We all know it is very easy to take a long look at the causes and the consequences of some incident at a work site, especially one that resulted in injuries or death, and be quick to point fingers of blame and someone or some protocol that failed. And, to be frank, just because it is an easy thing to do means it is the last thing you should do to effect safety in the present and the future for all workers.
If safety were easy, then no one would get hurt, right? But since it is not so easy, why in the world do you take the easy way out of a situation? The much harder but more productive route is to eschew the blame and go right to the lessons and accoutnabilities that stem from the incident, know the failures and make the changes necessary and then train everyone in the changes.
[Image courtesy of Flickr user opensource.com via a Creative Commons license]When it comes to safety, every incident should be about learning and not about blame. Accountability is vital, and one of the first steps to achieving that accountability is by asking specific questions about activities and results in regards to safety measures.
Safety Measures: Activities
Whenever you are looking at safety in your worksite – whether you are establishing a safety protocol or re-evaluating in the wake of an incident – a safety officer is always looking to establish safety measures. There are two types of measures: Activity measures and results measures. Many of these are measured by asking specific questions and getting them answered as completely as possible so all parties have as much information as they will need to implement the protocols and procedures effectively.
When determining activity measures, here are a few questions to ask:
* Are the supervisors doing more inspections than before?
* Are they finding more safety violations?
* Are more new hires getting safety training on Day One?
* Are those who work safely getting kudos and positive feedback?
* Are there self-monitoring systems in place?
* Are hazard assessments being conducted?
* Is there behavioral based safety (BBS)?
As you might surmise, if your answwer to one or more of these questions is “no,” then you may have an area of improvement. It should stand to reason that if there was an incident and/or an old safety protocol that needed adjusting, that many of these things would be in place this time around. If that is not happening, it is time to shake things up and hold people more accountable. There’s that A-word again.
Safety Measures: Results
The other part of safety measures is the results side – this is related to what is actually happening in the workplace both before and after an incident occurs. Many of these questions should be asked before an incident, and afterward to determine if corrective steps are being taken. After all, every incident should be seen as a learning and growing oportunity, not an avenue to point fingers.
Here are a few questions that should be asked regularly before AND after an incident:
* Are people working more safely? Are there fewer accdents?
* Are the physical working conditions improving?
* Are there fewer injuries, fewer needs for first aid?
* Is there safety sampling being conducted?
* Are inspections being conducted?
* Are there fewer doctor visits?
* Is there less time lost?
* Are interviews and observations being conducted regularly?
* Are there fewer fatalities? Is there money being saved?
* Are workers’ compensation premiums being lowered?
Granted, some of these questions are better answered before an incident occurs, while others are better for after an incident, but as a worksite is dynamic and constantly changing, asking all of these questions both pre- and post-incident enhances accountabilities and noting different answers to the same questions will make it easier to determine areas to be addressed.
Next time: the key responsibilities of supervisors to maintain a safe workplace.