Safety Training Observation Program

Safety Training Observation Program. E.I. du Pont de Nemoiu-s and Company, Wfiiiiington, Delaware, 1989. 

Based on these results, Du Pont refined its approach to safety into its present Safety Training Observation Program (STOP). Du Pont promotes STOP extensively both within and outside the company. STOP involves a process of layered safety audits in which each layer of management conducts a regular safety audit, typically every week. A manager enters an area and finds its superintendent then they conduct a safety audit of that area. On a different week, the superintendent chooses an area supervisor and they conduct a safety audit. Further, all management personnel conduct a formal audit each week in one of the work areas for which they are responsible while also conducting informal observations of both safety practices and safe work conditions at all times. 

Performance. Consumer acceptance is a criterion on which cosmetic marketers caimot compromise. Whereas the likes and dislikes of consumers are in a state of constant flux, some product features are critical. A deodorant that does not deodorize or a hair coloring that fades in sunlight is unacceptable. Performance is tested by in vitro techniques during formulation, but the ultimate test of a product s performance requires in-use experience with consumers and critical assessment by trained observers. Performance tests can sometimes be combined with in-use safety tests, and protocols for such programs have been developed. 

For supervisors. Safety training for new employees, showing the work operation, observing the employee, and follow up. Part of 15-volume series, Supervisors Development Program. ... 

The operator should verify contractor training utilizing a variety of methods, which may include audits of the contractor s environmental, health, and safety training programs and operator observation of contractor work performance. ... 

Criticality safety training programs continue to be a vital contributing factor in the safe operation of large fissile material. production facilities. Past programs have been productive, and the dividends. received are best illustrated by the criticality safety records. Qn-the-job observations made by criticality safety specialists indicate operations personnel aiq>reciate efforts made to explain the WHYs.of criticality safety. This appreciation shows up in their work habits and attitudes. 

This step is completed by trained observers who are, in most cases, fellow workers. These observers are not intent upon finding fault or blaming workers for their safety behaviors, but to document the rate at which workers perform tasks in a safe manner or in an at-risk fashion. The observations usually take 10 to 15 minutes. The data sheets developed by the steering committee should be the guide and specify the expected behaviors. These observations are strictly conducted under the conditions that no names are used and no blame is placed. These observations are best when peer-to-peer observations are performed and feedback can be given immediately. Observation data is entered into a database for analysis and problem solving. This approach builds a sense of ownership in this type of safety program. 

All companies must establish and enforce rules of conduct and rules of safety for everyone involved in their operation. Because supervisors are responsible for following safety and health rules, a JSO is a valuable method for accomplishing an effective job safety observation program that can enhance all aspects of the accident/incident program, such as job safety analysis, safety inspections, and safety orientation and safety and health training programs. 

Medical Programs An effective safety and health program will include a suitable medical program where it is appropriate for the size and nature of the workplace and its hazards. Healthcare providers are on-site for all production shifts and are involved in hazard identification and training. Healthcare providers periodically observe the work areas and activities and are fully involved in hazard identification and training. 

Safety and health programs must go beyond management s commitment. Managers and supervisors must make an effort to ensure that hazards are identified and reported when observed. Those hazards then must be removed from the workplace or, at the very least, controlled, to mitigate the potential danger. If employees are not trained in hazard recognition and safe work procedures, they cannot be expected to perform their work in a safe manner. 

To maintain an effective safety program the employer must perform periodic safety work observations to ensure that (1) the employee indeed has the knowledge to perform the work task as trained and (2) is indeed performing the work task as trained. 

Safety knowledge reviews and work observations should be routinely performed by the supervisor to measure the effectiveness of the company s safety program, training, PPE, compliance etc. At a minimum, the work observation form should include the employee s name, job title, year/date, supervisor name, work task(subject observed), OK/deviation, comments, and corrective action. This documentation should be maintained in the employee personnel file or a computerized file designed for this purpose. This information will be helpful in evaluating the company s accident prevention plan and will be used during an OSHA audit to document the company s safety training requirements. 

Knowing the hazards of a job is very important. Chapter 3 on Job Safety Programs will aid in addressing job (workers ) safety. The chapter will explain job safety analysis (JSA) procedures to help make tasks safer for the workers. The chapter will also focus in on work-specific safety training and work observations and will touch on the subject of record keeping. 

Du Pont STOP. One popular behavior-based safety intervention is Du Font s STOP (for Safety Training and Observation Program). Employees are given STOP cards to record the occurrence of at least one at-risk behavior or work condition each workday, along with their corrective action. At the end of the day the STOP cards are collected, compiled, and recorded in a data log. Sometimes the data are transferred to a display chart or graph for feedback. 

Training objectives that state affective behaviors are usually much more difficult to observe and measure than cognitive behaviors. Nevertheless, they are critical to the ultimate success of the safety-training program. 

The practice of conducting these daily and quarterly inspections and tests on fume hoods should be made part of the workplace safety training program. In addition, to ensure maximum protection, workers should observe the safe work practices outlined above. 

The THIS will focus an employee s attention on these targeted hazards through an intensive 1-hour training program that the safety and loss prevention professional will present, and the basic skills will be provided upon completion of the THIS observation cards. The premise is simple—stop the unsafe act to prevent the accident from happening. 

This sounds ridiculous yet, in many companies, it is happening. BBS is being implemented in some form in 31 percent of companies where Occupational Hazards readers are employed. It is popular it is discussed in every safety conference today. Most BBS programs are primarily programs of peer observation and intervention. Hourly workers are trained and become trainers. Trainers train hourly workers to be observers. 

Example of a Hawthorne Threat A work-site decides to implement and evaluate a new training program focused on changing safety practices by providing feedback to employees. A consultant examines injuiy records and, with the help of workers and supervisors, develops a checklist of safety practices. The list will be used by the consultant to observe the work force and provide feedback to the employees about their practices. The consultant realizes that his presence (and the taking of observations) could make workers change their normal behavior. To avoid this potential Hawthorne effect, he makes baseline observations on a daily basis until his presence seems to no longer create a reaction and the observations become constant [p. 25]. 

The Facility Supervisor and Hot Cell Operators are qualification positions requiring successful completion of a formal training program before an individual Is allowed to operate specific HCF equipment and/or controls unsupervised. Proficiency for the qualified positions is demonstrated by minimum acceptable scores on written tests and by observation of the individual s operating skill with manipulators, production process equipment, and plant safety equipment and safety systems. Qualification also requires demonstrated adherence to conduct of operations principles, ability to follow procedures, and commitment to cultivating an environment of teamwork and continuous improvement. Staff contributions to improvement of procedures and processes are actively encouraged as a way to enhance the safety and work culture. 

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