Accident prevention management commitment

The four major components of VPP (OSHA, 2013) are management commitment and worker participation, worksite analysis, hazard prevention and control, and safety and health training. The most frequently used safety analyses are safety checklists, compliance analysis, and process hazard analysis (in industries that handle hazardous chemicals). The great advantage of VPP Star Status (the highest level of accreditation) is not just a significantly lower accident rate and lower costs, but also OSHA will conduct on-site inspections once every 2 /2-5 years. 

For a safety committee to operate effectively it is necessary to determine its objectives and functions. To succeed, both management and employees have to demonstrate a commitment and positive approach to a programme of accident prevention and the establishment of a safe and healthy environment and safe systems of work. 

In the safety survey, one of the questions is are maintenance programs at a level that helps prevent accidents Is this a question about maintenance, or about management commitment Of course, the content is about maintenance, but what does the question mean to the employee It turns out that employees view it as a question about management commitment. 

An accident/incident prevention process is as simplistic as it sounds. Within the text of this book the elements are provided for such a process. On the people side of this process, employers must commit themselves and all facets of management. The leadership for this process comes from management. This does not mean that the workforce should not be part of the process. The involvement of employees must be incorporated into the process in order to elicit a commitment and buy-in to the prevention effort. This is an important motivational factor for employees. 

The outstanding feature of the approach taken by safety leaders is the fact that the commitment to safety comes from the top. The managing director of Du Pont Australia reads accounts of every lost-time accident occurring in a Du Pont facility anywhere in the world. These accounts can be brought up on a computer screen on his desk at a moment s notice. In an interview I had he was able to tell me of the company s most recent LTI which had occurred somewhere in Africa. Senior management in Australia, he said, must report every lost-time accident to head office in the United States within 24 hours and explain what is being done to prevent a recurrence. 

The initiative to lannch and maintain safety momentum is required from top management, so is the leadership and ongoing support necessary to prevent downgrading accidents that lead to losses. All managers should be visibly committed to the safety drive and this visibility will involve their frequent visits to the shop floor to mingle with the workers and manage the safety at the point of action. The closer to the point of action, the more effective the safety management will be. 

There are many good reasons for using accident frequency and severity rates. As mentioned earher, these measurements of results are part of any effective safety management program. When accident frequency and severity rates are properly used, they can lead to an increased commitment to preventing accidents. Several of the most obvious benefits of frequency and severity rates are ... 

After the necessary controls have been implemented, it s important to periodically review yom job hazard analysis to ensure that it remains current and continues to help reduce workplace accidents and injuries. Even if the job has not changed, it is possible that dming the review process you will identify hazards that were not identified in the initial analysis. It is particularly important to review your job hazard analysis if an illness or injury occirrs on a specific job. Based on the circumstances, you may determine that you need to change the job procedure to prevent similar incidents in the futru e. If an employee s failure to follow proper job procedures results in a near miss, discuss the situation with all employees who perform the job and remind them of proper procedures. Any time you revise a job hazard analysis, it is important to train all employees affected by the changes in the new job methods, procedures, or protective measures adopted. Remember, a JHA is one component of the larger commitment of a safety and health management system. 

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