Communicating for Safety Excellence

1. Communicating for Safety Excellence Moving From Participation to Commitment

2. Problem to be Solved Many of our safety messages are articulated through the verbal and written communication skills of our supervisors. Our line managers must have excellent industrial communication skills to ensure our messages are accurately transmitted to our employees.

3. Learning Objectives Supervisors will… • Recognize the various types of communications we use. • Describe several ways to improve safety meetings. • Demonstrate the ability to develop and deliver a short safety talk.

4. Interesting Thoughts You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can't get them across, your ideas won't get you anywhere. Lee Iacocca “Meaningful participation leads to a sense of involvement which evokes a feeling of influence that generates psychological ownership that results in commitment.” John Jones - President, Organizational Universe Systems

5. Actions Speak Louder than Words I “hear what you say” but “I see what you mean.”

6. In Your World, Who Needs Safety? • Workers • Supervisors • Management • Contractors • Clients • Regulatory Agencies • You?

7. Ways to Kill Commitment to Safety Principles What behaviors and activities have you seen that are custom made to DESTROY commitment to any cause? What activities and behaviors have you witnessed that BUILT commitment to a cause?

8. Ways to Build Commitment • Showing trust • Believing that creativity and initiative are evenly distributed in your organization. • Showing commitment • Providing quality information - timely, wanted, accurate, useful, entertaining(?)

9. How do we Communicate Safety at the Work Site? • New Employee Orientation • Training • Talks • Meetings • Posters • Memos • Email

10. The Power of New Employee Orientation • What is your most memorable moment from a first day on the job? • You will never get a better chance to instill the professional attitudes you expect from a new employee than in the first few hours of employment. • Workers have an overwhelming (even if unstated or unrecognized) desire to belong…

11. The Three M’s of Training Tell M Show M Watch M Adults retain… • 10% of what is read • 20% of what is heard • 30% of what is seen • 40% of what is seen and heard • 70% of what is said by the adult learner, • 90% of what is both said and done Connie Livingston BS, RN – CAPPA, 2002

12. Training Pitfalls Most supervisors use some assumptions about their workers. Some supervisors find it useful to find out if they are right. My first assumption about you is that we all see colors the same way. Name these colors.

13. Further Assumptions Please read the following words out loud… DOOR LAMP DOG CYCLE

14. Can Your Assumptions Let You Down? • Your task - say the color, not the word! • Do you completely, fully and totally understand or do you still have questions? • You have been trained, tested and deemed competent to do it on your own.

15. Simple Practice Round Red Yellow Green Blue

16. Let’s Begin the Task FLOOR HAT FALL COAT

17. Now up to Speed (Shout Them Out) Red Yellow Green Blue

18. Effective Group Meetings… • Are often the only way that we can be sure that everyone has received a critical message in a timely manner. • Create a cooperative climate through participation and group interaction. • Give everyone the same attention and exposure to information. • Help build your image as a leader in the minds of the team members. Frank E. Bird Jr., pp.197 PLCL

19. Other Communication Tools • Visuals – minutes, notices, posters, signs • NOTE: Research shows they ‘disappear’ after 10 days. • What makes a great video? • Always pre-screen your videos, choose the topic and format carefully. Better no video than a bad one. • Demonstrations • You wearing the gear (hardhats and other PPE) • Shop Floor Corrections • Never let an instance of non-compliance go unnoticed Silence is Consent!

20. Do Signs Convey Enough Warning? • What does this say? • Does it say this?

21. Consider Video Clipsto Make a Quick Point • We use powerful tools - training is not an option. • Watch out for “Line of fire” injuries when using power tools.

22. Safety Talks Ya gotta just love them

23. Problem to be Solved Everyone, at times, needs to develop and deliver short topic presentations and many supervisors do not know how to start or what makes a good presentation. You may need training and practice to develop your presentation skills.

24. Supervisors will... Describe where to start Recognize the importance of defining the topic and knowing their audience Describe some “do’s and don’ts” of talks Prepare a simple presentation Present a simple talk using an overhead projector. Objectives

25. Giving a Safety Talk • This is an important skill for every supervisor. • It is a primary information sharing process • Your workers hate boring talks that waste their time (even though they are getting paid to be there). • Can be formal or informal, prepared or ad hoc • Can be free or purchased (watch accuracy) • Subscriptions (often through the Safety Department) • Make it interesting or your message may get lost.

26. Getting Started

27. Preparation Gathering Information • Define your talk (problem to be solved) • Define your audience • What resources are available? • Who has to do the set up? Set Up • What is the room like? Shop Floor? Tables and Chairs? • Is it quiet enough? Everyone must be able to see and hear your message or you are wasting their time.

28. Preparation (continued) • What presentation style is most appropriate? • Lecture, demonstration, practice sessions • Prepare an Outline • Introduction: Tell them what you are going to tell them • Body of talk: Tell them • Conclusion: Tell them what you told them • Organize your thoughts • Use a web

29. Preparation & Practice Write Your Draft • There is an old saying:“Get it writ, then get it right” Prepare Final Version • Write or print your overheads. Write legibly & large. • Handouts are very useful if you have a lot of information Practice! Practice! Practice! Prepare the Room • Get there EARLY and get set up • STOP - Take a brief break • Collect your thoughts (you deserve it)

30. Today’s Talk is onWD-40 • Here is the MSDS and as you can plainly see, it contains life saving information on… • Hazardous Ingredients • Physical Data • Fire and Explosion • Health Hazards • Take a moment to read it and then sign the paper that you understand it. • That’s all for today.

31. Making the Presentation • Do not read a script • Stand up • Watch your speed • Make eye contact with your audience • Watch bridging words like “Um” • Take questions during your presentation or leave lots of time at the end • What if I goof? You are in control! Have Fun!

32. Let’s Practice • Select one of the following topics: • Using what you have learned today... • Prepare a 2 minute talk • No more than 2 sheets • Be ready to present in 20 minutes • Have fun!