Employee Engagement Strategies for Implementation of a Safety

Management System

Deborah R. Roy, MPH, RN, COHN-s, CET, CSP Corporate Director of Health, Safety & Wellness

L.L.Bean, Inc. Freeport, ME

Objectives

1 • Discuss the types of engagement

strategies that can be used during the implementation of a safety and health management system.

2 • List two examples of safety and

health management system activities that could be used at your workplace.

At the completion of this session, participants will be able to:

Definition

– A Safety Management System has been defined as:

“ a formal framework for integrating safety into

day-to-day [ ] operations and includes safety goals and performance targets, risk assessments, responsibilities and authorities, rules and procedures, and monitoring and evaluation processes".

From: Canadian Railway Safety Act (CRSA). http://www.canlii.org/ca/sta/r-4.2/sec4.html

Principles of Management Systems • The key to a management system is the methodical and systematic

control of business processes, in order to achieve pre-determined objectives.

The common key of different management systems:

planning, process control, feedback, and adjustment can be

found in this figure (the Deming circle).

– Plan – make plans; – Do – carry out these plans; – Check – check the actual results: do they fulfill

the aims?; – Act – correct where something has gone

wrong and, where necessary or desirable, adjust the plans so that things go better from now on.

Management Systems

The concept of safety and health management systems is not

necessarily new.

The idea is to eliminate hazards/risks and create a core

value of a safe workplace instead of only fixing the physical

environment.

Types of S&HMS

OSHA VPP

OHSAS 18001

ANSI Z-10

OSHA VPP

Management Leadership /

Employee Involvement

Worksite Analysis

Hazard Prevention /

Control

Safety and Health

Training

The four major elements of VPP are:

Idea of Engagement • The engagement of employees starts with committed management.

• Success means: – Employees believe that management is truly committed to

safety. – Employees see first-hand that their efforts actually make a

difference. – Actions are consistent on the part of all members of

management. – Management is serious about safety and wants employee help. – Employee engagement can become infectious….

Vice President, Jack Samson signs a Management Commitment Statement in front of the workforce to signify Management Commitment to safety.

What approach works? • Different approaches will be needed. • Select strategies that are a good fit for the specific workforce. • Strategies used in a warehouse environment might be very

different from strategies used in an office environment.

warehouse vs. office

Where do I start?

• Perform a needs assessment. – What tasks need to be done? – What elements need employee participation? – Where do you need higher employee engagement?

• Identify the skills needed and poll the employee population to see who might have a interest or have the skills needed.

Employees interested in organizing activities plan a VPP kick-off event.

Employees interested in first aid volunteer to be trained as Goodhearts (LLB first responders)

Safety Management System Kick-off Events

• DVD that introduced VPP and then included

an audience participation game to energize the employees

• Employees from other internal company VPP sites talk about their experience and how it changed the way they thought about their own safety and that of their coworkers

A kickoff event where employees were decked out in special t-shirts emblazoned with "L.L.Bean PPF" on the front, and "VPP Follow Me to Safety" on the back. The event included the viewing of an inspiring video, starring employees and produced by an employee, a scavenger hunt that followed a safety theme, and a barbecue for the orange-clad employees.

Safety Management System Kick-off Events

• A ribbon cutting ceremony paving the way into the new safety culture.

• Safety fashion show!

Hand protection is the gotta-have accessory this season; Lynne shows off the beauty and functionality of safety gloves.

Linus models the very fashionably safe multi-colored harness.

Striking a severe runway pose, Nancy shows off the latest in safety glasses.

Employee Based Safety Teams

– First aid and emergency medical response – Self-inspections – Incident investigations – Hazard abatement – Emergency preparedness – Training – Stretch break leaders – Wellness initiatives

Employees interested in developing Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) documents evaluate their peers performing tasks to identify potential hazards.

Employees interested in Fitness learn stretches to reduce the risk of injuries and lead their peers during stretch breaks.

Employees interested in ergonomics receive advanced training to assist their peers in optimal workstation set-up.

Employee Based Safety Teams

• Teams require a variety of skills and talents that may be outside of a front line employee’s day-to-day job tasks.

• Members solicited in a similar manner as a job opening.

• Equal opportunity to “apply” to fill openings on teams and must submit a letter of interest.

• Once selected, provided with the appropriate training to be a successful, active contributor.

• Teams include a front line leader to guide and support the team in their activities along with charters that outline their responsibilities and authority.

Example of a Team Charter

Themes VPP Survivor

Amazing Race to VPP

Safety Jeopardy

The Olympics

Wheel of Fortune hosted

by “Pat Safejak” and

“VPP Vannah”

Themed initiatives particularly

relating to current entertainment

or sports events

Competitions

• Safety scavenger hunts create a fun, friendly competition amongst works groups. – One competition included coming up with a team mascot. The

mascots were subsequently “kidnapped” and used to refresh employees on how to conduct an emergency evacuation.

– A mascot took on the role of evacuation leader, donned a reflective safety vest, obtained an emergency radio and bull horn, and followed procedures to ensure all mascots were safely evacuated.

– The evacuation was photographed and used as a refresher display for employees on how to properly evacuate.

– An evacuation drill never received so much attention!

Training & Communications

– A grass roots movie produced and edited by

employees – One “movie” included a segment on two employees

reading and discussing MSDS sheets as they sat by the pool

– Another had a building evacuation led by Sponge Bob. • Invite employees to the “movies”, serve popcorn

and enjoy the show.

Process and Building Redesigns

• Employees performing the job helping design and layout of new work area.

• Employees redesigning the work flow and machine placement

• Great way to improve ergonomics, productivity, and smooth the transition!

Preparing for the Audit

• Ensure that employees are knowledgeable about safety programs and are able to articulate that knowledge if interviewed by the audit team – “Pass the Baton” in which batons similar to those in

relay races were created with potential interview questions on one side with an appropriate answer on the other.

Preparing for the Audit • Safety VPP Carnival. The training area was decorated with a

big top, peanuts and popcorn were served, and carnival music was played to set the stage for a fun, interactive learning event. • series of booths where they played safety scrabble, fished

for acronyms, spun a twister board to see which stretch they had to demonstrate, participated in a mock OSHA interview, played a who’s who game, and numerous other fun carnival activities all with a safety theme.

• A demonstration of a good OSHA interview vs. a bad OSHA interview. You can have a lot of fun exaggerating what “not to say”!

Employee Presentations

• Wow the audit team and lighten the atmosphere of an audit….nothing more powerful than employees conducting presentations for the team during the on-site audit

• Try: – Skits, – testimonials, – songs, – videos and – storybooks

• Ensure that employee presentations contain an appropriate safety educational message and are not just a source of entertainment….

Justin sings “A Song for VPP”,— an original tune he co-wrote with a fellow employee and performed at a OSHA audit.

<Show video – Returns HAT Meeting spoof- 1 and ½ minutes; explain this was the closure after an employee presentation to OSHA on how an employee team tracks and abates hazards and that this team also did a presentation at a VPPPA conference.

“HAT” Team front line employees presenting at a VPPPA conference.

A JHA Team created a storybook to describe who they are, what they do, and showcase examples of successes.

In Conclusion

• Many types of strategies can be utilized for employees to be meaningfully engaged and influence safety decisions in the work place.

• Providing employees with a variety of opportunities will increase employee engagement.

• You might be surprised at the talent and skills that already exist within your front line employees.

Good Heart – Trained in Basic First Aid Emergency Preparedness – Trained in building evacuation

Safety Ergonomic Resource – Trained in Ergonomics and body mechanics

Stretch Break Leaders – Trained in body mechanics, ergonomic stretches

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Job Hazard Analysis – Trained to observe and record all jobs

Self Inspection – Trained to inspect building; identifying and recording

safety issues

Clean Sweep – To maintain the buildings organization and to ensure a clutter free

environment

Incident Investigation – Trained to investigate safety incidents

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Bibliography

• American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE). Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems. ANSI/AIHA Z-10-2012. Des Plaines, IL: Author, 2012.

• British Standards Institute (BSI). Occupational health and safety management systems – Specification, OHSAS, 18001:2007. London: Author, 2007.

• Deming, W.E. Out of the crisis. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press. (p. 21-24), 2000.

• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). 2008. VPP policy and procedures (retrieved from http://www.osha.gov/dcsp/vpp/vpp_policy.html).

• Petersen, D. Techniques of safety management: A systems approach. 4th ed. Des Plaines, IL: American Society of Safety Engineers, 2003.

Deborah R. Roy

droy7@llbean.com 207-552-4017