The Old Way = Safety Program The New Way = Safety Culture “Old and New” The Old Way = Safety Program The New Way = Safety Culture

A High Performing Contractor will… “…systematically pursue, achieve, and maintain increasingly higher levels of company and individual competence.”

A High Performing Contractor looking to implement a safety culture will… “…systematically pursue, achieve, and maintain increasingly higher levels of company and individual competence…” in safety.

Management Improvement Model Process Management Strategic Planning Keeping Score (Results) Leadership Customer Focus Employee Focus

Safety Program vs Safety Culture A plan outlining how the company will address OSHA compliance issues. Culture… “The sum total of the way things are done in a company. Culture includes values and beliefs.”

Progression of a Safety Culture Five Levels of Progression Towards a Safety Culture (not a goal, but a guideline) Level Five: Continuous Improvement Level Four: Cooperating Level Three: Involving Level Two: Managing Level One: Emerging (source: Vincent Theobald – University of New Castle)

Progression of a Safety Culture Level One: Emerging Safety activities defined in achieving compliance Accidents are seen as unavoidable, part of the job Front line staff are uninterested in safety Safety used as an “issue” to be argued Management ignores safety and leaves it up to the safety folks Level Two: Managing EMR average for the industry Safety is seen as a business risk – management has input Safety is based on engineering controls as main focus Accidents are seen as preventable Lagging indicators used to measure performance

Progression of a Safety Culture Level Three: Involving Accident rates / EMR are low…but reached a plateau Involvement of frontline employees seen as critical Accidents causes are varied and root cause is investigated All employees accept responsibility for safety Level Four: Cooperating Safety is seen as a moral and economic benefit Significant pro-active measures are in place A healthy lifestyle (non-work) is promoted

Progression of a Safety Culture Level Five: Continuous Improvement Prevention of all injuries and illnesses is a core corporate value… with top management leading the way Sustained period of “zero injury” status but no complacency A range of indicators are used to measure performance and improvement Striving to find new hazard control mechanisms All employees accept the belief that safety is a part if their job Considerable investment in promoting safety and health (on and off the job)

Progression of a Safety Culture Small/Medium Sized Contractors vs Large Contractors…different levels of a “culture”

A Systematic Approach to Improved Safety Performance: Nine Essential Parts of a Safety Culture Demonstrated Management Involvement Staffing for Safety Safety Education: Orientation and Specialized Training Encouraged Worker Involvement Source: Construction Industry Institute - Safety Plus: Making Zero Accidents a Reality

A Systematic Approach to Improved Safety Performance: Evaluation and Recognition/Reward Planning: Pre-Project and Pre-task Accident/Incident Investigations Drug and Alcohol Testing The 3 Ps…Policies, Procedures, and Programs Source: Construction Industry Institute - Safety Plus: Making Zero Accidents a Reality

Management Involvement Old Way… Management Commitment New Way… Management Involvement

Management Involvement The first step in a safety program is the full support and involvement of upper management Establishes the corporate philosophy on safety (Safety Culture) Communicates the shared interests to workers (Team Effort) Ensures that “safety” is included in the company mission statement.

Management Involvement Management Should Be ACCOUNTABLE for: Being role models (do as I do…) Safety inspections (at least monthly) Safety orientation and training Accident / incident investigations Project planning for safety issues

Management Involvement Old Way… Safety is No 1 priority New Way… Safety is an integral part of business success

Staffing for Safety Full time safety representative on each large project (GC, consultant, etc.) Small projects – one rep can serve several projects Safety rep involved in all project planning meetings Involved in all project functions

Safety Education Orientation and Specialized Training The most important aspect of safety communication A well-trained workforce are the “eyes and ears” of a safety system More then just “toolbox talks” Safety training is a “line item” in each project budget

Safety Education All employees know and understand the safety HAZARDS All employees know and understand the safety SYSTEM All employees know and understand their safety RESPONSIBILITIES

Safety Education Orientation Done for all employees (inc. office workers) Upon initial hire Can be done for each project (New Project Oritentation) Company and project management involved Formal training (not just a “toolbox talk”)

Safety Education Specialized Training Specific for management, supervisors and/or workers Covers issues on an “as-needed” basis (based on recent trends, new equipment or processes, etc.) Conducted at various times of the day/week to break up the schedule (surprise training = emphasis)

Safety Education Specialized Training Keep it “short and sweet” Include visuals (CD-Rom, videos, charts) Handouts are good reminders Hands-on exercises

Worker Involvement Old Way… Reminding someone to work safely is usually considered “getting into their business” New Way… Reminding someone to work safely is appreciated and considered normal

Worker Involvement Safety Committee Allows exchange of ideas and input at all levels Communication between key personnel Promotes a “team” concept Requires management commitment to ensure issues are addressed

Worker Involvement Behavior-Based Safety Try to understand “why workers do what they do” Identify and change “bad” behavior Reinforce good safety practice Talk about safety everyday Use of “safety observers”

Worker Involvement Safety Perception Survey Creates a “feedback loop” which results in continuous improvement in the system Seek information from workers Provides an overview of how workers feel Conduct monthly (or as appropriate) Encourage participation (incentive program)

Hazard Identification (Recognition) Need to recognize hazards Develop a “system approach” to hazards Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) for each project Don’t forget non-routine tasks (What If…!) Primary hazard inspections conducted regularly by a safety team Encourage participation from everyone

Hazard Identification (Recognition) Hazard control is the key to prevention Assess…the workplace, equipment, and procedures Identify…hazards Eliminate…abatement program Control…if not eliminated, set controls (engineering and administrative, PPE, preventative maintenance, frequent inspections, emergency procedures, hazard reporting, training, etc.)

Evaluation and Recognition/Reward Safety Incentive Programs Pros and Cons Should be for proactive responses rather then reactive responses (i.e., safety suggestions vs no recordable injuries) Progressive – the longer the situation occurs (i.e., continuous decline in EMR), the bigger the reward Cumulative – once a goal is reached, the award is given (i.e., EMR reached 0.85) Frequency = shows commitment

Evaluation and Recognition/Reward Old Way… Incident rates are the primary measure of success New Way… Safety behavior, safety skills, and contributing to the safety process are used to measure safety success

Evaluation and Recognition/Reward EMR = 1.0 That sounds great…but, That is AVERAGE for the industry and unacceptable to the high performing contractor.

Lagging vs Leading Indicators Lagging indicators occur “after the fact” Examples of lagging indicators are number of injury and illness cases and workdays without injury Measures problems and system failures

Lagging vs Leading Indicators Lagging indicators do not measure what has not happened (risks taken by employees but no accident) No measure of doing preventative measures Can drive reporting “underground” (i.e., incentive programs for “zero injuries”…no one wants to stop the contest)

Lagging vs Leading Indicators Leading indicators are proactive, performance based measures that are implemented to prevent accidents Leading indicators measure impact on future events, measure risk reduction activities, and demonstrate improvements to the safety system

Lagging vs Leading Indicators Examples of leading indicators are attendance at training sessions safety inspections conducted safety-related work orders completed safety suggestions reported and implemented.

Lagging vs Leading Indicators A combination of lagging and leading indicators may be best for your system Indicators must be measurable Indicators must be flexible and open for revision based on results (or lack of)

Evaluation and Recognition/Reward Old Way … Safe behavior is encouraged through slogans and posters New Way… Safe behavior is rewarded as part of the performance process

Evaluation and Recognition/Reward Data Review Use data to prove / disprove theories about your safety culture... Timing - most of our accidents occur on Mondays Age - our younger workers get injured more frequently Injury Type – cuts are our most common injury Use data to make decisions… >> Give toolbox talks on Wednesdays >> Be sure that older workers are trained on ladder use >> Review glove use to prevent cuts

Planning: Pre-Project and Pre-Task Conduct a job hazard analysis (JHA) Safety part of constructability reviews Prepare jobsite-specific safety and health programs (based on JHA)

Accident/Incident Investigations Accident = unplanned event resulting in injury or illness to employees and/ or property damage Incident = Near Miss (Near–Hit…!) Almost an accident BOTH need to be investigated for “root cause” Also need program to identify and address (abate) POTENTIAL incidents and accidents

The Hidden Costs of Accidents Far Exceed Costs of a Safety Culture CUSTOMIZE!!!! The average direct cost at Avaya for a lost work day accident is 23 thousand dollars (convert this amount into local currency).

Accident/Incident Investigations All Accidents are Preventable Accidents are “Triggered” by Behavior Accident Causes are Systemic Accidents are Not “Accidental” Accidents are Symptoms, not Problems Accident Causes Rarely Exist at the Scene Accidents are Not the Target of HPCs

Accident/Incident Investigations The Old Way… Unsafe acts and unsafe conditions are the two primary categories of incident investigation. The New Way… Root causes are determined and analyzed for opportunities to improve the system.

Accident/Incident Investigations The Old Way… Individuals are afraid to report incidents for fear of blame and hassle The New Way… Incident investigations focus on root cause. Hassle is minimized. The value of investigations is recognized and rewarded by management.

Accident/Incident Investigations Investigation of a near-hit or employee observation/complaint reveals that a primary machine guard has been removed. The guard need to be replaced, but don’t just put it back…find out why it was removed (root cause) Identifying the root cause will help fix the “system”

Drug and Alcohol Testing Drug and alcohol testing has been on the rise in recent years. Why?... Statistics show that testing programs result in a decrease in work-related accidents and incidents Testing procedures are more accurate Confidentiality has been addressed The benefits are more obvious (source: SMACNA Safety Survey Profile Report)

Written Policies and Procedures Provide a “roadmap” to a successful program Communicates the rights and responsibilities of employer and employees

Written Policies and Procedures Prioritze Your Efforts Review Your OSHA Injury and Illness Logs (trends) Top 10 Most Frequently Cited OSHA Standards Frequency VS Severity Industry Facts (SMACNA reports cuts, sprains and strains, eye injuries, and falls) OSHA Special Emphasis Programs (falls, motor vehicles, electrical, machinery)