Preparing for a Planned Safety Observation

The reasons for the plan. (Must include orientation of all employees about the purpose of the program.) 

Since supervising workers means observing, the supervisor is the most qualified to make safety observations. He or she knows the workers and the training they have received, and knows the jobs and how these jobs should be done. With proper preparation, the supervisor can conduct a thorough observation. Other management personnel may take part in the planned safety observation but the supervisor must ultimately be responsible for observation. 

The supervisor should select the person to observe usually because of some special reason such as inexperience, a reputation for taking chances, because of a 

We often think of unsafe acts and unsafe conditions as the basie eauses of accidents. They are only symptoms of failure. The basic causes are poor management policies and decisions, and personnel and environmental factors. Fortunately, most employers now realize that safety must be a necessary part of the total operating system. These employers take the responsibility to prepare a written safety policy and guide and to instill a safety awareness in their employees. Selection of best employees for job, training, employee placement, and the purchase of equipment and supplies are important to a successful accident prevention program. 

If a JSA is available, it should be used as the basic information and guideline for the observation. The supervisor should watch each step of the job and be alert for compliance with the safe job procedures. The supervisor should recognize the need to revise the job safety analysis if necessary. 

A planned safety observation gives snpervisors a positive means of determining the effectiveness of safety instructions. It also serves as a learning tool for the supervisor. The supervisor learns more abont each job, each worker, and areas requiring closer supervision. The supervisor will learn to be more perceptive in all areas of responsibility that will result in the best distribution of supervisory time. The supervisor 

The supervisor should select the person to observe usually because of some specific reason such as inexperience, a reputation for taking chances, because of a history of accidents, or routine observation to check compliance with procedures. After identifying the worker to observe, the first question to answer is, What job should this person be doing  

Some jobs involve only a few simple, routine tasks. Others involve doing many tasks, some more often than others. It is important to keep records of observations. See Table 14.1 for an example of a Job Safety Observation Form. The results will tell each supervisor just what has been or should be done about a particular worker. A Job Safety Observation Form contains the employee s name, department, job title, and a list of the tasks performed when doing that job. If the employee has completed the task safely, place an S in the appropriate column to indicate that the task was performed satisfactorily. An R indicates that, for some reason(s), the employee should be observed again at a later time. Use the comments space to record any observed unsafe practices, or any other information about the task(s) or the worker. To choose the task to observe, consider whether (1) it involves some new procedures because of a recent JSA revision, (2) there has been a change in equipment or machinery, (3) it poses an exceptional hazard, or (4) it is a job infrequently done but is complex. A U indicates unsatisfactory performance at a particular task and corrective action is required. 

---

Management should outline the purpose and types of job safety observations, including how to select a job or task for planned safety observations, how to prepare for a planned safety observation, how to use a checklist of activities to observe unsafe procedures, what the employees role in the observation process is, what occurs after the observation, and how to deal with unsafe behavior and performance. 

As Eisenhower and other generals have observed, planning is a critical part of preparing for battle, but once the battle starts, plans are not worth much. The same is true of laboratory research planning for safety is essential because once you begin the experiment it s often too late to stop what is going to happen. Good preparation for experiments requires careful consideration of its potential hazards. This can be summarized in the RAMP acronym which has permeated this book ... 

Three PMBs on system integration and assessment (SI A), thermal hydraulics and safety (TH S), and materials and chemistry (M C) were provisionally established in November 2003. A PMB on fuel qualificatimi (FQ) was additionally established in 2008. The tasks of the PMBs are to propose concrete collaborative R D, prepare the project plan, and exchange informatimi among the member and observer countries. The project agreements (PAs) and the concrete project plan for each PMB are currently being prepared. 

---