Safety observations procedure

Prepare all written materials that you will take into the laboratory. Be sure to include safety precautions, procedure notes, and a data table in which to record your observations. 

Each employee in a low-temperature plant must be safetyconscious. He must know the procedures to be followed should he detect an unsafe condition emergency procedures must be a part of safety education. Unfortunately, in working closely with a particular system, an individual may overlook a hazardous situation that arises slowly. Accordingly, supervisors must observe operations closely. The National Safety Council suggests the use of a safety observation plan for this purpose.The plan is designed to permit observation of unsafe practices while work is in progress, discussion of these practices, and the enactment of corrective measures before an accident occurs. However, such a plan will work only if all personnel are convinced that it is needed. 

Safety Pro 1 (Presented at 8 30 AM) Proposed revising certain procedures relating to the most severe injuries and increasing management safety observations. 

Accident prevention techniques, such as job hazard analysis, safe operating procedures, and job safety observations, have their application to specific jobs within the workplace. In general, they aim to address and identify existing or potential work-related hazards. These types of accident prevention techniques are emphasized in this book. Most books addressing accident prevention techniques usually emphasize specific job hazards and their prevention, such as fire safety and machine guarding. This particular book places only minor emphasis on specific job hazards. 

The basic idea of a ISO is simple It is a special effort to see how employees do their jobs. Planned safety observation involves more effort than an occasional or incidental observation of job procedures. This chapter describes various ways of determining unsafe practices and violations of safety rules. This accident prevention method emphasizes the importance of a proper supervisor-employee relationship. Becoming more interested in the employee through observations will lead to greater cooperation in the safety and health program. 

In a planned observation, the supervisor selects the employee and the job to observe. The supervisor also decides the most suitable time. Some supervisors may want to make assignments for planned job safety observations. The basic tool for making a planned observation is job safety/hazard analysis (JSA/JHA). (If a JSA/JHA is not used, the supervisor must be completely familiar with the job steps, job hazards, and safe job procedures.) The supervisor should observe the employee doing a complete job cycle, paying attention to safe or unsafe procedures and conditions. A Planned Job Safety Observation Form should be used (see Table 14.1). All safe practices noted should result in a sincere compliment to the employee involved while any unsafe actions call for appropriate corrective measures. In either instance, the supervisor should make an observation record. A planned safety observation is a valuable loss prevention tool. 

Inexperienced workers reqnire lireqnent planned safety observations to establish exactly what they know and do not know about doing their work safely. Further instruction and guidance are nsnaUy the required procedures after observations show the need for additional safety training. 

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. 

The primary purpose of a job safety observation (JSO) is to help each employee become willing to follow safe job procedures. When finding violations and unsafe practices, the object is not merely to stop the employee from continuing this behavior, but to get all employees to follow procedures and to remain productive and cooperative. Safety observation enables the supervisor to evaluate all aspects of an employee s performance on a specific job. An observation that reveals an acceptable performance level provides an opportunity to give praise and reinforce good performance. A safety observation of substandard performance provides an opportunity to take corrective action before unnecessary problems or losses occur. 

Observation procedures, (i) Whenever observation of the monitoring of employee exposure to lead requires entry into an area where the use of respirators, protective clothing or equipment is required, the employer shall provide the observer with and assure the use of such respirators, clothing and equipment, and shall require the observer to comply with all other applicable safety and health procedures. 

The safety observation phase is initiated when a written set of procedures is prepared by management and safety personnel. The procedures should include prepared JSA ready for use, step-by-step safe job procedures, and the training of all supervisors in observation procedures. Objectives must be established for each step of the program. The establishment of definite goals at all levels of management will give direction to the safety effort. 

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. 

The process is based on the assnmption that nnsafe actions are a significant cause of accidents. The first step is to identify critical behaviors. These are behaviors that are aitical to safety. Kianse (1997) lists four ways to identify these behaviors (1) behavioral analysis of injury reports, (2) worker interviews, (3) observation of the work process, and (4) review of woik rules, job safety analysis, procedures, and so on. Krause feels that 1 is most important but is not simple. Documenting incident reports is usually not specific to behavior patterns. The analysis usually requires getting additional information from operators familiar with the actual work practices. 

Choose any existing safety-critical procedure or practice—e.g., hand hygiene or the leadership best practice of vision—and then observe how the activity is actually done. You will usually find a difference between the intention and the actuality. Sometimes the... 

Every employee must observe established safety regulations, procedures, and protocols. 

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