VI. Supervisory Training A supervisors training program should be established on a regular, ongoing basis as one of the most important parts of a safety program. If supervisors are not properly trained, they can neither instruct their people effectively nor adequately enforce safety rules: The supervisors training program should have two components: 1) Basic supervision techniques, and 2) Basic safety management. A. BASIC SUPERVISION To be most effective, training in basic techniques should be given by a training specialist or consultant and in a location away from the work site. These subjects in particular should be covered: 1. Techniques of good supervision. 2. Communications and effective listening. 3. Interviewing, coaching, counseling. 4. Public speaking, discussion leading. 5. Labor regulation, policies, practice, discipline. B. BASIC SAFETY MANAGEMENT Training programs for safety management should be given by a safety professional, consultant, or a member of management, and should cover the following subjects: 1. Basics of accident prevention. 2. Controlling unsafe acts. 3. Controlling unsafe conditions. 4. Employee safety training. 5. Personal protective equipment (all types used at the facility). 6. Safety meeting, and sources of material. 7. Safety procedures (lock/tag, safe entry, gas testing, fire and work permits). 8. Principles of environmental health. 9. Chemical exposures and information. 10. Safety suggestions and safety work orders. 11. Identifying and counseling unsafe workers and accident repeaters. 12. Basics of fire prevention and extinguishing. 13. Job safety analysis. 14. Accident investigation, reporting and follow-up. 15. Workers compensation and claims procedure. C. ACCOUNTABILITY As a result of proper training programs, supervisors will be able to set goals and objectives, and then should be held accountable for their goals and objectives. D. SUPERVISORY TRAINING AND Poor: Formal program exists. Fair: Some training takes place on a haphazard basis, but follow-up, use and accountability are missing. Good: Written program exists and training takes place, but follow-up, use and accountability are inconsistent. Excellent: Written program exists and is being implemented, training takes place on a regular basis. Management is being held accountable. VII. Safety Meetings Safety meetings are used to provide employees with an opportunity to meet on a planned basis in order to discuss potential hazards and the personal action necessary to control them. Ideas, suggestions, accidents and near-misses are reviewed as they pertain to the group. Records of all meetings should be maintained to avoid both duplication of subjects recently covered and future controversy. A. FORMAL MEETINGS These are generally held at the beginning of the shift or at a natural break point, always on a regular basis and attended by an entire crew. Meetings should be held where employees can be comfortable and should not last over one hour. Points to Remember: 1. Prepare in advance-rehearse if necessary. 2. Select a major topic-one the group can discuss. 3. Use visuals or demonstrations whenever possible -but preview beforehand. 4. Map the presentation-outline objectives and key points. 5. Start and end on time-control irrelevant discussion. 6. Be sincere, firm and convincing-show your own concern. 7. Introduce the subject-explain the meeting. 8. Present facts; discuss relevant accidents. 9. Promote group discussion and suggestions. 10. Help the group distinguish between fact and opinion. 11. End on a positive note-agree on doing something. 12. Summarize the meeting-explain follow-up. Meeting material is available from the National Safety Council, trade associations, public libraries, trade journals, newspaper articles, equipment and chemical suppliers, federal and state governmental agencies, past experiences, safety suppliers, colleges and universities. B. TAILGATE TALKS These are informal discussions held on a regular basis with a few employees at the job site, lasting from 5 to 10 minutes. Usually only one brief subject is discussed. In addition to the points listed above under "Formal Meetings", consider these: 1. Hold at a natural break point or beginning of shift. 2. Allow employees to relax outside of hazardous areas. 3. Make only one key point. 4. Hold whenever a process changes, a new chemical is used, or a potentially hazardous job is encountered. 5. Discuss a recent relevant accident or near miss. 6. Use employees to conduct tailgate talks. Poor: Infrequently held or if regularly held, often of poor quality. Some tailgate sessions. Fair: Scheduled regularly, but not well prepared, presented or attended. Infrequent safety discussion between supervisors and employees. Good: Material well prepared on appropriate topics. Sometimes held at job sites. Feedback received. Meetings planned in advance. Supervisors regularly cover safety when reviewing work practices, correct unsafe acts on the spot. Excellent: Employees regularly conduct part of meetings. Two-way communication evident with good attendance and follow-up. Regular planned tailgate meetings; safety review sessions held prior to jobs of high accident potential or when processes or chemicals change. Each supervisor discusses safe job performance with at least one employee daily. VIII. Accident Managment: Accidents are unplanned occurrences that result in employee injury or illness, or in damage to property. They signify deficiencies in the operation and always indicate that a review is in order. Identification of the real cause or causes of an accident is usually accomplished through standard investigation techniques. Usually identification of the cause of an accident will also indicate the means that is required to prevent similar occurrences. A. TREATMENT All injuries and illnesses resulting from accidents should be reported and treated immediately. B. INVESTIGATION Every near miss as well as all accidents should be investigated. Solutions should be found and communicated to all employees. Accident investigation is an inquiry into why an accident happened; the purpose is to prevent similar occurrences. Investigations should be fact finding, not fault-finding; the purpose is not to find someone or something to blame. Facts are discovered by asking the six words: who, what, where, when, why and how. 1. Who was hurt? Who were the witnesses? 2. What happened? 3. Where did it happen? 4. When did it happen? 5. Why did it happen? The causes of the accident, whether unsafe acts and conditions, or both, should be determined and described on the report. Specific measures to correct these unsafe acts and conditions should be determined and recommendations made to prevent a recurrence. Corrective measures should be assigned and completion dates established for follow-up. An example of an investigation and reporting form is attached, figure 8. Actions Recommend or Taken to Prevent Recurrence (Assign responsibility and completion dates) (date) (date) Yes No Where an employee's ability is in question, his eyes, hearing or tactile senses should be checked. Retraining in proper procedural techniques may also be required. All aspects of the physical, mental and emotional states of the employee may have to be evaluated to determine if there may be deficiencies and to institute appropriate counseling. If the supervision has been poor, then the supervisor may need further training with a re-emphasis on accountability. See section VI. F. ACCIDENT MANAGEMENT, Poor: Only serious accidents investigated and with little follow-up. Fair: Accidents investigated; however, corrective action is spotty and employees are not always informed of circumstances. Basic OSHA record keeping requirements met. Good: All accidents, including near misses, are investigated promptly. Causes determined, corrective action assigned and expedited to completion, employees informed of details and action taken. Excellent: In addition to “Good”, the plant manager personally investigates recordable injury cases and potentially serious close calls. Cause and correction analysis is made and is then used to update the procedures, the training program and the overall safety effort. Accident repeat files are maintained and counseling given when appropriate. IX. Public Relations and Recognition: The promotion of a well planned safety program is essential to maintain employee awareness and a good company image. These positive results are heightened further because employee motivation spills over into increased productivity, better quality and favorable profits. A. AWARDS One method of stimulating the positive is to recognize cases of superior safety performance. This may be individual recognition in the form of achievement letters or certificates. Another is to create peer recognition by administering a group, department or plant awards program. Examples of this recognition could be similar to the individual awards, but on a larger scale. In most instances inter-plant and industry comparisons with appropriate organizations such as the Manufacturing Chemists Association and National Safety Council Awards Programs is meaningful. It is essential that awards and recognition be based on the premise that superior safety performance is an expected part of each employee's job. This program element is the icing on the cake; it cannot substitute for a well managed basic safety program. B. SUGGESTIONS Fundamentally, all employees should be indoctrinated with the concept that a basic function in their job is to make safety suggestions intended to correct hazards in the workplace. Accordingly, management should be positive in responding to these suggestions. In some instances, increased awareness and motivation is achieved by rewarding solicited suggestions or by holding contests. However fruitful in the short-term, award and suggestion programs are short-lived. The necessary elements to achieve continued results is management attention and awareness as well as publicity and recognition of contributing employees. C. PUBLIC RELATIONS AND RECOGNITION, AUDIT Poor: The safety program, employee attitude and community posture is lacking. The workplace has a reputation as an unsafe place to be employed. Fair: The workplace has no negative reputation of being unsafe; however, a positive counterbalance is not apparent. Good: There is a positive program; employee attitudes reflect the reputation in the community as a safe place to work. Excellent: A positive program is apparent, employees are aware, involved and committed. The community recognizes the workplace as the safest in the area. X. Off-the-Job Safety: Accidents that occur away from work should be a real concern to management. The direct and most measurable cost is the wages paid to injured workers while they are off the job. Insurance premiums, training expense for replacement workers, or overtime pay when others are required to work over to cover a shift, all these add significantly to the cost of off-the-job injuries. Companies with effective off-the-job safety programs notice an improvement in their work injury rates because they stress the "total safety" concept, i.e., employees are motivated to follow the same safe practices in their outside activities as they use on the job. Driving a family car is the same as driving a company vehicle; using power tools at home requires the same skills as using them at work. Off-the-job safety programs also show employees that the company is interested in their well-being. To establish an off-the-job safety program, first develop meaningful data on what types of accidents occur and how much time is lost. These steps are recommended: 1. Establish a reporting system. 2. Supervisors should show their concern personally. To obtain the data needed they should interview injured employees when they return to work to determine both the details of the accident and what safety training would have prevented it. 3. Make an analysis of the accident types, lost time and effect on the company. 4. Determine if the employee is a "repeater" (having several accidents both on and off-the-job). "Repeaters" usually need special attention. To get the off-the-job safety message across, education and persuasion are effective. Programs that involve the family have worked well. Safety brochures, home safety check lists, the National Safety Council's quarterly "Family Safety" magazine, defensive driving tips, seat belt campaigns, films, recreational safety programs, evening meetings that include the families, safety picnics, off-the-job promotional themes quizzes, posters and contests, all have a place in off-the-job safety programs. The off-the-job safety approach should be positive, stressing that an activity can be done safely if it is properly thought out, planned, and if precautions are taken. Programs can be part of national promotional activities, such as National Fire Prevention Week. Company programs also can tie into local community activities; they can coincide with the particular season. Periodically, safety meetings at work should be devoted to off-the-job safety topics. Local police, fire, Red Cross, health and gun clubs, YMCA, and other organizations can be invited to participate in promoting off-the-job safety. An improved company image can result from such activities. B. OFF-THE-JOB SAFETY, AUDIT Poor: No information is available on off-the-job injuries. Fair: An occasional film or safety talk is directed to the subject. Records of injuries are maintained. Good: Records are kept and off-the-job injuries are analyzed. Seasonal information and the "Family Safety" magazine are sent to the homes. Supervisors interview injured employees when they return to work. Excellent: The plant is active in the community off-the-job safety promotions. Supervisor's off-the-job injury record is considered in overall performance. "Repeaters" are counseled. |