Safety Committees in Long Term Care

LTC Insurance Services, LLC

Purpose of a Safety Committee

Gives employees a voice regarding their own safety at work

Advances the importance of employee safety on a regular basis

Enhances overall Safety Program which◦Saves WC premium dollars◦Reduces OSHA recordable cases◦Creates a better workplace, retain employees◦Reduces risk of fines, penalties

Safety Committee Basics

Must occur monthlyLed by the Administrator whenever possibleMust have a recorder, separate from leaderMust capture minutes in TELS (www.tels.net)Ideally more than 50% front line employeesRepresentatives from all departments and

shifts whenever possibleEmployees involved in recent incidents to

attend

Our Committees Are Unique

80% of discussions should be focused on changing employee behaviors (choices)◦How employees do the job, decisions made◦How and Why incidents occur

Resident Transfers, Repositioning, Lift, Push, Pull Slips, Trips and Falls Combative / Aggressive Resident Behaviors

20% on environmental issues◦Inspections of conditions

Structure and Flow of SC

Pick a specific, recurring day & stick to it◦e.g. Third Thursday of the month at 2pm

Everyone comes prepared, knows rules◦Safety Committee members aren’t just

members one hour per month…◦24/7 – 365◦Opportunity to make a difference◦Opportunity to get advanced training &

responsibilities, build ownership and pride

Minutes Form

Safety Committee Minutes

Goals of the Safety Committee

Measurable, Achievable, & Within the power of the Safety Committee◦Goal of 98% of CNA’s wearing Gait Belts during

random audits◦Goal of 95% of all audited beds have the cords

and hoses well controlled, not trip hazards◦Goal of 95% of all CNA’s interviewed correctly

answer a resident transfer / reposition question◦Goal of 100% compliance with slip-resistant

footwear in Dietary during random audits

Safety Committee Minutes

Structure & Flow (continued)

Old business from last meetingInspections done: Outliers, major issues

◦Review Department-Specific Inspection FormsInjuries since last meeting

◦Injured employee speaks to how, why & what could have been done differently

◦SC is supportive & focused on house-wide prevention not individual blame

◦Specific future tasks must come from these discussions and be recorded in minutes

Trends

Start with OSHA logs for 5 prior yearsMaintain “Incident Only” or “Near Miss”

file

Trending Employee Incidents

Long term trends of employee incidents are often overlooked◦A formal Trend Analysis is the best tool to

uncover less obvious trends Look at 5 years if you can otherwise 3 years Use a tool to capture important characteristics

◦Do a full written Trend Analysis once, then update each month

Discuss the different trends as a committee and assign tasks to address or investigate further

Action Plan

Safety Issues / Action Plan

Assigns specific tasks to members and non-members with due dates◦For specific, non-recurring tasks◦To collect more information, eliminate an

exposure, reduce a risk◦Finite due date, never “ongoing”

Should address the 3 Major Loss Sources◦Resident Transfers, Repositioning, Lift, Push…◦Slips, Trips and Falls Prevention◦Combative / Aggressive Resident Behaviors

Action / Task Plans

Plan is a Roadmap to reach higher staff awareness of risks, of programs, of issues to prevent accidents

Must impact employee choices, decisions

Example Items on Action Plan

SAFETY ISSUE

TASKS ASSIGNED RESPONSIBILITY DUE DATE

<50% of CNA’s wearing gait belts. Need >95% compliant

1. Training2. Observation3. Positive

reinforcement4. Consequences5. Periodic Checks

1. SDC2. All Managers3. All Managers4. DON5. All Managers

Achieve >95% usage by 11/1/2012

Bed cord tripping hazards in 50% of rooms

1. Education on hazards

2. Concierge rounds3. SC Rounds4. Room inspection

tracking tool

1. SDC & Maint.2. Managers3. Safety

committee4. Risk Manager

Achieve <10% of rooms having cord issues by 12/1/2012

“Corporate” Safety Programs

In the OSHA & Loss Prevention ManualMembers need to understand these

programs, know when they apply◦Discuss each program in some depth◦Address non-compliant areas in Action Plan

Once knowledgeable on each, the SC identifies ways to increase awareness◦Put tasks on the action plan if warranted◦All staff should understand the basics of each

Helping New Hires Succeed

Safety Committee members connect with new hires: ◦Answer questions, ◦Provide support and guidance◦Demonstrate good techniques,

use of equipment, how to find information

◦Report back any issues to SDC or DON

Training & the Safety Committee

What training took place since last meeting◦Did house-wide training take

place for all root causes of recent employee incidents?

◦Are the covered concepts being practiced? Was the training effective?

Compliance observed?

In-Services & Training

What training will occur in next 30 days◦Do we need to address new issues?

Should other topics be added to training calendar? Are trends indicating we change tactics?

How can the Safety Committee work with Staff Development to enhance training, increase awareness, increase efficiency, increase effectiveness and verify that training is implemented◦Safety Committee can help observe behaviors

Safety Awareness

Adults learn through seeing it done then doing the task

Provide opportunities for hands-on tasks

Safety Topic of the Month

Designed to keep all homes on track & provide opportunities for unrelenting topic coverage to address loss sources

Can be as simple or as complex as you want but don’t just rely on in-services

Activities outside of the norm will engage staff differently, increase chances of information retention

Safety Incentives

To recognize and reward efforts to improve employee safety◦Focused on positive employee behaviors and

actions◦Must take action to get a reward, not just be

presentTo encourage reporting of issues & incidents

◦Any perception that the incentive program may contribute to employees not reporting incidents needs immediate attention

Use the eligible money every month◦Give away SRMax Slip Resistant Shoes◦Follow the required process, receipts, etc.

FAQ, Summary & Conclusion

Front line employees have the best ideasSC meetings should be fixed, not pushedPost the minutes of the last meeting and

the agenda for the next meetingRecognize your SC membersKeep it less than 60 minutes, facilitateRotate members after about 4-6 months,

one at a time, maintain continuityNot just a once-a-month responsibilitySC members are ambassadors for safety

Finally…

Keep it fun, get creativeGet out of the conference room every so

often, be visibleInteraction should be positive and

constructive, respectful – everybody has an opinion but keep it focused◦Resident Transfers / Repositioning / Body

Mechanics◦Slips, Trips, Falls◦Combative / Aggressive Resident Behaviors

Visit our Safety Committee page

Questions?

Contact Us for Help & Ideas◦Use the website

http://www.ltcinsuranceservices-safety.yolasite.com/ Intranet, Risk Management, Workers’ Comp.

◦Email: BCrecco@LTC-LLC.com◦Call: 727-365-4887