Implementing a performance based safety program requires that you implement a universal set of principles and activities that sustain safe conditions in the work area. The starting point is an uncluttered, well-organized, and understandable workplace. However, it doesn't stop there.
Techniques from effective workplace organization combined with OSHA guidelines have formed a set of "best practices" that can solve virtually every safety problem involved with the workplace environment. Every five seconds a worker is injured. Every ten seconds a worker is disabled. Injured workers lose income and employers in the United States spend more than $60 billion annually due to work-related injury and illness. Safety impacts performance and productivity.
Unsafe conditions exist in all plants. They are inherent to the manufacturing industry itself. It is important to focus on pre-accident conditions-hazardous conditions that exist before an accident has occurred. For example, workers can slip from water or grease on the floor. They can be injured from moving machine parts that are not properly shielded. They can be burned in fires from oil or chemical leaks, and material waste is often hazardous after processing. Even detergents and chemical cleaners can be toxic.
People can bang their knees, they can fall from high places, or things can fall on them from high places. Mobile equipment can cause accidents of all kinds. In fact, the organization of the work environment itself may have evolved in such a way that makes it difficult for people to operate their equipment, get needed materials, or work without bumping into things. And when people are not properly trained in the use of equipment, they will make mistakes.
Serious injuries get our attention. However, for every serious accident there are approximately 29 minor accidents and 300 near misses? The workplace isn't safe just because a serious accident hasn't occurred-it's mostly just luck.
In fact, many situations that we think are trivial are the real causes of accidents. Most of these problems are below ground or are blind spots. The job of an effective safety program is to help you see and control them, rather than allow them to control you. You can think of these situations as being underground. It is the neglected conditions that underlie near misses and accidents that you want to discover and eliminate.
One of the best programs I have witnessed for address these underlying safety issues ia a program called QCDSM from QCD systems Inc. It is a reliable framework built on prevention and total employee involvement. It prevents accidents and near misses by controlling unsafe conditions.
Six basic principles will help you apply create a safer workplace using QCDSM.
The first principle is to be proactive, not reactive, of course, you should determine and correct the causes of problems when they happen, but more importantly, you should anticipate problems and try to stop them before they occur. You can't afford to wait. Proactive activity is encourage when through QCDSM the workplace meets in the green rooms set up by QCDSM where they measure their prevous day's actvities and goals. These measures will indicate problem areas or trends which could become problems. Throught their participation in these meetings, the goal of being proactive is empowered.
The second principle is to identify blind spots. Remember, causes of safety problems are always there, but often they are in our blind spots. QCDSM gives us a way to dig down and ferret out the problems we don't see. The blind spots are catered for in a specific charts which measures what are called near misses. When this concept is properly understood by the workforce, their heightened awareness reveals the blind spots as well.
The third principle is to remove the causes of all accidents and near misses. Remove them or the problem will return. The charts will indicate the problem areas. The worforce are then empowered through the meeting to not only offer ideas and suggestions but are encouraged to assist in elminating the issues.
The fourth principle is to always involve workers in safety. Workers are closest to the facts-and have the most to lose. The QCD system focuses directly on safety as part of the QCDSM process. The 'S' refers to safety measures on a daily basis ensuring that daily the workforce in that meeting are measuring teir safety compliance.
The fifth principle, use a systematic method, trips companies up every time. A shotgun approach won't work. If you're not systematic you will be overwhelmed by the task in front of you, the daily meeting provides this systematic method.
The final principle is to start now. Everyone should begin to make small improvements and continue to do so every day. If this can't happen, question your strategy; it is probably flawed. QCDSM encouages the workforce in the meeting to offer ideas and suggestions based on their results as seen in their charts, their measures.
This is the strategy to encourge all to be safe by suggesting incremental improvements. Worker safety is paramount to achieving high levels of performance and productivity. The only effective way to ensure worker safety is by involving all workers in identifying and removing safety hazards. Sustainable worker involvement only happens when you have a properly functioning system.
QCDSM has proven its worth as just such a system. Often companies forget that while worker safety is paramount, focussing on quality, cost and delivery will depend on how safe the workforce feel. Therefore not to see Q, C, D as an integral part of 'S' is to miss the point. There is a further conumdrum - the 'M' in QCDSM refers to morale. This is measured by the workforce's involvement in the managing of their department. If the feel they are not being listened to [ideas and suggestions] their morale will suffer which will distract them in obsderving safety and of course, Q, C, & D will suffer. The answer: the holistic process of QCDSM will ensure compliance.
Brice Alvord has over thirty years experience as an internal and external performance improvement consultant. He holds a BA in Sociology/Psychology from Central Washington University and an MBA degree from City University of Seattle. He is the author of over two dozen books on continuous improvement and training.
Find out more at http://www.aleragroup.com
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