Safety and the Supervisor

How to effectively fulfill your safety supervisor responsibilities

Welcome!

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Goals

1. Describe and discuss responsibilities related to leadership.

2. Detail supervisor responsibilities to provide resources and support.

3. Define "adequate supervision" and describe how supervisors can meet this requirement.

4. Discuss the benefits and nature of supervisor involvement in safety training.

5. Describe supervisor responsibilities for holding employees accountable for safety.

© 2003 Steven J. Geigle. All rights reserved.This material, or any other material used to inform employers of compliance requirements of OSHA standards through simplification of the regulations should not be considered a substitute for any provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 or for any standards issued by OSHA. The information in this publication is intended for training purposes only.

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Form teams

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Demonstrate Leadership by Example1OSHA Act of 1970

Public Law 91-596, 91st Congress, S.2193, December 29, 1970.

5. Duties 

(a) Each employer -- 

(1) should furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees; 

(2) should comply with occupational safety and health standards promulgated under this Act. 

(b) Each employee should comply with occupational safety and health standards and all rules, regulations, and orders issued pursuant to this Act which are applicable to his own actions and conduct.

What is the supervisor’s first and most important accountability to the law?

What is the employee’s first and most important accountability to the employer?

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Furnish safe work and a safe workplace2Providing a safe and healthful work environment

What can the supervisor and manager do to make the physical environment safe?

What can the supervisor and manager do to reduce unhealthful worker stress?

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The workplace should be inspected by a qualified person as often as the type of operation or the character of the equipment requires. Defective equipment or unsafe conditions found by these inspections should be replaced or repaired or remedied promptly.

The Safety Inspection

Who is a qualified person?

"Qualified" means one who, by possession of a recognized degree, certificate, or professional standing, or who by extensive knowledge, training, and experience, has successfully demonstrated his ability to solve or resolve problems relating to the subject matter, the work, or the project.

"Competent person" means one who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions which are un-sanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to employees, and who has authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them.

What are inherent weaknesses in the walkaround inspection?

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Observation.

Supervisors can overcome the weaknesses of the walkaround inspection by regularly observing employee performance. Informal observation provides an effective method to detect and correct hazardous conditions and unsafe behaviors before they result in an accident.

• Informal observation is conducted continually by employees and supervisors.

• Formal observation procedures can be developed as an analysis tool to assist safety staff in determining safety related trends. A safety committee observation process and job hazard analysis are forms of formal observation.

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Job Hazard Analysis

Effective use of JHAs will do the following:

• Provide the supervisor with a clear understanding of what the employee

does and does not know about the task;• Recognize needed changes in the equipment or procedures; and• Provide a way to increase employee involvement.

What are inherent strengths of a Job Hazard Analysis?

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The employer should analyze incident and injury accident that workers suffer in connection with their employment, to determine the root causes and preventive measures that should be taken to prevent recurrence. The employer should promptly install any safeguard to take any corrective measure indicated or found advisable.

Incident/Accident Analysis

Why is it smart to investigate incidents as well as accidents? Why?

What is the purpose of conducting an accident investigation?

Accidentinvestigation

is“fact-finding”

not“fault-finding.”

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Have you ever seen "blame game" accident reports that claim the following personal causes?

The investigator who quickly arrives at the following "causes" for an accident is most likely committing attribution error.

Was lazy Lacked common sense

Was careless Should have known

Was stupid Was inattentive

Was accident-prone Had a poor attitude

• A thorough incident/accident analysis will try to uncover why the above conditions exist.

• Discipline will occur only after it can be demonstrated that root causes did not contribute to the surface causes of the incident/accident.

Why is it important to thank employees who report incidents and injuries immediately?

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The Effective Incident/Accident Investigation Process

• Gather the information. Secure the scene and collect facts about what happened. The first two steps ensure the accident scene does not change and information is gathered immediately.

• Analyze the facts. Develop the sequence of steps leading up to and including the injury event. Determine the surface and root causes for the accident.

• Implement solutions. The final phase of the process is to develop and recommend corrective actions and management solutions to make sure similar incidents/accidents do not recur. If an honest evaluation determines that no root causes exist, then disciplinary actions may be justified.

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Inadequate training plan

No accountability policy No inspection policy

No discipline procedures

No orientation process

Inadequate training

Fails to enforceLack of time

No recognition

CutsBurns

Lack

of v

isio

n

Strains

No

mis

sion

sta

tem

ent

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What caused the accident?

What actions are appropriate?

Just another day at work

Read the following OSHA accident synopsis and answer the questions:

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Controlling Hazards

Engineering Controls

Management Controls

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Interim Measures

Why are engineering controls considered superior to management controls?

What might be some of the drawbacks of reliance solely on PPE to protect workers?

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Who is best suited to train employees on specific safe work procedures?

How do you know safety training is effective ?

What is the difference between education and training?

Education... tells why...

Training... shows how ...

Provide Effective Safety Training

The employer should see that workers are properly instructed and supervised in the safe operation of any machinery, tools, equipment, process, or practice which they are authorized to use or apply.

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Mager’s Decision TreeImproving

SafetyPerformance

No

Yes

Describe theSafety Performance

Discrepancy(The Gap)

Is There

a deficiency in knowledge,ability or

skill?

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The basic steps in On The Job training are:

Step 1. Introduction

Step 2. Trainer show and tell

Step 3. Trainer show and ask

Step 4. Trainee tell and show

Step 5. Conclusion

Step 6. Document

If it isn't in writing, it didn't get done!

Document it!

What is On-the-Job Training?

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What’s the criteria for “adequate” safety supervision?

Provide Adequate Supervision4

What’s the definition of “adequate” safety supervision?

The employer should see that workers are properly supervised in the safe operation of any machinery, tools, equipment, process, or practice which they are authorized to use or apply. Every employer should provide the health hazard control measures necessary to prevent employee exposure to harmful or hazardous conditions. They should inform the employees regarding the known health hazards to which they are exposed, the measures which have been taken for the prevention and control of such hazards, and the proper methods for utilizing such control measures. The employer should see that workers are properly supervised in the safe operation of any machinery, tools, equipment, process, or practice which they are authorized to use or apply. Every employer should provide the health hazard control measures necessary to prevent employee exposure to harmful or hazardous conditions. They should inform the employees regarding the known health hazards to which they are exposed, the measures which have been taken for the prevention and control of such hazards, and the proper methods for utilizing such control measures.

What the rules say…

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The supervisor must D_________ and C_________

Hazards before they cause I________ or I__________

to an employee.

The key to safety supervision is super...vision

List manager and supervisor activities that help to ensure effective supervision is occurring daily in the workplace.

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John Smith

John’s Co-workers

John’s family

You, theSupervisor

TheCompany

Critical Decision Point: Understanding the impact of safety leadership

What is the impact of your decision on...

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Employer Responsibilities

Every employer should do everything necessary or proper in order to hold employees accountable for complying with safety policies and practices. The employer should take all reasonable means to require employees to:

• work and act in a safe and healthful manner; • conduct their work in compliance with all applicable safety and health rules; • use all means and methods, including but not limited to, ladders, scaffolds,

guardrails, machine guards, safety belts and lifelines, that are necessary to safely accomplish all work where employees are exposed to a hazard; and

• not to remove, displace, damage, destroy or carry off any safety device, guard, notice or warning provided for use in any employment or place of employment while such use is required by applicable safety and health rules.

Ensure Accountability5

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Employees’ Responsibilities

Employees should conduct their work in compliance with the employer's safety policies and rules. They should report all injuries immediately to the person in charge or other responsible representative of the employer. The should warn other employees and report any hazards they see as soon as possible to the appropriate party.

The "Chain of Accountability"

The employer is accountable to the ___________ and the employee is

accountable to the __________.

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What does the

supervisor control?

What does the

employee control

Accountability follows control

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Supervisor accountabilities

Comply with OSHA standardsMaintain a safe and healthful workplaceProvide effective safety trainingOversee work operationsEnsure accountability

Comply with employer's standardsReport hazardsReport injuries immediately

Employee accountabilities

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Before a supervisor administers discipline to an employee for failure to meet safety standards...

…what five questions should he or she first ask?

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Once you're justified, leadership demands action

Keys to appropriate discipline

• Discipline is based on fact not feeling.

How can we make sure this is achieved? __________________________

• Consistent throughout the organization: top to bottom and laterally

• Applied only after it's determined management has met obligations to employee

• Appropriate to the severity of the infraction and impact on the organization

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Should employees, supervisors and managers all receive the same disciplinary action for a given infraction? Why or why not.

Yes No Why?

Motivation is key to effective discipline

The supervisor's motivation can make the difference between success and failure when disciplining.

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Which stated reason (motivation) below is more likely perceived as leadership by the employee?

___ "I'm disciplining you because I have to…it's policy…If I don't I might get in trouble."

___ "I'm disciplining you because I want to…you're important…I don't want you to get hurt. I want to make sure you understand I insist on safe performance."

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Best Practice: Regular Recognition

Regularly Recognize and Reward and you'll

Rarely have to Reprimand!

Recognition acknowledges behavior/results.

Reward is a positive recognition that increases desired behaviors.

Incentives influence future behavior by offering a reward.

Criteria for effective recognition: • Must be soon -

• Must be certain -

• Must be significant -

• Must be sincere -

What are appropriate safety behaviors to recognize and reward?

What inappropriate safety behavior do we most frequently recognize and reward?

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Let's Review