plastics Charter Industry Guidance Promoting Worker Involvement Within the plastics Industry Great Britain has changed how it works, the growth of small industries biased towards intellectual capital had led to the following situation; there are not enough employers who properly involve and consult their workers and there are not enough workers who feel able to come forward and take on health and safety responsibilities. The challenge now is to build on this role and ensure the employer and workforce find new ways to develop trust and work together. Source: HSC 2004

Aim To reduce accidents and incidences of work related ill health through better control of risks at the sharp end.

Objectives Build and support the valuable work done by the Trade Union Representatives and Committees (where applicable). Develop a sustainable health and safety culture. Support the collective challenging of existing health and safety practices and procedures.

Objectives Reduce adversary between workers and managers on health and safety related issues. Replace mistrust with mutual trust and common goals. Provide the competence to individuals to carry out new health and safety functions through e.g. a team approach.

Directly Applicable Legislation? Companies who effectively involve the workforce seldom refer to the legal requirements as the leading force. They are convinced of the practical benefits of effective employee involvement in risk management.

Directly Applicable Legislation? Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974 –Provision of information, instruction and training. Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999 –Employers duty to consult, regulation 5. Health & Safety (Consultation with Employees) Regulations 1996 –Duty to consult with those not represented by Trade Union Safety Representatives.

Directly Applicable Legislation? Safety Representatives & Safety Committee Regulations 1977 –Allows recognised trade union appointed safety representatives who then have rights to: Be consulted on health and safety issues. Inspect the premises. Investigate accidents, dangerous occurrences and occupational diseases.

Directly Applicable Legislation? Safety Representatives & Safety Committee Regulations 1977 Attend safety meetings. Request a safety meeting. Contact enforcing authority inspectors.

Why a Partnership/Involvement? In line with governments revitalising health and safety initiative. HSE see partnerships between employers and employees as the key to preventing accidents and work related ill health. Partnerships are fully supported by the TUC & HSC.

Why a Partnership/Involvement? Fully supported by the plastics Charter and members of the British plastics Health and Safety Committee.

Revitalising Targets By 2010 reduce:- Working days lost through accidents and ill health by 30%. Major and fatal accidents incidence rate by 10%. Ill health work related incidence rate by 20%. Achieve half of the above by 2004.

Benefits of Workforce Involvement In effectively involving your workforce you are likely to benefit by:- Developing a positive health and safety culture. Reducing accidents and ill health and their costs. Complying with legal requirements. Improve the overall performance of the business.

What is Workforce Involvement? The process requires management to work with employees, contractors and agency workers throughout the Company to:- Involve the workforce as equal partners. Actively seek their views. Value the positive contribution they make.

What is Workforce Involvement? Enable effective involvement to occur in all areas of health and safety management. Nurture, support and sustain the partnership. Be ready to change how things are done and challenge previous management practices.

How to Achieve Effective Workforce Involvement? Managers, Safety Advisor & Safety Representatives communicate goals and secure commitment of everyone Make organisational changes e.g. agree new staff roles and responsibilities towards a team approach. Plan & implement Practical arrangements Measure performance And assess progress Adjust programme to improve effectiveness of involvement Decide to introduce Or increase workplace involvement

Communicate Communication channels include:- Safety Committees. Project groups. Direct to workforce. Inductions. Notice boards. Toolbox talks. Shift Briefings.

Workforce Involvement A team will need to achieve a common understanding of effective workforce involvement issues such as:- Its goals and benefits. Its key features. The organisational structure and management style which best supports it.

Achieving Co-operation To achieve full co-operation the following questions and actions need to be addressed:- What do you need to do to enable people to co-operate with each other e.g. a team work approach. Is health and safety being used as a channel for wider (non-safety) industrial relations issues which need to be resolved by other means.

Achieving Co-operation Can managers allow safety team members and others sufficient time to fulfil their new roles? Inclusion of contractors in your workplace initiative. Encourage all workers to get involved.

Achieving Co-operation Devise various hands on methods of involvement, for example:- –Involvement in risk assessment. –Safety Concern reporting. –Employee attitude surveys. –Hazard mapping. –Accident investigation & root cause analysis. –Reviewing processes where health and safety compliance is poor.

Adopting a Teamwork Approach Suggested Responsibilities Safety Professional To provide a toolkit for implementation. To facilitate, help and support. Provide advice on how to implement the ‘Partnership Model’. Ensure all team members have the right skills and knowledge. Take a full and active part in all safety team activity.

Adopting a Teamwork Approach Suggested Responsibilities Management Ensure the team have the time, resources and authority to implement and progress the program. Be mindful of existing commitment of core members and ensure added pressure is not applied. Request feedback from teams on progress.

Adopting a Teamwork Approach Suggested Responsibilities Management Provide support and resources for any hurdle to be overcome. Provide positive reinforcement of the team initiative. Provide an open and honest dialogue.

Adopting a Teamwork Approach Suggested Responsibilities Team To take all reasonable practicable steps to keep themselves informed of the legislations, hazards in the work place and the health and safety policy. To help change, promote and sustain a positive safety culture inc. checking effectiveness of measures.

Adopting a Teamwork Approach Suggested Responsibilities Team Actively participate in hazard identification and risk assessment. Actively participate in accident investigation and root cause analysis. Be familiar with problem solving and potential problem analysis techniques. Keep site management informed of progress.

Adopting a Teamwork Approach Suggested Responsibilities Team Feedback any unsafe practices or conditions that are still being witnessed and not addressed. Make direct intervention in safety rule non- compliance e.g. non-wearing of PPE or failure to follow safe working procedures.

Competency The initiative will flounder if staff (workers & managers) have not been empowered with the appropriate competencies. You will need to consider:- If specialist support is needed to help run the initiative. –Coaching may be in high demand at the start of the process.

Competency Team members may need to acquire team- working and problem solving skills, along with specific skills such as hazard identification, risk assessment, accident investigation etc. The timing of training is critical to the success of the initiative.

Competency Team members should have access to appropriate safety/technical/training personnel whose role is to act as facilitators. As awareness improves, further training needs may become apparent.

Planning & Implementing Timing –Do not embark upon the initiative until it is well planned and you have taken account of the organisational changes needed. The important first step –Involve employees, get their views e.g. a S.W.O.T. analysis of the existing health and safety system. –Conduct in a way that gives staff ownership of the process.

Planning & Implementing –Generate new ideas for improvement. –Set objectives and basic ground rules.

Planning & Implementing Piloting –Pilot activities before implementing. –Choose an area which is likely to succeed.

Planning & Implementing Organisational Change –Consult early. –Consider arrangements that best fulfil the organisational needs and capabilities. –Seek advise from human resource specialists and others.

Planning & Implementing Keeping up momentum –Plan resources financial and human with care. –Set realistic milestones. –Demonstrate continued commitment. –Maintain everybody’s belief in the initiative. –Maintain openness and good communications. –Highlight material benefits. –Learn lessons from any unsuccessful initiative.

Measuring Performance Use measures agreed at the planning stage. Check management are being supportive e.g. releasing staff, leading by example. Monitor problems and ideas for improvement. Record the benefits which were not planned. Measure other business indicators.

Auditing & Review Analyse why some aspects were a success and others were not. Check whether the goals still satisfy business needs. Identify ways of improving. Continue benchmarking against other organisations. Continue consultation.

Auditing & Review Adjust the programme to take account of conclusions of the review process.

Summary Involving the workforce is vital in achieving a positive health and safety culture. Workforce involvement can take many forms and each organisation will have to develop their own arrangements. Partnership agreements with Trade Unions and Safety Representatives can help with all stages of workforce involvement.

Summary The more workforce involvement the greater the sense of ownership. The workforce should be involved in all the basic management elements. –Policy –Organisation –Planning –Implementing –Measuring –Audit & Review

Health & Safety Partnerships The Way Forward for Health & Safety In the UK plastics Industry