EHS 27 Performing an Effective Safety Walkaround

Engineering Division

Safety Walkarounds

• Objective: make operations safe to avoid injury• This is done is by helping one another to make

comprehensive observations to review and improve work processes

• A key element is layered pairs• Get first line worker involvement

—Workers are most knowledgeable about the work

—Engage for an exchange of ideas and stimulate active thinking.

• Rotate and mix observers —Different people bring in different perspectives

and integrate with worker knowledge

Behavior Observation Categories

1. Reactions— This relates people’s (dis)comfort and feeling about the management

system.2. PPEs from head to toe

— Are people adequately protective from risks or hazards in the work environment?

3. Body positions and motions— Relative to hazards in the workplace can include what can people

strike against, be struck by, fall from, be caught between or under, exposure to hazardous materials or environments and/or repetitive motions and stresses

4. Tools and equipment— Are they appropriate for the job, are they in good condition, are they

being used appropriately?5. Housekeeping and orderliness

— Poor housekeeping, disorder and clutter make doing safe work more difficult

6. Work Process and Procedures1. Are work processes in place, adequate, understood and being

followed? Are people comfortable work process in helping people perform the job without an injury. Are procedures in place to define the work, how to do it and what the hazards are?

The Walkaround Process

1. Plan for effectiveness— What kind of work will you be looking at?— Where?— What are the most significant hazards in the area?— Have a focus in mind

• Validating ISM• Guidance Cards / Checklist Areas

— Avoiding the herd• Need for matrix management involvement• 2 people best, 3 OK, 4 iffy, 5 serious herding

• Paperless— It’s not about note taking— Have a positive discussion— Engender trust in the organization— Non-punitive, non-blame, no names, no titles

The Walkaround Process (2)

2. Observe People at Work— Make good quality observations of unsafe acts and

unsafe conditions• Does the process look as safe as it could be?• Validate safe processes and safe conditions

3. Reach Judgments— Raise questions about the safety that you see

• Does something you observe appear to be difficult to perform?

• Does the posturing displayed appear to be awkward?• Raise questions that help people think about better ways

to do things

• Most unsafe conditions are a result of an unsafe act.• think about what unsafe acts could have led up to and

resulted in an unsafe condition.

The Walkaround Process (3)

4. Interact with Workers— Have a positive interface to share best

thinking— The observer and worker engaging in active

thinking about the work, the hazards connected with the work and ways to strengthen the work process

— Recognition• Provide positive recognition with reinforcement for

good safe behavior and practices

The Walkaround Process (4)

5. Document what you have seen and done—Perform this immediately after your walkaround—Write down those things that will help you drive

continuous improvement.• What are the unsafe acts and conditions you observed?

• What are the underlying causes of those unsafe acts and conditions?

—Determine the causes of unsafe acts and conditions, act to eliminate them so they won’t happen again.

• Document any agreements that you reach with workers about improved work processes

• Document any opportunities for improved standards or improved work processes

—Document any follow-up actions you committed to—Ensure these steps drive continuous improvement

The Walkaround Process (5)

• How often do walkarounds need to be?—Weekly?—Monthly?—As Needed defined by Area/People

Documenting & Follow Through

• Enter corrective actions that cannot be immediately addressed into the LBNL Corrective Action Tracking System (CATS)—Make yourself the responsible person unless it

is matrix space —Perform this in timely manner—Use this as a record to track follow-up

(implementation)—A principal purpose of doing walkarounds is to

identify opportunities for improvement and to implement those improvements

• Bring documentation back to monthly safety meetings as data to drive continuous improvement in your operations

Understand Why Things Happen

Recognizing the reasons a negative situation occurs aids in addressing the problem.

What happened here?

What Do You Think?

Are there any safety concerns here?

Slips, Trips, Falls, and Bumps

1. Mouse arm(extended arm)

2. Bent wrist & palm planting

Most Common Ergo Posture (habit) Problems (p1)

Bad – arm under stress

Bad – keyboard too low

Better – mouse close to body

Better – raise keyboard, wrists neutral

4. Bike riding PostureFrequently causedby eyesight issues – glasses OK?

3.Unsupported Arms

Most Common Ergo Posture (habit) Problems (p2)

Bad – arms in stress Better – arms supported

Bad - sitting out of the gate Better - relaxed

Focus on asking the right question; Not on having the right answer

“I know material handling is a challenge. What would you recommend to do this job better? How can I help?”

Initial studies (1930s) showed that for each disabling injury, there were on average 29 minor injuries and 300 close calls/no injury.

Recent studies indicate that for each serious result there are on average 59 minor and 600 near-misses.

INITIAL STUDIES RECENT STUDIES

Near-Miss/Precursor Relationships

1

MINORTruck trailer moves, driver jumps to ground and sprains ankle29

300

1SERIOUS

Truck trailer moves, driver jumps to ground and breaks leg or truck rolls over him/her

CLOSE CALLLift truck is driven into truck trailer and trailer moves

59

600

(courtesy of U.S. Army Safety Center & I.E. DuPont)

3,000 6,000PRECURSOR

Wheel chocks not in place at rear wheels of trailer

EXAMPLE

Walkarounds

• Need to be positive• Collaborative• Non-punitive • A teamwork process

— Aimed at getting everyone’s best thinking— Energy directed making the operations as

safe as possible.• Helps instill Safety as a core value

If it isn’t safe, it isn’t done