1. Methods for Obtaining Feedback on your EH&S Program
Robert Emery, DrPH, CHP, CIH, CSP, RBP, CHMM, CPP, ARM
Vice President for Safety, Health, Environment & Risk Management
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Professor of Occupational Health
The University of Texas School of Public Health

2. Change in Focus EH&S programs have changed in recent years
Originally “command and control”, regulatory driven
Now service oriented, with goal to support the organizational goals
Important to systematically obtain feedback to aid strategeic planning efforts
Quantify the intangibles (goodwill value)

3. Soliciting Feedback
EH&S program feedback is typically obtained in four ways:
Unsolicited: usually complaints, rarely compliments
Training courses: smile sheets
A few generic questions as part of a larger organizational survey
Passive link on website: “let us know how we did”

4. Previous Efforts
Previous client satisfaction work at UTHSC-H focused on routine safety surveillance program
Intended to evaluate staff performance in 5 historically problematic areas
Interruptions,
discourteous,
unknowledgeable,
not technically proficient,
and waste not picked up
Results overwhelmingly positive >90% approval ratings
Unanticipated results – written comments: “thanks for asking!”
Powerful tool for demonstrating program goodwill value to upper management

5. Major Challenge
Feedback from surveys can be skewed or misleading if client expectations are not understood first
The trick is to first understand what client expectation are, and then to conduct operations accordingly

6. Two Types of Client Expectations
Realistic expectations that are perceived as not being achieved
Solution: recalibrate operations to meet expectations
Unrealistic expectations that can never be met
Solution: educate client so that expectations can be adjusted

7. Measuring Expectations and Perceptions
SERVQUAL tool
Developed by Parasuraman et al. under the auspices of the Marketing Science Institute
Research shows that customers evaluate firms by comparing service performance (perceptions) with service expectations

8. Five Dimensions of Service Quality
Tangibles – appearance of staff, facilities
Reliability – ability to perform promised service dependably and reliably
Responsiveness – willingness to help clients and provide prompt service
Assurance – knowledge and courtesy of staff which instills trust and confidence
Empathy – caring, individualized attention

9. SERVQUAL Tool 22 paired statements split into two sections
Expectations
Perceptions
Example: “When excellent cable TV companies promise to do something by a certain time, they will do it”
Each statement evaluated on a 7 point Leikert scale
Data summarized and graphically displayed, comparing expectations versus perceptions

10. Methods
Modified questionnaire developed, consisting of 7 paired statements about EH&S program services
Areas of concentration: reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy
Distributed to 280 principle investigators in paper form with a personalized, signed cover memo
Survey form pre-labeled for return via campus mail

11. Results By the end of a 3 week period, 32% return rate
Data entered into a spreadsheet and displayed graphically
Overtly displayed to various stakeholders!

14. Benefits
Results provide tangible evidence of program meeting the expectations of an “excellent” EH&S program
Powerful leverage tool to gain needed resources
Written comments identified other areas of concern
Great for staff morale – feedback for work rarely acknowledged

15. Other Examples Clients who interact with Administrative Support Staff
Clients of the Biological Safety Program
Clients of Environmental Protection Program Services
Employees and Supervisors Reporting Injuries
Determining Management’s Level of “Informed Risk”

16. Administrative Support Staff Survey Results Summary distributed to 90 targeted faculty and staff clients across UTHSCH, with 54 responses in 30 days (60% response rate)
Questions
Yes No
N/A
Phone answered within 3 rings?
78% 2%
20%
Timely response to inquiries?
93% 8%
Courteous response?
94% 3%
If couldn’t answer, offer suggestions or alternatives?
66%
34%

17. Administrative Support Program Client Satisfaction Survey (distributed to 90 targeted faculty and staff clients across UTHSCH, with 54 responses in 30 days (60% response rate)
“ 7) Compared to other administrative personnel you interact with across UTHSCH, please indicate your impression of the level of proficiency of the EH&S Administrative Support Staff member demonstrates during your interaction with them”

20. Survey of Employees and Supervisors Filing UTHSC-H First Reports of Injury in ( based Zoomerang survey for period February 2007 to August 31, 2007)
Employee Population (not reporting any injuries, n = 4,181)
Injured Employees Requiring Care and Lost Time (n = 39): Not Included in survey, as each injured worker that accrues lost time is assigned a case manager to personally assist in the rehabilitation process.
Employees requiring care, but no lost time (n = 28)
Employees not requiring care, no lost time (n = 179)
No Care or Lost Time
(18% response rate)
Care But No Lost Time
(57% response rate)
Supervisors
(13% response rate)
Was this the first time you have reported an injury or exposure at UTHSC-H?
67%(Y) 33%(N)
62%(Y) 38%(N)
37%(Y) 63%(N)
Prior to the recent reported injury event were you aware of your obligation to report any injury or exposure?
88%(Y) 12%(N)
96%(Y) 4%(N)
Did you receive a copy of the completed first report of injury form?
70%(Y) 30%(N)
To your knowledge has the source of your injury or exposure been addressed?
81%(Y) 19%(N)
Did you encounter any issues with the reporting process that you didn’t know or anticipate?
12%(Y) 88%(N)
38%(Y) 62%(N)
27%(Y) 73%(N)
Our records indicate that you did not receive any health care in response to your injury or exposure. Who made the determination that health care was not needed?
72% Yourself
9% Supervisor
19% Other
Have you experienced any residual affects from your injury or exposure?
9%(Y) 91%(N)
Where did you access health care?
53% Employee Health
20% Student Health
27% Other
Please indicate your impression of the level of service provided by the health care provider who addressed your injury or exposure?
38% Very Good
44% Good
6% Average
0% Poor
12% Very Poor
Were you able to easily access the necessary Supervisor's First Report of Injury form?
92%(Y) 8%(N)
If any assistance was needed in order to complete and submit the Supervisor's First Report of Injury form, was this assistance readily available?
46% (Y)
8% (N)
46% (none needed)
Were you provided with the information needed for you to effectively manage the affected employee?
100%(Y) 0%(N)

21. Gauge Your Level of “Informed Risk”   In an attempt to gauge the level of informed risk across campus, an online survey was circulated to manager and supervisory-level personnel via various institutional list servs for the period August 24 to September 9,   Summarized below are the collective responses by percent from 19 respondents. The results indicate that certain opportunities to enhance community education and awareness exist, and will be pursed in FY10 to help further reduce the amount of retained losses experienced by the institution.  
Did you know that…..
Response
Yes No
When measured by dollar value of property loss, the most significant cause of property damage at the UTHSC-H is water?
63% %
The most common source of the water damage is not from hurricanes or discharges from sprinkler heads, but rather from overflowed sinks, drainage leaks, and leaks in water supply lines?
74% %
The deductible for the UTHSC-H property insurance policy is $250,000?
37% %
Personal property stolen or damaged while on UTHSC-H property is not covered by the UTHSC-H property insurance policy?
89% %
The insurance for UTHSC-H includes some amount of coverage for “business interruption” but only if the loss event is due to property damage at UTHSC-H?
When contracting with a firm to move furniture and equipment that the standard coverage for anything damaged in the course of the move is $0.60/lb?
16% %
“Special events” such as parties, catered gatherings and graduations are not covered by the standard UTHSC-H insurance policy, and require the purchase of a “Special Events Policy”?
32% %
If you are injured on the job and cannot work, Worker’s Compensation Insurance will likely not cover your full salary during the period you are unable to work?
84% %
If you drive your personal vehicle for work purposes and are involved in an accident, the primary insurance coverage is your personal auto insurance?
79% %
If something is stolen from your workplace you would report it to UT Police. But if property is damaged or lost in some other way, did you know you need to report that type of loss to Risk Management & insurance?
47% %

22. Summary Institutional EH&S programs are service intensive operations
Important to understand client expectations before measuring satisfaction
Helps with strategic planning – what changes are necessary?
Formal surveys quantify intangibles
Great way to capture and display program’s goodwill value!

23. References
EMERY RJ, Brown BJ. Successfully capturing and displaying biosafety program ‘goodwill value’. Appl Biosaf 16: 60-61; 2010.
Emery, R.J., Sawyer, R.L., Sprau, D.D., "Assessing the Service Provided by an Institutional Radiation Safety Survey Program" Health Physics, 70(5): , 1996.
Emery, R.J., Savely, S., "The Benefits of Actively Soliciting Worker Concerns During Routine Safety Inspections" Professional Safety, 42(7): 36-38, 1997.
Emery, R.J., "Adding Value to Your Radiation Protection Program", Chapter in Roessler, C.E. Management and Administration of Radiation Safety Programs, Medical Physics Publishing, Madison, WI
Parasuraman, A., Berry, L.L., Zeithaml, V.A., Guidelines for measuring service industry quality. Marketing Research, American Marketing Association., December 1990

24. UTH
EHS