Mylene Kellerman

Mylene Kellerman, MS, COHC -- Safety and Health Supervisor

Safety requires collecting data at work sites and thoughtfully reviewing it with employers and employees. This is just one of the skills that Mylene Kellerman brings to her clients. Serving the Orlando region, Mylene’s observations of worksite activity are helpful in reducing workers’ comp costs by helping companies eliminate the hazards that cause injuries.

Talking Safety with Mylene Kellerman
Cost Savings through Trend Analysis
If you fail to see a trend developing among your customers, you might miss out on a ride to the top of the next sales curve. And if you miss the safety trends within your own business, you might miss an opportunity to cut your workers’ compensation costs. Mylene Kellerman is an industrial hygienist with USF SafetyFlorida, and she’s always looking for new ways to help employers lower their rate of employee injuries and illnesses.

“I encourage employers to know what the accident trends in their type of business are,” she said. “I help employers understand the value and importance of conducting thorough accident analyses in their company. This will help them find the root causes of their accidents. If they do some analysis, then I can then help them come up with solutions to put in place to prevent recurrence.”

Kellerman learned that listening to employees can tip off an employer about accident trends within the company. She was recently called by a small manufacturing employer that had an OSHA compliance inspection after an employee complaint. On the recommendation of the OSHA area office, the employer requested consultation assistance from Kellerman. After her initial visit, safety in that employer's workplace – and employee involvement in their safety and health program – “has just sky-rocketed.”

“The employer in not only interested in OSHA compliance but is also participating in SHARP (Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program),” she said. “The employer has regular safety meetings with employees. This has improved employer/employee interaction, reduced employee absenteeism, and enhanced teamwork in the company. Most importantly, in the past six months, there have been no injuries and illnesses experienced by the company.”

Kellerman knows that all employers – manufacturing, construction, and health care – have seen remarkable changes in their accident rates when they encourage employee involvement in safety and health issues that affect the business.
“This makes employees aware that the employer values their input, which then motivates the employee to follow workplace safety and health policies,” she said. “And employee involvement boosts employee morale and productivity.”

Safety Tip: Use the Health-care Training Prescription for Your Business
Most health-care employers have monthly in-service training scheduled for the entire year. Much of the training focuses on proper lifting techniques, back-injury prevention, emergency action, fire prevention, exposure control, and chemical-hazard communication. These issues might affect more than just healthcare companies. Look at your monthly safety training schedule for the rest of 2003. Perhaps you will want to add the topics borrowed from healthcare, such as those in italics above.