Achieving breakthrough safety performance requires a number of critical elements. Yesterday, we discussed some of those. Today, we present some more.
Author and consultant Alan Quilley believes four critical elements must be managed to achieve high-level safety results. All are interdependent and cannot be managed in isolation. These elements are:
- Company culture—basically, "the way it is around here." It’s how your company thinks and acts as a group. Safety culture is demonstrated by what you say about safety and what you do about it. Quilley recommends managing the gap between what you intend and what actually happens.
- Accountability—what is measured and what happens when people do or fail to do what is important. Quilley says, "What gets measured gets done, and what gets rewarded gets results." Holding people accountable for the actions that promote safety makes it more likely that you will get the results you want.
- Safe environment—the tools, equipment, materials, and work environment provided to employees. Using the wrong tool or machinery can result in unintended consequences.
- Safe behaviors—which, according to Quilley, do not involve a program or a stack of observation cards. Managing behavior is about achieving an understanding of how humans act and why. Top safety pros help employees learn why they behave as they do and motivate them to do what they should. The best results come when employees are fully engaged in the process.
Learn the key steps to successfully prepare for a visit from safety inspectors. If you’re not ready, you could be in trouble. BLR’s upcoming live webinar on federal OSHA inspections will get you up to speed—without leaving the building. Click here for details.
World Class Safety
Construction of the London 2012 Olympic Park (known as "The Big Build") was hailed as one of the largest and most successful building projects in Europe. It was completed on time, within budget, and set a new benchmark for safety and health.
A research study identified 13 distinct characteristics that helped "The Big Build" achieve world-class safety:
- Respect
- Trust
- Clarity
- Providing enough time for careful planning
- Being open to ideas and innovation
- Consistently focusing on priorities and objectives
- Working collaboratively to achieve a common purpose
- Inspiring and motivating people
- Empowering people and groups to do their best
- Communicating at all levels
- Sharing information
- Acting fairly
- Making sure everyone knows the facts around the objectives
Avoid unpleasant surprises when a safety inspector knocks on your door. Join us on August 12 for an in-depth live webinar to make sure your safety program is ready for an OSHA inspection. Learn More.
Breakthrough Performance in Safety Inspections
Making sure that a safety program is ready for an OSHA inspection can keep even the most experienced of safety managers up at night. The applicable safety regulations seem to be almost infinite and complex. Plus, the feds at OSHA continue to refine their inspection process to target companies and industries with high injury rates—not to mention they’re placing emphasis on OSHA recordkeeping and have stepped up enforcement in the areas of safety training, fall protection, IIPP, and heat illness programs.
Understanding OSHA requirements and OSHA’s use of the “general duty clause” can also be quite daunting, and many things seem to be subject to the arbitrary opinion and interpretation of the inspector. A citation that must be contested can be time consuming and expensive even if you win the case. How can you make sure that you prepared?
Join us for an in-depth webinar on August 12. Our speaker, a seasoned OSHA lawyer and safety professional who has helped many companies through the inspection and litigation process, will help you develop a winning strategy for implementing an approach for an actual inspection and give you practical insight into how to deal with any citations and penalties you face.
You and your colleagues will learn:
- The types of OSHA inspections you can generally expect
- What to expect from the inspection process, including how things usually unfold step by step
- What to have in place before the inspector arrives
- How to best deal with OSHA closing conferences and informal settlement discussions
- How to manage the inspection process and make sure that all employer and worker rights are honored and that the inspector follows the required process, including whether to require a warrant and whether to involve counsel or consultants
- How best to handle requests for documents such as audits and near miss reports
- Practical strategies for handling employee interviews
Your Speaker
Adele Abrams, Esq., CMSP, is an attorney and safety professional who is recognized as a national expert on occupational safety and health. She heads a ten-attorney firm that represents employers and contractors nationwide in OSHA and MSHA litigation, and provides safety and health training, auditing, and consultation services. She is a Certified Mine Safety Professional, and a Department of Labor-approved trainer.
Abrams is also a professional member of the American Society of Safety Engineers, and is co-author of several safety-related textbooks. She is chair of the National Safety Council’s Business & Industry Division committee on regulatory and legal affairs. She is admitted to the Bars of MD, DC and PA, as well as multiple federal courts including the US Supreme Court.
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