 8,000 lb. This is the
evenly loaded. value of W in the formula.
CALCULATING Figure 3 (p. 49) illustrates the com-
SLING TENSION ponents of the equation for bridle- and •The sling has two legs. This is the val-
vertical-hitch sling legs. ue of N in the formula.
At loading angles less than 90°, the tension
in the left sling leg plus the tension in the FIGURE 5 •The angle of loading is 35°. This is the
right sling leg exceeds the weight of the value of θ in the formula.
entire load (6,974 lb left + 6,974 lb right = CALCULATING
13,948 lb, in this example). SLING TENSION Based on these data, we can calcu-
late the tension per sling leg, Tper sling leg,
8,000 lb load Tension ≈ At a 90° angle of loading, tension is simply as follows:
the weight of the load divided by the num-
Two-leg sling 6,974 lb ber of sling legs. This is because the sine of Step 1: Start with the equation for
90° is 1, within the denominator. tension per sling leg:
35˚ angle per leg
Tension = 4,000 lb per leg
T ≈ 6,974 lb T ≈ 6,974 lb



8,000 lb load
35˚ 35˚ Two-leg sling Step 2: Insert the known values
90˚ angle for weight of the load (W = 8,000 lb),
Imaginary horizontal line T = 4,000 lb T = 4,000 lb number of sling legs (N = 2) and angle
Imaginary horizontal line of loading (θ = 35°). Then solve for
8,000 lb load T :per sling leg
8,000 lb load
FIGURE 6

FIGURE 7

CALCULATING
SLING TENSION YOU DO THE MATH, Note 1: Most calculators have a
QUESTION 1 SIN button that will provide the
For a single-leg sling at a 90° angle of load- correct answer with keystrokes sim-
ing, tension equals the weight of the load. 4,283 lb load ilar to the following in this case:
This is because the sine of 90° is 1 and the Two-leg sling 8000÷(2XSIN35)=.
number of sling legs is also 1, resulting in a 45˚ angle
value of 1 for the denominator. Note 2: If your calculation results
45˚ 45˚ in -9,341.81 lb per sling leg, it is likely
8,000 lb loadT = 8,000 lb Tension = that your calculator is set to interpret
Single-leg 8,000 lb 4,283 lb load angles in units of radians instead of
per leg degrees. The calculator manual will
sling explain how to select the degree func-
90˚ angle tion (for example, many calculators
have a dedicated button that toggles
90˚ between DEG, for degrees, and RAD,
Imaginary horizontal line for radians). The procedure is a bit
different in an Excel spreadsheet be-
8,000 lb load cause the program actually requires
converting the angle to radians before
applying the sine function. You can
calculate the answer in Excel for this
example with the following cell formu-
la: =8000/(2*SIN(RADIANS(35))).

50 PSJ PROFESSIONAL SAFETY JULY 2020 assp.org

Step 3: Our calculation indicates FIGURE 8 FIGURE 9
the tension within the left sling leg
is 6,973.79 lb and the tension in the YOU DO THE MATH, YOU DO THE MATH,
right sling leg is also 6,973.79 lb. Even QUESTION 2 QUESTION 3
with the load divided between two
sling legs, the angle of 35° creates so 6,315 lb load This is a potentially hazardous angle of
much stress that the tension within Two-leg sling loading.
just one leg is equal to 87% of the en- 60˚ angle
tire load. The tension becomes even 5,427 lb load
more extreme as angles get smaller. 60˚ Two-leg sling
For example, a loading angle of 30° in 20˚ angle
a two-leg sling will create tension in 6,315 lb load
a single leg that equals the full weight (potentially
of the load. For angles less than 30° FIGURE 10 hazardous)
in a two-leg sling, the tension within
a single leg will actually exceed the HOW MUCH HAVE I 20˚ 20˚
weight of the complete load. We will LEARNED, QUESTION 4
see an example of this in Problem 3 of 5,427 lb load
“You Do the Math.” 3,487 lb load
Two-leg sling FIGURE 11
Alternate example: Let’s calculate 48˚ angle
the tension per sling leg using a differ- HOW MUCH HAVE I
ent example. Once again, suppose the 48˚ 48˚ LEARNED, QUESTION 5
sling has two legs and supports a load
of 8,000 lb. This time, however, imag- 3,487 lb load 4,092 lb load
ine that the rigging employs vertical Two-leg sling
hitches. To keep both sling legs verti- tion for two-leg vertical-hitch slings 62˚ angle
cal, we attach them to a lifting beam can be reduced to Tper sling leg = W ÷ N.
at top. Since the sling legs are vertical, In other words, for two-leg slings with 62˚ 62˚
the angle of loading is 90°. The data vertical hitches, the tension per sling
are summarized as follows (illustrated leg is simply one-half the weight of the 4,092 lb load
in Figure 5): entire load. Note: If your calculation
resulted in 4,474.29 lb per sling leg, see
•The load weighs 8,000 lb. This is Note 2 in the first example. In Excel,



the value of W in the formula. you can calculate this example with
the following cell formula: =8000/ Next, we insert the current values
•The sling has two legs. This is the (2*SI N(R A DI A NS(9 0))). for weight of the load (W = 8,000 lb),
value of N in the formula. number of sling legs (N = 1) and angle
A final example: Once again, imag- of loading (θ = 90°):
•The angle of loading is 90°. This is ine that a sling supports a load of
the value of θ in the formula. 8,000 lb. This time, however, the sling
consists of only one vertical leg, with

To calculate the new value for ten- an angle of loading equal to 90°. The
sion per sling leg, we use the original data are summarized as follows (illus- The result of 8,000 lb per sling leg
equation: trated in Figure 6): is not unexpected, given that a single
vertical sling leg is supporting the
•The load weighs 8,000 lb. This is entire load. In fact, since the sine of



the value of W in the formula. 90° is 1 and the number of legs is also
1, the equation for single-leg vertical
Next, insert the current values for •The sling has one leg. This is the slings can be reduced to Tper sling leg = W,
weight of the load (W = 8,000 lb), value of N in the formula. or simply, tension equals the weight of
number of sling legs (N = 2) and angle the load. Note: If your calculation re-
of loading (θ = 90°) to obtain the fol- •The angle of loading is 90°. This is sulted in 8,948.58 lb per sling leg, see
lowing result: the value of θ in the formula. Note 2 in the first example. In Excel,
you can calculate this example with
To calculate tension in the single


sling leg, we use the original equation:

The calculated value of 4,000 lb
per sling leg indicates tension was re-
duced dramatically when we changed
the angle of loading from 35° to 90°.
This is because the sine of 35° in the
denominator of the first example is
about 0.57, while the sine of 90° in the
denominator of the second example is
1.0. Since the sine of 90° is 1, the equa-

assp.org JULY 2020 PROFESSIONAL SAFETY PSJ 51

MATH TOOLBOX

the following cell formula: =8000/ Workers use slings (in conjunction with cranes
(1*SI N(R A DI A NS(9 0))). and other lifting machines) to move heavy

You Do the Math loads that would be difficult to handle by other
Apply your knowledge to the follow- means. Slings fail for many reasons, including
overloading, improper rigging or components
ing questions. Answers are on p. 55. that have been damaged by prior use.
1) A two-leg bridle-hitch sling sup-
In a future article, we will calculate 11) shock load
ports a load of 4,283 lb (including the rated loads for bridle hitches at sling 12) tension (T)
weight of any hardware attached be- angles that may not be listed in manu- 13) vertical hitch
tween the sling and the load). The angle facturers’ labels and charts.
of each sling leg is 45° from horizontal. Definitions (in random order)
Assuming that the weight of the sling is How Much Have I Learned? a) A number calculated as the designed
insignificant, what is the tension within Try these problems on your own. breaking load divided by the rated load.
each sling leg in pounds (lb)? Use the b) Acute angle between the sling leg
equation for Tper sling leg. This problem is Answers are on p. 55. and the horizontal plane (for loads
illustrated in Figure 7 (p. 50). 4) A two-leg bridle-hitch sling supports being lifted upward).
c) A brief increase in force caused
2) A two-leg bridle-hitch sling sup- a load of 3,487 lb (including the weight of by the sudden movement, shifting or
ports a load of 6,315 lb (including the any hardware attached between the sling stopping of a load.
weight of any hardware attached be- and the load). The angle of each sling leg d) A hitch with the sling leg(s) at-
tween the sling and the load). The angle is 48° from horizontal. Assuming that the tached perpendicularly to the load.
of each sling leg is 60° from horizontal. weight of the sling is insignificant, what is e) A hitch with two or more sling
Assuming that the weight of the sling is the tension within each sling leg in pounds legs at acute angles, attached to a sin-
insignificant, what is the tension within (lb)? Use the equation for Tper sling leg. This gle fitting at the top.
each sling leg in pounds (lb)? Use the problem is illustrated in Figure 10 (p. 51). f) The maximum allowable load
equation for Tper sling leg. This problem is printed on the manufacturer’s sling la-
illustrated in Figure 8 (p. 51). 5) A two-leg bridle-hitch sling sup- bel (calculated as the designed break-
ports a load of 4,092 lb (including the ing load divided by the design factor).
3) A two-leg bridle-hitch sling sup- weight of any hardware attached be- g) The minimum load that will
ports a load of 5,427 lb (including tween the sling and the load). The angle cause a new sling to break due to in-
the weight of any hardware attached of each sling leg is 62° from horizontal. ternal stresses.
between the sling and the load). The Assuming that the weight of the sling is h) A pulling force within a material.
angle of each sling leg is 20° from hor- insignificant, what is the tension within
izontal. This problem is illustrated in each sling leg in pounds (lb)? Use the For Further Study
Figure 9 (p. 51). equation for Tper sling leg. This problem is Learn more from the following source:
illustrated in Figure 11 (p. 51).
a) Assuming that the weight of the ASSP’s ASP Examination Prep: Program
sling is insignificant, what is the tension The Language of Sling Leg Tension Review and Exam Preparation, edited by
within each sling leg in pounds (lb)? Use Readers will encounter the follow- Joel M. Haight, 2016. PSJ
the equation for Tper sling leg.
ing concepts in codes, certification References
b) Explain why this angle of loading exams, and conversations with other
is potentially hazardous. professionals. Match the numbered American Society of Mechanical Engineers
concepts with their paraphrased defi- (ASME). (2018). Slings (ASME B30.9-2018).
Relating Our Knowledge nitions (lettered). All concepts have New York, NY: Author.
to Sling Labels & Charts been defined in the text, formulas and
illustrations. Answers are on p. 55. OSHA. (2020). Guidance on safe sling use.
Our discussion so far has illustrat- Retrieved from www.osha.gov/dsg/guidance/
ed that forces created in sling legs Concepts slings/index.html
depend not only on the weight of the 6) angle of loading (θ)
load and number of sling legs, but also 7) bridle hitch WorkSafe BC. (2010). Young worker serious-
on the angle of loading. Rated loads 8) design factor ly injured by falling steel beam (Hazard alert:
described in manufacturers’ labels 9) designed breaking load injury 2010-10). Retrieved from www.worksafe
and charts are based in part on the 10) rated load (rated capacity, work- bc.com/en/resources/health-safety/hazard
calculations explored in this article. ing load, WLL) -alerts/young-worker-seriously-injured-by
For example, a manufacturer may list -falling-steel-beam
a 2,300-lb-per-leg rated load for a ver-
tical hitch, but only a 1,626-lb-per-leg Mitch Ricketts, Ph.D., CSP, is an associate professor of safety management at Northeastern
rated load for a bridle hitch at a 45° State University (NSU) in Tahlequah, OK. He has worked in OSH since 1992, with experience in diverse
angle of loading. This is because both settings such as agriculture, manufacturing, chemical/biological laboratories and school safety.
loads create the same tension per sling Ricketts holds a Ph.D. in Cognitive and Human Factors Psychology from Kansas State University, an
leg, as follows: M.S. in Occupational Safety Management from University of Central Missouri, and a B.S. in Education
from Pittsburg State University. He is a professional member and officer of ASSP’s Tulsa Chapter, and

faculty advisor for the Society’s NSU Broken Arrow Student Section.






!
!


52 PSJ PROFESSIONAL SAFETY JULY 2020 assp.org

PRODUCT PULSE

Drop Prevention

Werner introduces a line of anchors and drop safety equipment
designed to prevent injuries from dropped objects. Product line
includes bull ring and D-ring anchorage connectors, as well as
jackets for tape measures, drills and smartphones. Smartphone
jacket features retractable tether, touchscreen-compatible front
cover that is perforated for sound, and a rear cover that allows
for camera operation.
www.wernerfallprotection.com

Lift Simulation Heat Sensor Plume Modeling

A1A Software LLC intro- Kenzen’s heat monitoring system consists Industrial Scientific has integrated Radius BZ1
duces 3D Lift Vision, a of cloud-based software and a device worn Area Monitor with the SAFER One Dynamic
virtual reality simulator for on the arm that alerts both the worker and Plume Modeling Software. By pairing real-time gas
lift planning. Product works supervisor when the wearer’s core body concentration data from the monitor with on-site
with the company’s 3D Lift temperature is too high. Device monitors weather data, software creates a dynamic dispersion
Plan to allow user to execute metrics such as heart rate, activity, and model that identifies the source and predicted path
a lift using a virtual reality skin and ambient temperatures. Alerts are of a hazard following a chemical release. This allows
headset and controls. Simu- accompanied by actionable recommenda- responders to assess the severity and potential com-
lator allows multiple people tions such as advising the worker to take a munity impact of a chemical situation and take con-
to engage so that an entire break, find shade, drink water, or remove trol by determining where to shelter workers and
crane and rigging crew can excess clothing and equipment to decrease
see and practice a lift in the body heat. A second alert indicates when
virtual environment, in- the worker’s core temperature has re-
cluding the crane operator, turned to a safe level.
riggers, signal person and www.kenzen.com
tagline holders. Employers
can use product to evaluate
and qualify operators for the
crane and application, or use
it as a training tool for oper-
ators who need to practice.
www.3dliftplan.com

Material Handling whether to evacuate nearby residents.
www.indsci.com

To reduce worker strain and injury, South-

worth Products Corp.’s Model GTU-500 Area Monitoring
tilter provides an efficient way to get par-
cels and other items from gaylords and The ALTAIR io360 gas detector from
MSA Safety Inc. allows user to monitor
other large containers onto conveyors
and automated sorting systems. Device on site with a mobile app or remotely
allows for controlled emptying of con- monitor multiple sites. Device provides
four-gas detection and long battery life,
tainer contents and features a pan- according to manufacturer. Lightweight
style platform that sits flush with the product can be placed wherever a gas
floor when lowered. This allows gay-
lords to be placed and retrieved by hazard might occur, can be mounted
a hand pallet truck, eliminating the with a magnet or hung from a built-in D-ring.

need for a forklift. Steel retention www.msasafety.com

bar prevents gaylords from

falling when unit is tilted Publication of this material does not imply testing, review or endorsement
to its maximum 110°. by ASSP. To submit a product for this section, send an e-mail to professional
[email protected]. Be sure to include product and contact information, along
www.southworth with a high-resolution product photo.
products.com

assp.org JULY 2020 PROFESSIONAL SAFETY PSJ 53

VANTAGE POINT

Transitioning From

UNIVERSITY TO INDUSTRY

By Kory Pearson

New graduates with safety degrees from accredited programs are often eager to join the workforce and start utilizing
their safety expertise and influence. However, as adequate as many institutions are at teaching safety guidelines and
best practices to aspiring professionals, they may fall short when it comes to the people aspect of the job.

No matter what industry you work Other bosses think employee training so there is no confusion that you are
in, being an effective safety profession- and program development are most there to keep employees safe while
al is less about enforcing regulations, important. Others still believe a good still working efficiently. Practice be-
programs and audits, and more about safety professional should have a pleth- ing personable and relatable so that
managing the different personalities one ora of audit forms and checklists avail- employees feel comfortable discussing
encounters in the workforce. able for supervision and support staff. issues with you. Be consistent with
Clear communication about expecta- recommendations and honest in your
This article aims to help inexpe- tions will reduce overall frustration feedback so employees recognize you
rienced safety graduates, who may and confusion for both of you while as the expert. Over time, you will earn
believe that workplace safety is as ensuring that the job still gets done to their confidence and trust. Moreover,
clear-cut as in their textbooks, navi- everyone’s satisfaction. it will garner you even greater influ-
gate the gray areas of workplace safe- ence in the company’s overall safety
ty. Ref lecting on my past 10 years of Hourly Employees culture and performance.
experience, it was the first couple of Workplace safety has come a long
years that provided subjective insight Other Employees
and perspective to that gray area. This way. According to Greengard (2012), Beyond hourly employees with
article broadly defines three groups when employers started paying atten-
found in every workplace and offers tion to workplace safety factors, they whom we work directly, safety profes-
advice on how to best proceed to discovered a relationship between safe-
achieve success. ty culture and insurance cost. Today, FIGURE 1
managing employee risks and injuries
The Boss has become status quo for those run- AMBIGUOUS IMAGE
What do you see when you look at ning good businesses, and that is why
companies hire safety professionals. A well-known ambiguous image that depicts
the image in Figure 1? Some people see both an old woman and a young woman, and
an old woman; others see a young one. Our primary job is to establish and can be perceived as either by the brain. The
This well-known ambiguous image is enforce workplace practices that will old woman is looking off to the left, while
a great example demonstrating per- promote the safety of every employ- the young woman is facing away, looking
spective. In your career, understanding ee. Sometimes, this requires making over her right shoulder (the old woman’s
your manager’s perspective on what significant changes to the existing nose is also the young woman’s chin).
makes a good safety manager, then system. Change may be met with resis-
focusing on embodying those things is tance because it is not the way “things
imperative for success. Not only will it have always been done.” Safety profes-
make you more effective in your cur- sionals must strike a delicate balance.
rent role, but it will also help you gain Make it clear that you can and will ad-
valuable insight and experience that dress unsafe conditions and risks. But,
will help you improve down the line in at the same time, if employees view
your overall career. you as negatively affecting their jobs,
they could (intentionally or uninten-
That being said, every manager is tionally) make your job more difficult
different. Therefore, it is best to be by withholding potential hazard infor-
direct with whomever you report to mation from you. That hurts everyone
and ask, “From your perspective, what because you cannot correct missteps
makes a good safety professional?” that you do not know are being made.
Some bosses believe that a good safety
professional should be the workplace For this reason, it is important for
“safety cop,” finding rule infractions a safety professional to earn employ-
and disciplining errant employees. ees’ trust. Clearly explain your role

Vantage Point Note. Reprinted from “My Wife and My
Mother-in-Law. They Are Both in This Pic-
Vantage Point articles in Professional Safety provide a forum for authors with distinct viewpoints to ture—Find Them” [Illustration], by W.E.
share their ideas and opinions with ASSP members and the OSH community. The goal is to encourage Hill, 1915, Puck, 78(2018), 11. Public domain.
and stimulate critical thinking, discussion and debate on matters of concern to the OSH profession.
The views and opinions expressed are strictly those of the author(s) and are not necessarily endorsed
by Professional Safety, nor should they be considered an expression of official policy by ASSP.

54 PSJ PROFESSIONAL SAFETY JULY 2020 assp.org

STURTI/E+/GETTY IMAGES new safety graduates who believe that
their education has prepared them for
No matter what industry you work in, being an the dynamics of a real workplace may
effective safety professional is less about enforcing become frustrated when things are not
as clear-cut as some compliance litera-
regulations, programs and audits, and more ture makes them seem.
about managing the different personalities
Take what you learned in university
one encounters in the workforce. and apply it, but also recognize that the
end goal is the well-being of employees.
Reaching that goal may require some
adaptability, professional experience
and growth. Additionally, to be tak-
en seriously and to be most effective,
safety professionals must earn the trust
and respect of the people they work
with. That is why one must strive to
find perspective, develop trustworthi-
ness by being relatable and honest, and,
when necessary, invoke the reciprocity
principle to influence the action of
others. If done right, the transition
from academia to the workplace can be
successful in creating strong, effective
safety cultures in businesses. PSJ

sionals also have the unique challenge in an effort to provide help, takes on References
of influencing other employees we do more responsibility than can be ef-
not directly supervise. These individ- fectively managed. For the reciprocity Cialdini, R.B. (2006). Influence: The psy-
uals typically include salaried team principle to work, there must be bal- chology of persuasion. New York, NY: Harper
members who work in departments ance and repayment. Business.
such as human resources, manage-
ment, information technology and oth- Conclusion Greengard, S. (2012, Jan. 4). Playing it safe:
ers. Safety professionals will inevitably Employing safety professionals with A look at workplace safety during the roaring
work with and need the assistance ‘20s and now. Workforce. Retrieved from www
of these individuals. For example, a strong educational foundation in the .workforce.com/2012/01/04/playing-it-safe-a
assistance from human resources safety sciences is the minimum need- -look-at-workplace-safety-during-the-roaring
counterparts could be in the form of a ed for most workplaces today; safety -20s-and-now
discipline plan for safety rule infrac- professionals must have knowledge of
tions, or assistance from information safety principles and regulations gained Hill, W.E. (1915, Nov. 6). My wife and my
technology may involve a rollout of a through formal education. However, mother-in-law. They are both in this pic-
new injury reporting software. ture—find them [Illustration]. Puck, 78(2018),
11. Retrieved from www.loc.gov/pictures/
Following the aforementioned tips item/2010652001
about understanding different per-
spectives and being relatable will help Kory Pearson, M.B.A., CSP, is currently working as a safety specialist for a tire manufacturer, and
you in this mission. However, it is also has 10 years of experience in various roles and industries. He holds an M.B.A. from Union University and
important to find ways to serve these a B.S. in Occupational Safety and Health from Murray State University. Pearson is a professional mem-
coworkers, invoking the reciprocity ber of ASSP’s Augusta Chapter.
principle. In his book, Influence: The
Psychology of Persuasion, Cialdini Math Toolbox, continued from pp. 48-52
(2006) states that human beings are
wired to return favors and pay back Answers: The Case of the the 20° angle of loading unless approved
debts. In practice, if a coworker needs Overloaded Sling by a qualified person. Note that the stress
help coordinating an improvement You Do the Math on each sling leg, individually (7,933.74 lb
project or seeks a weekend volunteer, per leg), is greater than the weight of the
find a way to help. The next time you Your answers may vary slightly due to entire load (5,427 lb).
ask the coworker for assistance, s/he rounding.
will find it difficult to say no because, How Much Have I Learned?
in theory, the person would feel the
need to repay the previous favor. This 4)


reciprocity principle can be useful; 1)



more importantly, it works with any
group of people. A word of caution:
5)


Do not be the safety professional who,
2)



The Language of Sling Leg Tension
6) b; 7) e; 8) a; 9) g; 10) f; 11) c; 12) h;

3a)

13) d.

3b) Due to the extreme stresses creat-
ed by sling angles of less than 30°, most
standards and regulations would prohibit

assp.org JULY 2020 PROFESSIONAL SAFETY PSJ 55

BY THE WAY

Acting Out NOT THENICOLETAIONESCU/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS
WAY MONTCLAIR FILMS/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
As actors know, giving a voice to a character can be done in
many different ways. Here are a few popular acting techniques Gotta stay
used by actors: on your toes

•Stanislavski method: With this technique, the actor thinks, Photo by Ivan
acts and behaves as the character would, feeling the emotions of Cohen,
the character and exploring how the character would behave in
certain scenarios. New Jersey
Chapter
•Meisner technique: This method sees the actor focusing
on the other actor as though s/he is real and only exists in that Safety is serious business. But unsafe practices still occur and we hope
moment. Improvisation is used with this technique to bring out these “Not the Way” images help you recognize and eliminate more
the actor’s interpretation of the character’s emotions.
hazards in the workplaces you influence.
•Michael Chekhov technique: This technique involves the
actor letting go of everything when entering the create space so “Giving voice to characters
that only the character’s mind frame remains.
that have no other voice—

that’s the great worth of

what we do.”

Meryl Streep

Almost Famous “Acting
should be
Before they hit the big screen, several bigger than
Hollywood actors held other jobs. Here life. Scripts
are a few examples:
should
•Patrick Dempsey: champion juggler; be bigger
•Harrison Ford: carpenter; than life. It
•Whoopi Goldberg: mortuary should all
beautician; be bigger
•Kevin Hart: shoe salesman; than life.”
•Hugh Jackman: physical education
teacher and clown; Bette Davis
•Rachel McAdams: McDonald’s
employee; If you have a cartoon,
•Helen Mirren: amusement park anecdote, joke or in-
promoter. teresting safety item

Cinematic Casualties you’d like to
submit for publication
On July 9, 1937, a fire erupted at 20th Century Fox’s film
storage facility in New Jersey. Gases produced by the decaying on this page, send
nitrate film combined with high heat and poor ventilation your contribution to
caused the facility to burn. As a result, all of the archived films professionalsafety
in the vault were destroyed, which consisted of the majority of @assp.org. Submis-
the silent films produced by Fox Film Corp. before 1932.
sions will not be
This tragedy saw the loss of a significant amount of American returned.
film heritage, and the works of many actors, directors and pro-
ducers were destroyed. Several actors including Valeska Suratt
lost all of their films in this fire.

“There are entire careers that don’t exist because of [this
fire],” says Museum of Modern Art’s Dave Kehr.

This event prompted a focus on fire safety in the film
preservation industry. Experts suggested using heavily rein-
forced film vaults, film storage cabinets with proper venti-
lation and cooling, and reducing the amount of nitrate film
in these facilities. By the 1950s, nitrate film had been all but
eliminated in the U.S.

56 PSJ PROFESSIONAL SAFETY JULY 2020 assp.org



I AM A SAFETY
PROFESSIONAL

“Safety is more than just
keeping workers safe, but
also keeping your family and
your community safe.”

BLESSING NWACHUKWU,
BSN, MPH, CHSP
Hospital Environmental
Safety Specialist
University of Illinois at Chicago

ASSP.ORG