Toll Free: 877.880.

4477
Phone: 281.880.6525

Maximize the Effectiveness of Your

Workplace Safety Programs

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"No person should ever have to be injured, become ill, or die for a paycheck,"
says the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the agency
which enforces the requirement that workplaces be safe and healthful. OSHA
administers the Occupational Safety and Health Act, which focuses on rules,
inspection regimes, and penalties for failing to uphold those standards. But
often that focus can sidetrack employers from a more fundamental
perspective, that is, creating a top-down workplace culture that puts a
premium on safety.

No list of safety procedures and standards can fully accomplish a "no

accidents" goal without a foundational commitment to the aim of having a
"safe and healthful workplace." How can your business achieve that?

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For starters, be sure you're measuring the right things when you're putting
teeth behind your safety policy. Many employers simply pat themselves on
the back and reward managers if no accidents occur within their departments
over a specified period of time. But that approach can backfire. For example, it
can discourage workers from reporting accidents.

More fundamentally, it doesn't directly reward activities designed to prevent

accidents; it only rewards past results which could simply be the product of
good luck. While rewarding a period of time without accidents might sound
good, it fails to recognize that some accidents are inevitable. And it doesn't
necessarily prove whether a safety policy is effective. Accident rates could rise
and fall without any adjustment to the underlying policies.

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What to Measure
Without abandoning the retrospective
look at accidents, you can supplement it
with a more forward-looking approach.
Specifically, you can incentivize
managers and employees to come up
with new ideas and procedures
designed to improve safety.

Working conditions generally aren't

static, which means that new hazards
can arise. Managers and workers who
recognize such new safety risks and do
something to minimize them in advance,
should be encouraged. And they can
similarly be rewarded for devising new
safety measures in response to
accidents that do occur.
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 Demonstrating Commitment
Of course while employees will respond to incentives and disincentives, they
also are influenced by workplace culture. They pay attention to the priority
given to safety by upper level managers. Evidence that safety is a priority for
leadership includes the following:

Adequate resources are allocated for accident prevention,

Safety processes and improvements are regularly discussed at staff
meetings,
Management is held accountable for accident prevention efforts, and
Annual assessments are made of the success of existing safety rules and
procedures.

When employees feel comfortable communicating among themselves and

with supervisors (and vice versa) about workplace-related concerns, they'll be
far more likely to flag safety-related issues. This includes unsafe behavior they
have observed among their coworkers.

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When criticism is offered and received gracefully with an understanding that
problem-solving is the goal, proactive support on workplace safety can
flourish. Immediate feedback on employee suggestions, including simple
expressions of gratitude, demonstrates to employees that they are being
heard. This seems to be true even if ideas are not immediately or ever
implemented.

In addition, a formal structure to maintain ongoing communication about

workplace safety issues can ensure its effectiveness. It could include quarterly
or annual feedback to all employees about their accident prevention
performance, and a report on the organization's overall accident and safety
track record.

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 Orientation Programs
No communication is complete without a safety orientation program for new
employees, as well as a safety and health policy document signed by the most
senior executive. Typically, such documents include a statement of the
company's commitment to maintaining a safe working environment, and a
listing of the roles and responsibilities assigned various managers to uphold
the company's policy.

"Communicating the organization's commitment to safety is as important as

the company's statement on producing quality products; both statements
should be mutually supportive," according to The Ohio Bureau of Workers'
Compensation.

Along similar lines, making employees part of that process to enhance safety
not only signals to them that their opinions are valued, but can also result in
better ideas and greater employee buy-in to whatever is ultimately agreed
upon.

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Here are three opportunities for employee participation:

Safety and health involvement teams,

Accident investigations, and
Safety and health audits.

The same principle applies to safety training. According to OSHA, "When

workers have a voice about how training is developed, training programs are
more accurately focused on specific workplace hazards."

Workplace safety consultants can be helpful in ensuring compliance with

OSHA regulations that may apply to particular businesses, as well as in
emphasizing the need for common sense and for making safety a priority. As
the saying goes, "Safety isn't expensive, it's priceless."

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14550 Torrey Chase Blvd., Ste. 360 Houston, TX 77014 USA
Toll Free : 877.880.4477
Phone : 281.880.6525
Fax : 281.866.9426

E-mail : info@hrp.net

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