Building a Safety Culture Rich Gaul Safety Technical Advisor Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation Division of Safety and Hygiene Introduce myself I was asked to come here today to present information on how to build a safety culture. There are many safety culture models available. You may be familiar with some of them. What do you believe are some of the key elements to an effective safety culture?

National Safety Council Model Safety Management System Leadership commitment System management and communication Assessments, audits and performance measures Hazard identification and risk reduction Workplace design and engineering Operational processes and procedures Worker and management involvement Motivation, behaviors and attitudes Training and orientation There are many model safety programs available to help guide you and compare yourself to. The National Safety Council provides one such model. Please note that leadership commitment is the first element. Also note the emphasis on worker and management involvement…it will be a common theme among most model programs.

OSHA’s Injury and Illness Prevention Plan (I2P2) Management Leadership Worker Participation Hazard identification and assessment Hazard prevention and control Education and training Program evaluation and improvement OSHA published it’s model safety program – Injury and Illness Prevention Plan (I2P2) several years ago. There have been attempts and much discussion about mandating this in the OSHA regulations. So far that has not occurred and likely will not occur in the foreseeable future.

ANSI Z-10 Management leadership Employee participation Planning Implementation and operation Evaluation and corrective action Management review ANSI (American National Standards Institute) has a model safety program (Z-10) Again note the emphasis on management leadership and employee participation

What is Culture? Values Beliefs Norms Behavior patterns Shared Ideas Customs Signs Symbols Stories Learned Shared Transmitted Way of Life What are the elements of an organizational culture? These things are learned, shared, and transmitted to new members (employees) so they understand the correct way to perceive, think, feel, and behave.

Culture Defined integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief and behavior shared ideas, beliefs, values, customs and way of life of a certain people or group at a certain time. the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution or organization.

Organizational Culture Vs. Safety Culture Is there such a thing as an Organizational Culture? Is there such a thing as a “Safety Culture”? Are they the same? This is where I see many organizations struggle and fail in their attempts to achieve their desire for a safety culture. Attempting to implement and manage a safety culture that is separate from the organizational culture can set you up for frustration and failure. A safety culture is simply an organizational culture where safety is integrated into the fabric of every aspect of the organizational culture.

What are the day-to-day organizational factors and work activities that influence employee performance and ultimately shape the organization’s culture? Rather than trying to create and implement and new safety culture, perhaps by using one of the models I showed earlier, lets approach the concept of safety culture from a more practical organizational manner. Lets identify and analyze the daily workplace factors and work activities that ultimately create and influence your organization’s culture.

5 common operational areas Performance Goals Job Methods Job Based Supports Social Supports Rewards This list represents just five operational areas that are typical in most organizations. I’m sure there are many others you could add to this list. (Training, discipline, communications, etc.) The challenge is to examine all aspects of your organizations operations and evaluate whether safety is integrated into each. With our limited time today, we will examine these five areas.

(Safe) Performance Goals The extent to which the organization communicates to employees that employee safety and health is an organizational value. Is safety included in your corporate mission statement or value statement? Does your organization have clearly communicated safety related goals; both organizational goals and personal goals for each employee? Not just zero accidents. Is a safe and healthy work environment a clearly established and communicated goal? Do managers and supervisors consistently support and enforce safe work performance? Does the organization ever push productivity at the expense of safety? (sacrifice safety in order to meet production goals)? Do supervisors and employees coach co-workers on proper work methods and tool use and intervene when a co-worker is engaged in an unsafe act? Do managers and supervisors model the safe behaviors they expect from the employees? (manager walks onto shop floor with no ear plugs).

(Safe) Job Methods The extent to which the organization integrates safety into all work practices and provides employees with the tools, equipment and training to work safely. Does your organization provide clear methods, policies and procedures that ensure employees perform their work safely? Is safety included in every standard operating procedure? Is necessary training and proper tools and equipment provided for employees to work safely? Does training equip employees to make safe decisions about their job tasks? Do supervisors observe employees performing job tasks to ensure they understand the training and follow proper procedures? Do you audit policies, procedures and work practices to ensure they are accurate and accomplishing desired outcomes? Do you encourage employees to voice concerns if they feel something is unsafe or make suggestions for how it can be improved? Do employees inspect their work areas at the start of each shift to ensure tools and equipment are in safe working order and the work station is properly set up? Do they know what to do if it is not safe or set up properly? Is housekeeping maintained throughout the day to ensure that no hazards are created?

(Safe) Job Based Support The extent to which the organization provides employees with job standards, expectations and demands that allow them to work safely. Work overload Work role ambiguity Work role conflict Empowerment Do your job standards and expectations allow employees to work safely? Things to consider when assessing job standards, demands and expectations include: Work overload - employee’s feelings about their ability to safely complete the work within the time allotted. Does the pace of work create safety risks that could lead to workplace injuries and illnesses? (ergonomics, repetitive motion) Is the pace of work so fast or the work demands so high that employees are forced to take short cuts or ignore safety in order to meet the demands? (piece rate) Work role ambiguity - employee’s perception that his/her job standards and performance expectations are unclear. Work role conflict – occurs when an employee feels they are being given inconsistent or conflicting job requests from multiple sources. Are employees told to work safely during the safety meeting and then encouraged to ignore safety and just get the job done by their supervisor? A consistent message of safety must be preached and practiced at all levels of the organization at all times. Empowerment – provides employees with a level of control over job related decisions and a sense that their job is meaningful.

(Safe) Social Support The extent to which supervisors and co-workers communicate positive attitudes for creating a safe work environment. Trust in management Supervisor relationship quality Group cohesion This refers to the social or interpersonal relationships employees develop at work. Trust in management reflects employee’s belief that the company treats employees in a fair, honest and consistent manner Supervisor relationship quality reflects the quality of the employee’s work relationship with his/her supervisor. Good quality relationships with one’s supervisor is important to individual and organizational outcomes including safety. Consider providing training for supervisors such as – improving communication skills, providing effective feedback, effective listening skills to understand employee’s problems, appropriate procedures for discipline. Group cohesion reflects how attached the employee is to his/her work group. Encourage supervisors and employees to make suggestions and support each other in practicing safe behaviors. Consider providing team-building activities to develop employee’s trust in each other, increase understanding and respect.

Rewards (for Safety) The extent to which the organization provides recognition or rewards for employees who practice safe behaviors. Develop formal policies and programs to reward employees for safe work behaviors. This does not necessarily have to be financial. Provide feedback, praise, recognition and reinforcement of safe behaviors. Catch people doing their jobs properly and safely and reinforce those behaviors. Many organizations have some form of performance evaluation. Do supervisors and employees have safety related performance activities and goals; are they measured, evaluated and rewarded for achieving those goals? Not just zero injuries.

Summary Don’t manage safety separately from the rest of the operations. Rather, integrate safety into every aspect of your current organizational culture. Leadership drives organizational culture. The topic of safety culture was intentionally selected for today’s CEO meeting because this presentation was intended for the leaders of your organizations. As leaders, you set the tone and direction for your organizational culture. Most organizations’ cultures are a reflection of the leadership.

Key to a Safety Culture LEADERSHIP “Management commitment to safety is the major controlling influence in obtaining success.” NIOSH Study NOISH study analyzed safety processes and management factors in organizations with high, low, and exceptionally low incidence rates and found significant correlations between safety results and the core management competencies of the organization. The study concluded that “Management commitment to safety is the major controlling influence in obtaining success.”

“Leadership is crucial to safety results, as leadership forms the culture that determines what will and will not work in the organization’s safety efforts.” Dan Petersen

Division of Safety & Hygiene BWC Division of Safety & Hygiene Greg Younglas – Industrial Safety Consultant Dave Godenswager – Loss Prevention Supervisor Rich Gaul –Safety Technical Advisor (440) 935-2421 There is a tremendous amount of information and assistance available to help you assess and improve your organizational culture. Our limited time today did not allow me to get into more detail. I encourage you to take this information back to your work place and begin to assess your culture and find ways to integrate safety into every aspect. And contact BWC for any assistance you may need.

Questions? I would be happy to entertain any questions you may have.