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Why should you be concerned about the issue safety culture? Here’s a good answer from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AICE). A guideline produced by AICE admirably answers the question, "Why is a safety culture important?" "Management systems and their associated policies and procedures depend upon the actions of individuals and groups for their […]
All organizations have some degree of safety culture. The challenge is to determine the level, decide where you want to take it, and chart a path to get there. Safety culture has been described in many ways, including how an organization operates when no one is watching. Diverse pathways lead to a better safety culture. […]
According to the National Safety Council, most accidents are preceded by at least one near miss. That makes near-miss reporting a cornerstone of effective accident prevention. Identification of near-miss incidents is a leading indicator of safety performance. Near-miss incident reports can be used to identify a pattern of undesirable events that enable you to correct […]
Yesterday, we presented the views of two leaders in workplace safety on closing the gap between safety as a value and safety culture. Today, we conclude with the thoughts of a third. Jeff Ruebesam, VP of Global Health, Safety and Environmental at Fluor Corporation, spoke about his company’s use of leading indicators to measure employee […]
By Shawn M. Galloway, ProAct Safety Today, we welcome guest writer and safety consultant Shawn Galloway who presents his ideas about a streamlined, cost-conscious approach to behavior-based safety. Behavior-Based Safety (BBS) has effectively influenced risk for over 30 years and has contributed to improvement in performance and culture in the majority of organizations who have […]
In a recent report, OSHA makes a case for injury and illness prevention programs. In a February white paper, OSHA defines an injury and illness prevention program as "a proactive process to help employers find and fix workplace hazards before workers are hurt." Says OSHA: "We know these programs can be effective at reducing injuries, […]
A culture that promotes employee-driven safety changes safety attitudes and performance. When workers are taking risks when nobody’s looking, there’s a problem with the safety culture—one that can be cured with a shift to an employee-driven safety system. The goal of an employee-driven safety is to change employees’ perceptions, attitudes, beliefs, and values about safety […]
To really instill a strong safety culture you have to move to a system where employees are driving safety activities. That involves changes in perceptions, attitudes, beliefs, and values. Changing perceptions and attitudes lays the foundation for changes in beliefs and values. Perceptions: Changing employees’ perceptions about safety will not change their behaviors. But if […]
Looking for improvements in your safety programs? Who isn’t? Here’s a synopsis of OSHA’s strategic map for change and continuous improvement. Obtain top management commitment. Top managers must be on board. If they are not, safety and health will compete against core business issues such as production and profitability, a battle that will almost always […]