Best Industrial Health & Safety Books of 2025

The Invisible Rainbow by Arthur Firstenberg is a groundbreaking book that reveals the impact of electricity on the biosphere and human health. Firstenberg traces the history of electricity from the eighteenth century to the present, demonstrating that many environmental problems and major diseases are related to electrical pollution. This book is a masterpiece that transforms readers' understanding of the environmental and health effects of electricity and radio frequencies. As a result, it is a must-read for anyone who is interested in the ecological impact of technology on our planet.

The Safety Professional's Reference and Study Guide, Third Edition, is a comprehensive resource for both experienced safety professionals and those preparing for certifications. It covers major topics in the safety and health profession and includes the latest BCSP reference sheet, a directory of resources, and state and federal agency contact information. The author, W. David Yates, provides step-by-step instructions on how to solve each question/formula listed on the BCSP examination, making it a valuable study guide. Overall, this book is an essential addition to every safety professional's library.

The Field Guide to Understanding 'Human Error' is a must-read for anyone dealing with safety issues in their organization. The book challenges the traditional 'Bad Apple Theory' and offers a new perspective on how to deal with perceived 'human error' problems. It encourages readers to look closely at how their organization handles inherent trade-offs between safety and other pressures, and how their people create safety through practice. The book provides new concepts and leverage points for influencing thinking and practice, making it a valuable resource for anyone looking to improve their safety work. Overall, this book offers a fresh take on a complex issue and is highly recommended.

Pre-Accident Investigations: An Introduction to Organizational Safety is a practical guide for professionals looking to shape their current or future safety programs. The book offers established human performance theory in a highly practical context, using case studies to ground the concepts in reality. The author's ideas are persuasive, challenging, and expressed with humility, making for an engaging read. The book provides a welcome insight into contemporary workplace health and safety practices, making it an ideal resource for senior safety executives and course tutors alike. Overall, Pre-Accident Investigations is an excellent choice for those looking to enhance safety and potentially save organizations money and lives.

The Lineman's and Cableman's Handbook, Thirteenth Edition is a comprehensive guide to electric transmission and distribution line construction, operation, and maintenance. It covers everything from electrical principles to emergency system restoration, with detailed illustrations and photos to aid understanding. The book also includes self-test questions and exercises to reinforce key concepts. It is fully updated to reflect the latest standards, including the 2017 National Electrical Safety Code® (NESC®), and current OSHA, ANSI, and ASTM regulations. McGraw-Hill Education has produced another valuable resource for anyone in the electric energy industry.

Safety Management Systems in Aviation is a comprehensive guide to SMS, with a focus on proactive safety. The book covers the four key components of SMS: Safety Policy, Safety Risk Management, Safety Assurance, and Safety Promotion. It also explores the impact of cultural maturity on safety management performance and includes new chapters on international requirements and case studies. Written by Alan J Stolzer, an experienced aviation professional and prolific author, this book is an essential resource for aviation students and practitioners alike.

This book, titled "29 CFR 1926 OSHA Construction Industry Regulations & Standards: Up to Date as of 2/07/2023", provides safety and health standards for the construction industry promulgated by the Secretary of Labor under section 107 of the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act. The book includes the standards published in subpart C and following subparts, as well as statements of general policy and interpretations of section 107 of the Act having general applicability in subpart B. The republication in 1979 developed a single set of OSHA regulations for both labor and management forces within the construction industry. This book is a valuable resource for construction industry professionals and is recommended for those interested in federal jurisdiction law books.

Normal Accidents: Living with High-Risk Technologies by Charles Perrow explores the social side of technological risk. Perrow argues that the traditional engineering approach to safety fails because system complexity makes accidents inevitable. By analyzing two dimensions of risk, complex versus linear interactions, and tight versus loose coupling, the book provides a powerful framework for analyzing risks and organizations. The author reviews the extensive work on major accidents, including Bhopal, Chernobyl, and the Challenger disaster. The book is an insightful read that challenges traditional approaches to safety and offers a unique perspective on the risks of living in a highly technological world.

The 8 Habits of a Highly Effective Safety Culture by Rodd Wagner is a must-read for anyone in the business leadership field. The author, with over 30 years of industry experience, provides valuable insights into creating a just and sustainable safety culture. The book covers eight habits that will change as industries and people change, but the six habits remain the same as in 2004. The two habits that evolved were due to progress in Human Performance Based programs. The author's goal is to make it safe for employees to fail, as failure is inevitable when humans are involved. Overall, this book is a valuable addition to any business leadership bookshelf.

Pre-Accident Investigations: Better Questions - An Applied Approach to Operational Learning challenges safety and reliability professionals to get better answers by asking better questions. A provocative examination of human performance and safety management, the book delivers a thought-provoking discourse about how we work, and defines a new approach to operational learning.This is not a book about traditional safety. This is a book about creating "real" safety in your organization. In order to predict incidents before they happen, an organization should first understand how their processes can result in failure. Instead of managing the outcomes, they must learn to manage and understand the processes used to create them.Ideal for use in safety, human performance, psychology, cognitive and decision making, systems engineering, and risk assessment areas, this book equips the safety professional with the tools, steps, and models of success needed to create long-term value and change from safety programs.