Jan-2008

Performance-minded, character-driven safety

Zero-incident techniques for excelling in health and safety performance involve commitment, involvement, analysis, prevention and training. The challenge is to translate these fundamental principles into action

David G Lynn
Fluor

Article Summary

What separates the good from the great when it comes to safety? Companies that excel in health and safety performance share a common characteristic; they are performance minded and character driven. Their safety character is defined by fundamental safety principles executed with zero-incident techniques. Their performance reflects the depth of their safety character. Progressive safety leaders emulate the five strategic principles in the Occupational Health and Safety Administration’s (OSHA) Voluntary Protection Program (VPP). These principles form the foundation for injury-free cultures. They include:
- Management commitment
- Employee involvement
- Worksite analysis
- Hazard prevention and control
- Health and safety training.
On a conceptual level, the injury-prevention principles are self-explanatory and logical. But, how do employers translate the concept into meaningful performance? Urgency and discipline with zero-incident techniques help character-driven companies bridge the gap between safety philosophy and execution. 

Principle 1: 
management commitment
Management commitment is the first step to building a performance-minded, character-driven safety culture. Disciplined commitment enables an organisation to make difficult choices that impact safety performance. To take the first step, managers have to understand commitment does not exist unless it is visible and consistent.

Ask people: “Are you committed to safety?” They will respond: “I am 100% committed to safety.” Ask a more precise question: “How do I know you are committed to safety?” Participants will give clear answers, describing actions they interpret as commitment. Safety commitment does not exist without visible, consistent action.

Actions (commitment) are a reflection of what people believe about achieving zero injuries. Organisations can institute techniques that enable visibility and commitment.   

Technique 1: pre-project planning Urgency and discipline with safety planning is an example of visible commitment. Dedicate time to anticipating project needs, and make critical health and safety decisions upstream. Evaluate the scope of work and analyse the safety needs for every stage of a project. Successful safety cultures develop a site-specific health and safety plan that enables a management team to execute work efficiently and safely. Thorough planning minimises the pressure to take shortcuts that lead to injuries, and comprehensive planning sets the safety expectations for the project. A good safety and health plan answers questions before someone has to ask them.

Where does an organisation start? Separate the scope of work into phases and decide what each phase will require to perform the job safely. Document the needs and begin assembling admin-istrative tools for success. Discipline the team to follow the plan fanatically.

Technique 2: measured accountability Scorecards drive improvement. Accountability is essential to preventing injuries, but what does it mean to hold someone accountable for safety? Believe in the safety systems and set standards for the people driving the process. For example, if audits are required, track audit participation and measure the quality of audits. If an organisation values corrective action, track the number of repeat observations on each audit. If a program requires supervisors to perform pre-shift safety meetings, track the quality and participation in the process. The records become a performance measurement with rewards and consequences for achieving the goals.

Where does an organisation start? Choose three safety processes critical to the management system and track individual performance. Set acceptable standards and stack-rank each individual’s score. Implement rewards and consequences for achieving the desired outcome.

Technique 3: visibility Safety commitment does not exist without visibility. Leaders participate in the high-impact safety processes that drive success. For example, new employees form opinions in the first couple of hours they are on-site. This is a perfect opportunity for site managers to set the safety tone by meeting with the new employees. Take the opportunity to communicate safety expectations in person. Intentional interaction with employees during daily safety responsibilities, such as safety meetings, pre-job meetings and audits, shows an employee safety is important to you. When leaders balance management participation with decisive action, they visibly demonstrate safety is important.

Where does an organisation start? To increase personal visibility, choose three strategic safety processes that need management visibility and participation. As employees report concerns, address the issues with urgency.

Principle 2: 
employee involvement
Are employees just a number? People want to work for employers who see them as individuals and not just a statistic. Employees want to spend their eight hours a day with co-workers who care. Safety metrics are always important, but to build a safety way of life, ask: “How do I visibly put people first? Am I building a mutual respect?” When the focus shifts from a number to a person, safety initiatives gain a sense of urgency. This encourages people to take ownership of safety. Sincere ownership and involvement promotes safety success.

Technique 4: process participation A traditional safety committee is not always the answer to employee involvement. Consider integrating employees into existing processes such as an audit programme. Employees in the field know the details of their job better than anyone else. Should they not have the chance to identify and correct safety concerns? Adopt the same philosophy with safety meetings, job safety analysis, permits and improvement teams. Allow employees to take ownership of the processes that benefit them the most.

Where does an organisation start? Choose three safety processes that help manage safety, and invite employees to participate in the process. As they gain confidence, give them more responsibility and ownership of the process.

Technique 5: employee mentoring Where do people really learn to perform their jobs? People learn their jobs from the people they work beside every day. Companies with a history of exceptional safety performance have systems that take advantage of the power of peer-to-peer learning. Encourage your natural leaders to evaluate and coach new employees to perform their work safely. Mentoring programmes give employees ownership and responsibility for establishing safe behaviours with new employees.

Where do you start? Establish a process for identifying safety-conscious employees to mentor new employees. Train them on their responsibilities. Assign new employees to mentors and ask mentors to evaluate the employees after an established time. Create an environment of learning.

Technique 6: safety surveys Do you know what employees think about the management team’s safety commitment? Surveys provide the opportunity to ask people their opinions in a non-threatening way. Smart managers understand that perception is reality. Safety-perception surveys can focus attention on the employee relations side of safety and, when you react urgently to concerns captured in the survey, programmes gain credibility.

Where does an organisation start? Implement surveys two to four times a year. Identify trends and implement a structured process to resolve the issues.