| DETERMINING
THE DIRECTION OF YOUR PROGRAM: ESTABLISHING POLICY,
GOAL AND OBJECTIVES
INTRODUCTION
When
you embark on a journey you usually have a reason
for going, a destination and a specific plan
for reaching your destination. Similarly, when
planning a safety and health program, you first
decide and put in writing your reason for establishing
such a program. This is you policy. Next you
decide where you want to end up. This is your
goal. Then you map out the path toward your
goal, the roads you will take and the vehicles
you will use. These are your objectives. In
this way you decide the direction of your program.
This
chapter will help you begin your journey by
explaining how to write and communicate your
safety and health policy, and how to set and
evaluate your goal and objectives. You will
find many examples and worksheets to help you
on your way.
POLICY
The
hallmark of every successful safety and health
program is top management's active and aggressive
commitment. This commitment, in turn, influences
the actions of the company's managers, supervisors
and employees. It ultimately decides the effectiveness
of the safety and health program in reducing
or eliminating workplace injuries and illnesses.
The
company states its commitment through a written
and clearly communicated policy for workplace
safety and health. This policy stresses the
top priority of employee safety and health.
The policy statement should be signed by the
highest ranking company official on the site.
THE
PRIORITY OF SAFETY AND HEALTH
A
truly successful company places workplace safety
and health ahead of such priorities as production,
sales and quality control. If your policy statement
makes this clear, it will be easier for employees
to choose the correct action when a conflict
arises between safety and health and other priorities.
Here are some examples of policy statements
that convey this belief:
"People
are our most important resource. Our company's
principal responsibility is the safety and health
of our employees."
"Every
employee is entitled to a safe and healthful
place in which to work."
"No
job is so important it can't be done in a safe
and healthful manner."
"If
it is not safe and healthful, we will not do
it."
COMMUNICATING
YOUR POLICY
To
be effective, it is critical that your safety
and health policy be communicated to all employees.
You communicate your policy by word, action
and example.
Communicate
by Word. A new employee starts learning
about the company's attitude toward safety and
health from day one. By discussing job hazards
and providing training in safe work procedures,
both one-on-one and in group meetings, you tell
the employee that safety and health have a high
priority in your company. The supervisor's continuing
emphasis on safety and health reinforces this
positive company attitude.
In
the smallest of companies, the safety and health
policy may be easily explained and understood
through spoken statements. However, for all
companies, a carefully written policy statement
is always recommended. A written statement:
- Clarifies
policy,
- Creates
consistency and continuity,
- Serves
as a checkpoint whenever safety and health
appear to conflict with production or other
priorities, and
- Supports
your supervisors in their enforcement of safety
and health rules and safe work practices.
You
will want to include the written statement in
the information you give new employees. Be sure
to post a signed policy statement on employee
information bulletin boards. Another eye catching
way you can communicate your safety and health
policy is by adding it to your company letterhead.
For
assistance in writing a company or worksite
safety and health policy, see Appendix 2-1,
"Policy Statement Worksheet."
Keep
in mind that the written statement is not the
policy. It is simply one way of communicating
the policy. The real policy is your attitude
toward your employees' safety and health. You
prove this attitude by your actions.
Communicate
by Action. What you do -- or fail to do
-- speaks louder than what you say. Show your
concern for your employees' safety and health
by committing resources to the prevention and
control of unsafe or unhealthful work or working
conditions, to safe work practices and personal
protective equipment (PPE) where needed, and
to safety and health training. Whenever you
display a willingness to put safety and health
before short-term production goals, your actions
forcefully and clearly proclaim your policy.
Communicate
by Example. Top management, middle managers
and supervisors express the company's attitude
toward workplace safety and health by their
daily example. The rules and regulations that
you post on bulletin boards and discuss at meetings
are useless if management does not follow and
enforce them. Set an example: Use PPE properly.
Operate equipment safely. Hold supervisors accountable
for their safety and health responsibilities.
Run your business in a safe and healthful manner.
GOAL
By
setting a safety and health policy, you have
decided the reason for your journey: to establish
an effective safety and health program. Now
you must choose your destination, the point
toward which your program strives. It is time
to identify and set your program goal.
The
policy statements discussed above all boil down
to the same idea of desiring to provide work
and working conditions that are not harmful
to your employees. This is in keeping with the
stated purpose of the Occupational Safety and
Health Act of 9170 [29 U.S.C. 651 et seq.],
"to assure so far as possible...safe and
healthful working conditions" and to require
that each employer "furnish to each of
his employees employment and a place of employment
which are free from recognized hazards. . ."
In
moving from broad concept to more concrete goal,
there are at least two basic goal types to consider:
numerical and descriptive.
Numerical
Goal. Numerical Goals have the advantage
of being easy to measure. However, it is difficult
to set a numerical goal that is both attainable
and comprehensive enough to serve as destination
for your journey.
- If
you set a goal, for example, of zero hazards
at any time, it may be so difficult to reach
that you and your employees will become disillusioned
long before you have a chance to reach your
destination.
- You
could set a goal of a certain number of injuries.
In doing so, however, you ignore both illnesses
and those existing hazards that have not resulted
in an injury yet.
- A
goal of a certain number of injuries and illnesses
may not be feasible. Illnesses often are difficult
to recognize until long after employees' exposure
to hazards that could have been prevented
or better controlled. And as with the example
above, this goal does not address hazards
that have not yet resulted in injury or illness.
Descriptive
Goal. No numerical goal can be sufficiently
inclusive and still attainable. Therefore, we
recommend that you adopt a broad, descriptive
safety and health goal: a comprehensive program
that assesses all existing and known potential
hazards of your worksite and prevents or controls
these hazards. Such a goal is neither as succinct
nor as easily measurable as a numerical goal.
But it is attainable. Further, this goal will
be helpful in setting objectives. And it should
not be difficult to evaluate objectives and
program results against this goal. You may find
another way of stating this concept, but we
urge you to stay with this basic idea.
OBJECTIVES
You
have established the reason behind your journey
(policy) and your desired destination (goal).
Now you are ready to decide on a travel route.
The specific paths you will follow in your journey
are your objectives. Setting objectives will
make the difference between a haphazard trip
and a carefully planned journey. Careful planning
is much more likely to get you where you want
to be.
Begin
to develop meaningful objectives by answering
these questions:
- Where
do you want to be?
- Where
are you now?
- What
must be done to get from here to there?
When
you set a goal, you decided where you wanted
to be. The next step is to decide where you
are now.
Where
Are You Now? Before figuring out how to
get from point A to point B, it helps to have
a clear idea of the location of point A. This
may seem absurdly obvious; but most of us, at
one time or another, have jumped into a new
project or taken off in a new direction without
first assessing our present situation. Now is
the time to gather as much information as possible
about the current conditions at your workplace
and about practices that are already a part
of your safety and health program.
Is
Your Safety and Health Program Complete?
At a minimum, your program should reflect these
four basic elements:
- Management
Leadership and Employee Involvement,
- Worksite
Analysis,
- Hazard
Prevention and Control, and
- Safety
and Health Training.
These
four elements are discussed in detail in Chapter
1 and in several other sources, including, OSHA,
Department of Labor, "Safety and Health
Program Management Guidelines" (54 CFR
3908, January 26, 1989); and OSHA Publication
2209 (Revised 1990), "The OSHA Handbook
for Small Businesses."
In
the remaining chapters we will focus on how
to implement these elements.
Which
of the elements are missing from your workplace?
Which need improvement? Consider developing
objectives that will help you fill the gaps.
Get
Everyone Involved. Here is an opportunity
to get employees involved. Ask employees and
supervisors to help you identify both the successful
and unsuccessful parts of your program. Look
at existing safety and health activities at
your workplace. Which ones work well and which
do not? Study your records (accidents, injury
or illness data, workers' compensation rates)
to see what they tell you.
Take
a Good Look at Your Physical Surroundings.
What obvious physical conditions currently exist
that indicate OSHA violations or other hazards?
In answering this question, you are beginning
to identify your workplaces' problems and look
ahead to their solution. If you come up with
an excessive number of physical problems, get
these fixed before your attempt to set objectives.
Not only are you vulnerable to an OSHA inspection,
you are also putting your employees at risk.
Further, those safety and health problems that
are obvious to you are undoubtedly obvious to
your employees. Correct the problems and you
demonstrate your interest in their safety and
health.
What
Must be Done to Get From Here to There.
Now that you know here you stand, what do you
need to get done? This is another opportunity
to get employees involved in the development
of your program. Allow them to participate in
setting program objectives. Involvement helps
create an atmosphere of acceptance and commitment
to the safety and health effort.
Objectives
are statements of results or performance. They
are short-term, positive steps along the way
to your company's goal. Workplace objectives
for safety and health are similar to those you
set for other business functions such as sales
or production. They identify WHAT? WHEN? and
HOW MUCH? They do not include a justification
for why they should be done; that is included
in your policy statement. Nor do they contain
a description of how they should be accomplished;
that is included in your action plan.
Identify
Your Objectives. Anything can become an
objective -- from creating a safety and health
committee to investigating accidents to developing
an orientation program for new employees. You
must decide which activities are most important
to your program goal and which will help you
create an effective overall safety and health
program. The objectives you select should be
consistent with your basic safety and health
policy. And they should be part of the normal
business of your company, rather than special
projects added on to the normal workload.
Set
Your Objectives. Objectives should be based
on performance measures, that is, indicators
that tell you whether you did or did not perform
as expected. When setting objectives, keep the
following points in mind:
- Objectives
should relate to some part of your overall
goal. Example: "Develop and carry out
a program to train and license fork lift truck
drivers." This objective relates to the
part of your goal to ensure that all employees
understand the hazards and potential hazards
of their work and how to protect themselves
and others.
- Objectives
should aim at specific areas of performance
that can be measured or verified. Example:
"Improve safety and health performance
next month," is too general an objective
to be useful. Better to say, "Make weekly
inspections and make certain all hazards found
are corrected within 24 hours."
- Objectives
should be realistic and attainable but should
still present a significant challenge. Example:
"Reduce recordable injuries in the upcoming
year by 100 percent." This objective
may be unattainable because of the extent
and complexity of the measures needed to prevent
all injuries. An objective well beyond reach
can soon create a defeatist attitude among
all those working toward its achievement.
On the other hand, "Reduce recordable
injuries by 5 percent in the next year,"
can destroy employee interest by presenting
too small a challenge.
- When
setting objectives, solicit ideas from as
wide a range of employees as practical. Your
ideas already may strongly influence your
supervisors. Nonetheless, you will find that
safety and health objectives are most effective
when you discuss them beforehand with your
supervisors or employees. At the least, secure
their agreement or cooperation. People who
feel they have helped set an objective will
be most motivated to achieve that objective.
- Objectives
should be understood by all those directly
involved. Use terms that have a clear meaning
to all concerned supervisors and employees.
Leave no doubt about what is to be accomplished.
Example: "Find out the cause(s) of all
accidents and incidents," may be too
abstract to be understood (and therefore accomplished)
by those with responsibility. Be clear and
specific: "Investigate all accidents
and incidents at once to determine all contributing
causes, and take corrective action within
24 hours of completing the investigation."
- Objectives
need to be achievable with available resources.
An objective that requires a large outlay
of money or an increase in staff during a
budget crunch probably won't be achieved.
Setting such an objective is a waste of time
and effort. However, you need not discard
this objective. Postpone it. For the present,
create an intermediate objective of working
to produce the needed resources. Remember,
you travel toward your goal one step at a
time. The objective you achieve this year
may enable you to tackle a larger objective
next year.
Write
Your Objectives. Put each objective in writing.
That gives it more importance. It also helps
you track your position at any time and thereby
determine how far along you are in accomplishing
the assignment.
Explain
in concrete terms what is to be achieved, to
what degree, and by when. Be very specific in
your wording, and forces on performance. You
may also want to include a statement showing
the maximum amount of time or money available
to accomplish the objective.
Here
are some examples of safety and health program
objectives:
- Conduct
weekly inspections with emphasis on good housekeeping,
proper use of protective equipment, condition
of critical parts of equipment and preventive
maintenance.
- Find
out the cause(s) of any accident within 24
hours.
- Eliminate
any hazard(s) identified during accident investigations
and weekly planned inspections within 24 hours
whenever possibleComplete one job safety analysis
each month in each department, with follow-up
revision of safe work procedures and employee
training by the following month.
- Hold
and evaluate emergency drills for tornadoes
every six months and a joint fire drill/evacuation
with local emergency organizations every year.
Keep
copies of the written objectives and use them
in discussions with your supervisors and employees.
Be sure your people understand their assigned
responsibilities. Stress that they will beheld
accountable for these responsibilities. For
further guidance, see Chapters 5 and 6.
Is
It Working? Review you objectives periodically.
- Are
you getting the desired performance from supervisors
and employees?
- Are
objectives being achieved?
- Are
the results moving you toward your goal?
Any
program or activity in which you invest time
and resources on a continuing basis should prove
its worth. If an objective has been achieved,
but there continue to be too many injuries,
too many close calls, too many unsafe acts,
or no improvement in conditions, then different
or additional objectives are needed.
The
worksheets in Appendices 2-2 and 2-3 provide
a model for you to use in writing up your safety
and health program objectives. Chapter 12 will
help you evaluate the effectiveness of these
objectives.
SUMMARY
Your
safety and health program deserves to be carefully
thought out and directed. The first step is
to write and communicate your safety and health
policy. This states your reasons for the program
and your commitment to the health and safety
of your employees. You express this policy by
word (both spoken and written), by action and
by example.
The
second step is to set and communicate a goal
for your program. This is like choosing the
destination for a journey. It requires a determination
of where you want to be. Your goal can be expressed
either numerically or descriptively. There are
advantages and difficulties with both, but we
have found that a comprehensive and yet attainable
goal is most likely to be descriptive. We recommend
the following goal:
A
comprehensive program to assess all existing
hazards and known potential hazards of the
workplace and to prevent or control those
hazards.
The
third step in determining the direction of your
safety and health program is to map out your
route by setting program objectives. To do this,
you first need to know where you are: take a
close look at the current state of your safety
and health program and your workplace. What
more is needed to protect your workers' safety
and health?
The
objectives that you set should be specific,
measurable actions that move you toward your
goal. They must be attainable and yet challenging.
Use the clearest possible wording so that your
supervisors and employees understand their responsibility
and accountability. Once your program is set
in motion, review these objectives periodically.
Is everyone performing as expected? Are the
results being achieved worth the time and resources
being expended? Are you moving closer to your
goal?
The
success of this effort depends on the commitment
of top management and the participation of your
workforce. Involve your supervisors and employees
in the setting of program objectives. The greater
their involvement in mapping the route to safety
and health, the greater will be their acceptance
of the challenges and responsibilities of their
journey.
APPENDIX
2-1
POLICY
STATEMENT WORKSHEET
Policy
statements can vary in length and content. Some
contain policy only. Others include company
philosophy. Still others spell out rules and
procedures. Some policy statements will cover
items such as specific assignment of responsibility,
delegation of authority, description of duties,
safety and health rules, and establishment of
a safety committee. While some companies may
wish to include these additional items in the
policy statement, we believe it is usually best
to leave these details for later discussion.
This
worksheet is designed to help you develop your
safety and health policy statement. It contains
examples of specific statements often found
in safety and health policies. These are examples
only, but they may give you ideas for a policy
statement that expresses your style, your attitudes
and your values.
INTRODUCTORY
STATEMENT
The
written policy statement generally starts with
a clear, simple expression of your concern for
and attitude about employee safety and health.
Examples of introductions of policy statements
include:
- This
company considers no phase of its operation
or administration more important than safety
and health. We will provide and maintain safe
and healthful working conditions, and we will
establish and insist on safe work methods
and practices always.
- Accident
prevention is a primary job of management,
and management is responsible for establishing
safe and healthful working conditions.
- This
company has always believed that our employees
are our most important asset. We will always
place a high priority on safe operations and
on the safety and health of employees.
- The
company will, at all times and at every level
of management, attempt to provide and maintain
a safe and healthful working environment for
all employees. All safety and health protection
programs are aimed at preventing accidents
and exposures to harmful atmospheric contaminants.
- All
members of management and all employees must
make safety and health protection a part of
their daily and hourly concern.
PURPOSE/PHILOSOPHY
An
effective safety and health program will have
a stated purpose or philosophy. This is included
in the written policy statement so that both
you and your employees are reminded of the purpose
and value of the program. You may wish to incorporate
into your policy such statements as:
- We
have established our safety and health program
to eliminate employee work-related injuries
and illnesses. We expect it to improve operations
and reduce personal and financial losses.
- Safety
and health protection shall be an integral
part of all operations including planning,
procurement, development, production, administration,
sales and transportation. Accidents and health
hazard exposures have no place in our company.
- We
want to make our safety and health protection
efforts so successful that we make elimination
of accidents, injuries and illnesses a way
of life.
- We
aim to resolve safety and health problems
through prevention.
- We
will involve both management and employees
in planning, developing, and implementing
safety and health protection.
MANAGEMENT
RESPONSIBILITIES
Your
safety and health action plan will describe
in detail who is to develop the program and
make it work, as well as who is assigned specific
responsibilities, duties and authority. The
policy statement may include a summary of these
responsibilities.
For
example:
- Each
level of management must reflect an interest
in company safety and health and must set
a good example by complying with company rules
for safety and health protection. Management
interest must be vocal, visible and continuous
from top management to departmental supervisors.
- The
company management is responsible for developing
an effective safety and health program.
- Plant
superintendents are responsible for maintaining
safe and healthful working conditions and
practices in areas under their jurisdiction.
- Department
heads and supervisors are responsible for
preventing accidents and health hazard exposures
in their departments.
- Supervisors
are responsible for preventing accidents and
health hazard exposures on their lines.
- Supervisors
will be accountable for the safety and health
of all employees working under their supervision.
- The
Safety Director has the authority and responsibility
to provide guidance to supervisors and to
help them prevent accidents and exposure to
health hazards.
- Management
representatives who have been assigned safety
and health responsibilities will be held accountable
for meeting those responsibilities.
EMPLOYEE
RESPONSIBILITIES
Many
companies acknowledge the vital role of their
employees in the operation of a successful safety
and health program by summarizing employee roles
and contributions in the policy statement. Here
are some examples:
- All
employees are expected to follow safe working
practices, obey rules and regulations, and
work in a way that maintains the high safety
and health standards developed and sanctioned
by the company.
- All
employees are expected to give full support
to safety and health protection activities.
- Every
employee must observe established safety and
health regulations and practices, including
the use of personal protective equipment.
- All
employees are expected to take an active interest
in the safety and health program, participate
in program activities, and abide by the rules
and regulations of this company.
- All
employees must recognize their responsibility
to prevent injuries and illnesses and must
take necessary actions to do so. Their performance
in this regard will be measured along with
general performance.
CLOSING
STATEMENT
The
closing statement is often a reaffirmation of
your commitment to provide a safe and healthful
workplace. It also may appeal for the cooperation
of all company employees in support of the safety
and health program.
- I
urge all employees to make this safety and
health program an integral part of their daily
operations.
- By
accepting mutual responsibility to operate
safely, we all will contribute to the well-being
of one another and consequently the company.
- We
must be so successful in our efforts that
total elimination of accidents, injuries and
illnesses becomes a way of life.
SUMMARY
Generally
a written safety and health policy statement
will run six to 12 sentences in length. It should
include the five elements listed above: an introductory
statement, a statement of the purpose or philosophy
of the policy, a summary of management responsibilities,
a summary of employee responsibilities, and
a closing statement.
Appendix
2-2
SAMPLE
SAFETY & HEALTH POLICY STATEMENT
This
company considers no phase of its operation
more important than safety and health protection.
We will provide and maintain safe and healthful
working conditions and establish and insist
upon safe work methods and practices always.
Safety
and health shall be an integral part of all
operations including planning, procurement,
development, production, administration, sales
and transportation. Accidents have no place
in our company.
We
will work consistently to maintain safe and
healthful working conditions, to follow proper
operating practices and procedures designed
to prevent injury illnesses, and to comply with
Federal, state, local and company safety and
health regulations.
Each
level of management must reflect an interest
in company safety and health objectives and
is required to set a good example by always
observing the rules as a part of the normal
work routine. Management interest must be vocal,
visible and continuous, from top management
to departmental supervisors.
All
employees are expected to follow safe working
practices, obey rules and regulations, and work
in a way that maintains the high safety and
health standards developed and sanctioned by
the company.
We
urge all employees to make our safety and health
program an integral part of their daily operations.
Then the total elimination of accidents and
injuries will become not just an objective,
but a way of life.
Chief Executive Officer
APPENDIX
2-3
SAMPLE
WORKSHEET RELATING OBJECTIVE TO GOAL
GOAL:
PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM TO ASSESS AND
PREVENT OR CONTROL ALL HAZARDS.
OBJECTIVE:
INCREASE EMPLOYEE INVOLVEMENT IN PLANT HAZARD
ASSESSMENT AND CONTROL.
|
ACTIVITY
|
PERSON
IN CHARGE
|
EVALUATE
TARGET DATE
|
OBJECTIVE
AND RESULTS
|
|
l.
Conduct monthly all employee meetings
to discuss current safety and health concerns.
|
Manager
|
Begin
by June
|
Annually
|
|
2.
Establish a joint management/employee
committee for inspections and accident
investigations.
|
Manager
|
Committee
functioning by September 30
|
Annually
|
|
3.
Provide accident investigation training
to safety committee members.
|
Safety
Supervisor
|
Training
completed by October 30
|
Track
progress
|
|
4.
Eliminate any hazard(s) identified during
planned inspections and accident investigations
within 24 hours whenever possible.
|
Manager
|
November
30
|
Annually
|
|
5.
Provide hazard recognition training to
the safety committee members.
|
Safety
Supervisor
|
Training
completed by December 31
|
Track
monthly progress
|
|
6.
Hold and evaluate a joint fire drill/evacuation
with local emergency organization every
year.
|
Manager
|
December
31
|
Annually
|
APPENDIX
2 - 4
GUIDELINES
FOR WRITING OBJECTIVES
In
general, a well-formulated objective:
- Starts
with an action verb.
- Specifies
a single key result to be accomplished.
- Specifies
a target date for its accomplishment.
- Is
specific and quantitative; therefore, is measurable
and verifiable.
- Specifies
the what and when; avoids the why and how.
- Relates
directly to the accountable manager's role
in the organization.
- Is
readily understandable by those who will be
contributing to its attainment.
- Is
realistic and attainable but represents a
significant challenge.
- Provides
maximum payoff on the required investment
of time and resources when compared with other
objectives being considered.
- Is
consistent with available or anticipated resources.
- Is
consistent with basic organizational policies
and practices.
Previous
Section: Introducing OSHA's Safety and Health
Program Management Guidelines
Next Section: Top Management
Leadership
|
