Effective Safety Teams Tips to Make Your Safety Team Go From Average to Awesome Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation Division of Safety and Hygiene Julie Reynolds

Where to Start? Top Management Commitment

What is Management Commitment for a Safety Team?  Participating in setting goals and objectives  Making a commitment to listen to the team’s suggestions  Providing resources (Money/Time)

How Do You Gain Management Commitment? Safety Pays ( Cost of a Claim BWC Premium Increase Money Talks!!

Assemble a Team

Select Team Members  Labor and management partnering  Represent all key functional areas and knowledge

What about…..  Appoint, recruit or volunteer?  What about shifts?  Number of members?  Who will choose the members?  How long will members serve on the team?  Where will you meet?  How long/often will you meet?

Team Member Roles  Team Member  Team Leader  Scribe/Note Taker  Timekeeper  Facilitator

Purpose Goals Strategies

Why have a Purpose?  It identifies the work of the team and why it’s important.  Provides the on-going direction for the team.  All members must share in and be committed to the purpose.  Should be linked to overall organizational mission and vision.

Goal Setting The stated goals should be SMART :  S pecific  M easurable  A ttainable  R ealistic  T imely

Strategy  Determine how you will meet your goals and work towards achieving your purpose.  Tangible tasks that can be accomplished by team members.  Make team members accountable for the assigned tasks.

Purpose: To improve communication

Goals: Improve perception survey results by 10% in 12 months Conduct 100 safety contact opportunities (training, meetings, one on one’s) this year Create two way feedback for safety related issues and respond in 48 hrs

Strategies: Conduct survey in January & December Conduct weekly safety talks, monthly safety meetings & quarterly training classes Create on-line safety mailbox Develop accountability system for safety contacts

Determine What To Work On Safety Teams should address broad systems, not symptoms

Symptoms  Broken guard rail near aisle 4  Leaky roof in shipping area  Cluttered, crowded work area in inspection  Missing machine guard on a press

Five Systems for Safety Teams  Communication  Training  Policies and Procedures  Climate  Accountability

Build Team Skills

Specific Training May Include:  Team Process  Team Concepts  Interpersonal Communication  Conflict Resolution  Group Facilitation  Technical Safety Information  Problem Solving/Decision Making

Problem Solving & Decision Making  Consensus  Brainstorming  Fishbone Diagram  Multi-Voting (DOTS)  Group Normalization  Methods (CARDS)  High-Low Grid  Pareto Chart  Force Field Analysis

Consensus is … … 70% comfort … 100% commitment

Meeting Management

Norms Common group norms for successful teams include:  _________________________________

The Agenda  Keeps the meeting on track  Send out before the meeting  Assign time limits to specific topics

Agenda Items /Person Responsible/Time Frame Old Business 1. Follow-up of June’s suggestions Joe Smith 2:00 – 2:10 2. Review of 2nd quarter inspections John Jones 2:10 – 2:20 New Business 1. Review current new hire process Jean Wilson 2:20 – 2:35 2. Elect new members (2) Don Doe 2:35 – 2:45 Monthly training (preventing heat stress) Tammy Trainer 2:45 – 3:00 * Please be on time and bring your departmental housekeeping inspection.

Parking Lot Issues not on the agenda

Documentation  Meeting agendas  Meeting minutes  Action plans  Other reports requested by management

Action Planning Action ItemWhoWhenStatus

People fail to accomplish their goals for three reasons: 1) they fail to write them down 2) they have no one to hold them accountable 3) no deadlines

Communication Plan aka: Marketing!!

Every Step As the team is being organized As members are chosen As roles are determined As goals are established (and met) When success is achieved

Evaluate Team Effectiveness Team effectiveness should be evaluated on: Task Completion (results) Building of Relationships (team process)

Evaluating Team Performance Do at least an annual self-evaluation Review Purpose-Goals-Strategies