Accountability for Safety

1. Accountability for Safety Don Fronk, Safety Programs Manager Susan Rutan, Manager Human Resources Office of Physical Plant, The Pennsylvania State University

2. Objectives • Provide a framework for developing a safety accountability program • Share our story – what we have done, the impact & lessons learned • Motivate YOU to enhance or develop a safety accountability program

3. Program Agenda • Create a common understanding of accountability (What?) • The case for safety accountability (Why?) • The basic steps for growing safety accountability (How?) • The players (Who?) • Our Story • Discussion

4. Understanding Accountability (The What) • Personal accountability • Workplace accountability • Safety accountability

5. The Case for Safety Accountability (The Why) • Safety accountability helps protect people • Accountability for safety moves the culture forward

6. Basic framework for safety accountability (The How) • Leadership commitment • Safety programs THE FOUNDATION - • Robust training & education SAFETY CULTURE • Employee involvement • Clear expectations and roles SAFETY ACCOUNTABILITY • Encouragement and enforcement MODEL

7. Players in developing safety accountability (The Who) • Senior management • HR management – if not part of senior management • Safety management & staff • Mid-management • Front line supervisors • Union – depending on contractual language • Employee (safety committees)

8. THE PENN STATE STORY

9. Penn State Office of Physical Plant Story • The foundation – growing our safety culture • Senior leadership focused on safety & communication of the commitment • Safety programs developed, documented, communicated & available • Robust training & informational programs • Employee involvement

10. Senior Leadership Commitment • OPP Vision Statement – We are recognized nationally for excellence in facilities, environmental & safety management. • OPP Guiding Principles – We provide an enjoyable, healthy, and safe work environment. • OPP Quality Service Action Plan – Safe Environment (Providing for the health and safety of people and the environment through daily work processes, environmental protection, maintenance practices, and facilities design.

11. Senior Leadership Commitment

12. Senior Leadership Commitment • OPP Performance Criteria • Resource Commitment • 4 full-time safety professionals (for 1300 FTE workforce) • Org-wide funding set-aside for safety (programmatic & facilities) • Unit operational budgets funded for safety training

13. Safety Programs • Safety program development and review teams include employees • Safety programs accessible on the web upon implementation

14. Safety Programs • Electrical Safety / Arc Flash • Control of Hazardous Energy • Excavation Safety • Confined Space • Fall Protection • Scaffolding

15. Robust Safety Training & Information • OSHA awareness training for all employees • OSHA 30 hour outreach training for all trades supervisors, managers and project leaders • OSHA 10 hour outreach training for design staff • Safety awareness training for new employees • Ongoing programmatic training (trade specific) and annual refreshers • Supervisor’s toolbox talks and bi-monthly safety training topics

16. New Employee Awareness Training

17. Trade-specific training matrix

18. Employee Involvement • ISP Participation • 92 hourly employees involved • Employees empowered to make decisions regarding safe work • Hazard assessments • Safety improvements to the work environment • PPE selection

19. The Foundation is Built

20. THE OPP SAFETY ACCOUNTABILTY MODEL • The Safety Accountability Matrix • The Mechanism for Accountability

21. Building the Model of Safety Accountability • The Safety Accountability Matrix - Clarify expectations & roles • Identified the roles & expectations for each safety program area • Developed matrix

24. Building the Model of Safety Accountability • Develop mechanisms for accountability • Developed parameters for enforcement • Utilized existing employee recognition program • Get senior leadership buy-in on model & parameters for enforcement

25. OPP Parameters for Enforcement • Conversation (undocumented) • 1st violation of most PPE usage (except Flash gear and Fall Protection) • Letter of conversation • 2nd violation of most PPE usage (accumulated for any type of PPE violation) • Failure to follow safety policy or procedure • Warning letter • Failure to wear PPE to that could result in serious injury or death (w/ last chance warning) • Failure to follow safety procedures that could result in serious injury or death (w/ last chance warning) • Repeated or willful violations of safety policies or procedures (accumulated for any type of violation) • Summary dismissal/dismissal • Willfully engaging in behavior that creates a life/safety hazard for themselves or others • Repeat violations of safety policies or procedures (3 active WL language) • Repeat violation of those things listed under W.L. with last chance warning

26. Launching the Safety Accountability Model • Communication with all supervisors (train the trainer format) • Communication with union leadership • Supervisors communicated safety responsibility matrix with all employees

27. Growing the Culture of Safety Accountability • Highlight in new employee orientation • Hold employees accountable under the model • Review and update of Safety Responsibility Matrix • Train new supervisors on the model and parameters for enforcement

28. Impact of Safety Accountability Model • Positive trend of injury reduction • Increase of safety reports by employees • Demonstrates organizational focus on safety • Forces clarity in safety programs and policies

30. Increase in safety reports • Employee safety reports have increased over the last several years

31. Impact of Safety Accountability Model • Positive trend of injury reduction • Increase of safety reports by employees • Demonstrates organizational focus on safety • Forces clarity in safety programs and policies

32. Lesson Learned • Keep safety staff out of enforcement • Supervisor/manager input on parameters for enforcement • Ensure training reflects expectations and document attendance • Highlights supervisors who are reluctant to hold employees accountable • Holding injured employees accountable is really tough

33. Questions/Discussion