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Ask the Experts
Safety Incentives
What is a good way to publicize a safety incentive program that is just starting up?
M.H., Dallas
If no safety incentive program has existed, or if the existing program is changing, getting the word out and making sure everyone understands the criteria can be tricky. “Paycheck stuffer” notices often go unread by the majority of employees, as do newsletters and bulletin boards. Sending notices out for distribution by supervisors does not guarantee employees will actually get them. If the workforce is not centrally located, the logistics of publicity are made even tougher.
In most organizations, word of mouth works best. Nothing travels faster than gossip. Recruiting volunteers from among the employees to explain the criteria and details of the program helps to ensure everyone finds out about it. Once the program is explained, it will generate conversation among the employees. Plenty of flyers or program outlines should be available as companion pieces and for future reference.
Immediate and unexpected distribution of an incentive is also a great way to demonstrate the new program, and word will spread quickly about who received it, and why. Whether done with a large group as a kickoff campaign, or by crew locations, this can be a fun and informative way to get the message out. If an individual or crew is rewarded for past behaviors that meet the new incentive criteria, it shows that the program guidelines are achievable and will encourage participation in the future. An unexpected incentive will be remembered, and it will help to raise enthusiasm and interest in achieving future incentives.
Julie Carter
Ajax Paving Industries Inc.
Behavior-Based Safety
What are the top 10 at-risk behaviors, as well as tips to make a turn around in a manufacturing environment? Any additional tips on how to sustain the behavior-based safety process?
J.J.Y., Philippines
While this question seems simple, it is a little like asking a doctor to identify your condition based on the average diagnosis of patients in the waiting room. A better question might be: How do I find out what's causing people to work at-risk here? Or, is worker behavior the right place to center our change efforts?
The truth is there is no magic list of at-risk behaviors; worker behaviors, at-risk or otherwise, occur within a broader context of equipment, systems and procedures. Each organization has its unique configuration. This configuration, in turn, is shaped by the culture and safety climate of the organization, which is, again, unique.
Still, behavior is important. And there are many examples of behaviors universal to most organizations that can cause poor safety performance. The following are some examples:
- A site manager promotes employees into leadership positions when they have not demonstrated a commitment to, and value for, safety.
- Supervisors routinely “looks the other way” when they see someone working at risk because intervening would slow down production.
These two examples relate to leadership behaviors. Both have short and long-term implications to the culture and safety climate of the organization. In these circumstances, a focus on worker behavior may have minimal impact, especially if the misalignment around safety among the leadership team and supervisors is widespread.
So how does one create a turnaround in a manufacturing environment? Implement a systematic improvement strategy based on an accurate diagnosis of organizational functioning. Start by evaluating safety leadership practices and capabilities. Assess the culture: Is it supportive of safety and employee involvement? Review safety enabling systems, such as hazard recognition and mitigation, training, and safety mechanisms, to make sure they are functioning at the desired level and delivered in the spirit intended. Finally, review sustaining systems, such as accountability, management systems, and organizational structure, to ensure they are delivering organizational consequences that support the safety value.
This brings us to the question of how to sustain a behavior-based safety process. There are numerous variations on what people mean by the term behavior-based safety, so I am going to tackle the question from the broader standpoint of supporting any safety improvement process, no matter the design.
- First, design a system that supports the culture and the direction in which the organization wants to move.
- Recruit a high-level management sponsor and champion.
- Develop deep technical knowledge and expertise in the group that is to lead the effort.
- Engage all levels of the organization in level-appropriate activities and efforts that support the system.
- Be data driven, using data collected from the initiative to drive reduction in exposure.
- Develop an annual improvement plan that is reviewed and approved by the management sponsor and lead team.
- Foster openness; be willing to admit when you've made a mistake.
- Finally, celebrate the successes.
CM
Don Groover, CIH, CSP
BST Inc.
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