Aggregates Manager Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/420189
37 AGGREGATES MANAGER December 2014 SAFETY EXCELLENCE Top management is visibly committed. Middle management is actively involved. Front-line supervision is performance-focused. Employees are actively participating. System is flexible to accommodate the culture. Safety system is positively perceived by the workforce. Six Criteria for Safety Excellence first identified the Six Criteria for Safety Excellence, found that organizations which achieved excellence in safety had supervi- sors who were held accountable for per- formance, not results. In other words, they were not held accountable for results based on lagging indicators (recordable incident rates), but rather on performing safety activities in a quality way. This was demon- strated in every industry Petersen studied and in organizations located throughout the world. Too often, we tell supervisors to make sure nobody gets hurt on the job without providing them with specific in- structions for how to meet that demand. What, then, can a supervisor do to en- sure the crew goes home safely? Interest- ingly, Petersen found through his research that there did not seem to be any particular supervisory safety activities that were more important than others. The research suggested, as indicated in his Implement- ing Safety Accountability program, "what is most important is that the supervisor do something regularly, daily, to emphasize the importance of safety." As a starting point, Petersen identified four specific tasks a supervisor can perform which will reinforce safety as a core value of the organization and deliver results when conducted in a quality way. 1 Investigating incidents to deter- mine causes. It should be a su- pervisor's responsibility to thoroughly investigate all incidents, with the focus on determining root cause, not as- signing blame. 2 Inspect the work area to identi- fy hazards. This can be done as part of a daily walkthrough, job hazard analysis, or by engaging employees in periodic hazard hunts. 3 Coaching employees to per- form better. Train your super- visors to look for teachable mo- ments. Every day, there are opportunities for supervisors to have safety conversations that reinforce desired safe work behaviors, rather than waiting for a formal safety viola- tion or incident investigation. Observation programs and value-added safety meetings are processes that can be effectively used to coach employees to perform better. 4 Creating a positive and moti- vating environment. We tend to do a much better job of catching people doing things wrong, versus catching them doing things right. This is es- pecially true in safety. Two simple things supervisors can do to create a positive and motivating environment and avoid a nega- tive perception of safety from developing are: A) Frequently recognize employees for what they do right, and B) Ensure employ- ee participation in the safety process. Both of these are easier said than done, especially the recognition component. All supervisors have had training on the rules and regula- tions that pertain to safety, so they have a good idea of what employees are not sup- posed to do. However, most supervisors lack the skills for engaging in meaningful conversations with employees, especially one-on-one conversations, and providing positive recognition. The good news is that such capabilities can be taught through skills training and can be measured. I encourage you to assess your supervi- sors' perceptions of their role in delivering safety excellence. On a spectrum ranging from total acceptance of safety to flat rejec- tion, where do you think your supervisors are located? In next month's issue, I will examine the fourth of Petersen's Six Criteria of Safety Excellence, active engagement and participation of employees in the safety system. AM Zach Knoop is a senior safety consultant and project manager for Caterpillar Safety Services. He works with Caterpillar cus- tomers in the aggregates and construction industries to coach leaders, train supervisors and engage employees in building cultures of safety excellence. He can be reached at SafetyServices@cat.com.