From the Oregon SHARP Alliance Board, To Assist Oregon Employers An Alliance Guide to Achieving SHARP

SHARP S afety and H ealth A chievement R ecognition P rogram A Recognition Program to provide incentive for employers who develop and implement an effective Safety and Health Program Management Plan

SHARP: A Process Encourages work toward self- sufficiency Utilize OR-OSHA consultation staff Initially –Recognition program –Aimed at smaller companies that need more help VPP Level Majority of Oregon Employers Targeted by Enforcement SHARP Level

Eligibility Oregon employers –In business for at least one year –Subject to workers’ compensation insurance –Management / corporate commitment –DART rate below industry average or trending downward* * In the Portland area, a pilot is underway to allow sites into SHARP with rates above industry averages as long as there is a 5-year downward trend in injury/illnes rates

Consultation’s SHARP Tools Comprehensive Consultation –Safety, Health and Ergonomic –All shifts and operations SHARP Assessment Form –2 or better on all 58 elements –Tips and Attributes Injury and Illness Rates –Published on web page

SHARP Participation Requires employers and employees to work together to; –Find and correct hazards –Develop and implement effective S&H programs –Continuosly improve safety and health –Become self-sufficient in S&H management

Hazard Anticipation and Detection Creating a SHARP Safety Culture - Planning & Evaluation Management Leadership Hazard Prevention & Control Safety & Health Management Program Safety & Health Training Administration & Supervision Employee Participation (Involvement)

What does SHARP look like? Compliance and beyond –OSHA standards are the minimum acceptable levels An occupational safety and health program –Able to maintain itself without outside aid –Capable of providing for itself, that which it needs to survive Mature, Pro-Active Culture –Management Led, Employee Driven Continuous Improvement Mode –Actively working to be better –Not satisfied with “where they are”

SHARP Process Flowchart Company requests initial SHARP Assessment Intake completed / Consultation scheduled Follow-up comprehensive Consultation with program assessment, completed and sent Qualified for SHARPNot Qualified for SHARP Action Plan Developed Action Plan Implemented Company requests follow-up assessment Initial comprehensive Consultation with program assessment, completed and sent Qualified for SHARP Not Qualified for SHARP First Year SHARP Awarded

Before Approval Commitment letter on file DART Rates below industry average* Action Plans completed Consultant’s verification of correction Acceptable rating on SHARP assessment form

On-going SHARP Aproval Approval for one year only –Renew SHARP annually by requesting comprehensive consultation –Continual increasing site involvement in the SHARP evaluation process Inspection Exemption –After second-year approval Graduation after five years

Action Planning (Goal Setting) W hite Rabbit (Alice in Wonderland) –If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there! Plan – Do – Check – Act –W. Edwards Demming – 1950’s “Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail” –John Wooden A job well planned is a job well done! –Plan the Work, Work the Plan

SHARP Commitment Letter Employer must agree in writing –To a comprehensive survey of all operations –To involve employees in the process –To work to correct hazards with written verification –To develop, implement & improve all 7 elements And maintain DART below statewide average –To develop & maintain a written S&H program –To achieve an acceptable assessment rating –To inform FCM of changes that could introduce hazards –To notify FCM when ready for follow-up

SHARP BOTTOM LINE To qualify, employers must: Agree to a Comprehensive Consultation; Correct all hazards identified in the consultation; Implement all elements of an effective Safety & Health Program Management Plan; Significantly involve employees in the Safety & Health Program Management Plan; and Achieve an acceptable rating in the final assessment of the Safety & Health Program Management Plan.

What have these companies gained? Willamette Landscape Services (60 employees) –During the five years leading to their SHARP designation, reduced the number of lost-time workplace injuries and illnesses by 75% –Achieved a DART rate that is 55% below statewide industry average. –“SHARP has helped us become a better company. We are a more conscientous employer now, and I feel great knowing that we can offer safe and productive employment to anybody who would like to work with us” Matt Triplett, VP

Roseburg Forest Products Road to SHARP… Mid-1980’s to early 1990’s –Had several fatalities –OR-OSHA was out to close us down Possibly prosecute someone

Safety during that period was at best: –A distance third to Production Quality Our “safety program” was largely: –Regulation driven We did just what we had to

What has SHARP done for us: Given us the focus we didn’t have Provided a road map for improvement Helped us establish a baseline of which we could measure that improvement Helped to give all our employees a “piece of the action”

Benefits of being a SHARP participant Going through the SHARP process: –Identifies your weak points –Gives you a focus –Helps you establish your goals & objectives

Benefits of being a SHARP participant Attaining SHARP recognition gives: –Your workforce a sense of pride –Sense of accomplishment Steppingstone to VPP Provides you with a network

Quotes from 2 SHARP Graduates "The service from Oregon OSHA's Consultation Services' is outstanding! Our savings on claims costs have been enormous. Annual claims costs have dropped 64 percent and lost workdays have fallen 79 percent." City of Portland, Columbia Wastewater Treatment Plant Our Oregon OSHA consultants were wonderful!! They never pushed, only encouraged. Never criticized, only motivated. They were our cheerleaders as well as our coaches. Our Lost Workday Cases Incident Rate went from in 2000 to 0.00 in 2002." Mid-Valley Healthcare

Resources Oregon OSHA – Oregon SHARP Companies – Oregon SHARP Alliance –

SHARP Alliance Activities Promoting SHARP Promoting Alliance membership Mentoring Networking Training Input to Oregon-OSHA Assist new sites working toward SHARP

Mentoring The sharing of experience –Successes & Failures Learning from someone who has done it –The ability to see an effective program in action –See what a culture of continuous improvement looks like Motivating the organization –Employees/manager/supervisors –Meaningful & active involvement with S&H

Networking Ability to get useful information from a peer –Meaningful training, successful programs, etc. Don’t recreate the wheel –Access to proven results rather than trail and error Discovering what works and what doesn’t work –From someone who has already been there Developing relationships –Enhancing credibility

The Oregon SHARP Alliance A resource to all new sites working toward SHARP Experienced Guides Willing and Able to Help!