Building a Facility Maintenance Crew Safety Culture
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It’s an entirely new world for today’s facilities managers and their maintenance teams. The realities of increased security, bioterrorism and biohazards have resulted in greater and more costly challenges.
Combined with a rapidly changing world economy, up sizing, downsizing and re-organizing, an environment of fear and stress can develop that adds to these workplace challenges. And for many facilities managers, the combination of all these factors has resulted in more safety risks and hazards, which has driven risk management and workers’ compensation costs even higher.
If the current business climate pushes companies to focus primary energies on costs and benefits, statistical trends, efficiency, productivity and quality, then shelving or decreasing emphasis on safety and health issues may occur. However, this is not an option. More than ever, protecting the well being of each individual must remain the primary concern.
While managers recognize that the pressure for greater production and profits can contribute to an environment ripe for possible accidents and injuries, they should remain focused on the overriding need to increase safety awareness and training. The decline in workplace accidents over the past decade proves that investing in a workplace injury and illness prevention program is one of the best and most cost effective ways to protect both human and physical assets.
One does not have to go beyond the headlines to know that the direct costs of workplace injuries and illnesses (medical expenses and workers’ compensation benefits) are skyrocketing. However, the indirect costs may be even greater than the direct costs. Figure 1 shows what losses could be incurred from one lost workday.
Building A Safety Culture
With the current health and workers’ compensation insurance environment, safety training and compliance are critical. Assuring that all employees share the attitudes, beliefs and thinking that lead to safe behaviors both on and off the job is the ultimate goal.
A critical component to maintaining a safe and healthful work environment is the development of a comprehensive safety program. Research has shown that such programs significantly reduce the costs associated with workplace injuries and illnesses. The most dynamic safety programs are typically well-defined, well-documented, results driven, participatory, active and address compliance, hazard identification, accident reporting and investigation, hazard mitigation, training, communication and program documentation.
Such a holistic, integrated safety program increases trust, opens communication and fosters personal responsibility and participation at all levels. Effective communication of safety information is vital to the program’s success.
Once all employees are trained in safe work practices, specific instruction is then provided for each job assignment. Safety training should also occur whenever new substances, processes, procedures or equipment are introduced into the workplace that may create new hazards. Training programs should encompass the Occupational Safety and Health Standards (Part 1910 of CFR 29) as well as all applicable local, state and federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rules and regulations.
For example, maintenance crew training in conjunction with a comprehensive, written safety plan where all objectives, supporting activities and responsibilities are detailed, administered and measured, typically encompasses the following elements:
- Trade-specific Code Of Safe Work Practices (available in multiple language versions)
- 10 Hour OSHA Safety Sentry Training program
- 4 Hour OSHA Awareness Update Training conducted annually
- Company-provided personal protective equipment (PPE) and training on proper use.
Whether the employees are permanent crew or are outsourced through a staffing service or related contractor, the same safety program standards must be met. In fact, one of the best criterion in supplier selection for such services is to check the companies own workers’ compensation modification rate, their safety program, record and practices, and their risk management programs. Additionally, review the hiring and screening processes used to attract and retain skilled workers.
It should be equally important to each facility manager that regardless of the source of the crew member, safety and skills are still basic elements. Furthermore, check that companies establish and maintain an employee-driven safety culture with defined expectations and programs, and that all safety program efforts are management-led and management-supported.
As maintenance crew managers, the key challenge will be to develop ways that continually involve and motivate employees – whether the individual is a part of the permanent or temporary staff - while clearly demonstrating the company's core safety values. In most cases the cost of a safety-based incentive program for crews will be far less than the cost of workers’ compensation, loss of productivity, missed deadlines and client dissatisfaction.
Facilities managers remain as the catalysts for positive reinforcement and incentives that encourage employee involvement. And, they serve as the champions to help resolve safety issues or concerns.
Re-Energizing the Safety Effort
Under some conditions such as times of limited resources, expansion or merger, a corporate safety program may require revitalization or revamping. Facility managers are then tasked to seek the advice of experts who are trained and skilled to recognize what is unsafe and have the expertise to correct it...whether it is within the program, training, processes or culture.
The costs associated with taking these corrective actions may be far less than the costs associated with inaction. A respected safety colleague outside the company often brings a fresh perspective to the facility, its people and its programs, while helping to drive down long-term costs associated with risk management and workers’ compensation.
What are some of the actions that may be taken during a safety and health audit?
- Survey the current work culture to determine prevailing attitudes, beliefs and behaviors related to safety, health and the environment.
- Train employees on what causes people to become distracted, to take risks or to act in an unsafe manner, focusing on the underlying "human mechanisms" that cause people to place themselves at risk.
- Assist employees in developing self-observation and self-management skills to address their own attitudes, thinking and behaviors, and the interpersonal skills to work as a team and assist others in the same.
- Provide ongoing training to reinforce key concepts to improve the safety culture.
- Develop a process for feedback, support and empowerment - complete with activity and performance measures.
- Ensure that each team member understands the following:
- Company policy and goals for safety;
- Individual role in the safety program;
- Required safety training programs and equipment;
- Work rules and regulations for safety;
- Safety monitoring and hazards identification; and
- Safety and health suggestion program.
Back on a Safe Track
Once the safety program is clearly on track, the program goals and responsibilities can effectively work to maintain a safe and healthful place of employment: by providing and enforcing the use of safety devices, personal protective equipment and safeguards; adopting and using methods and processes adequate to assure work performed is safe; and taking every reasonable precaution to protect the life and safety of employees.
Another critical aspect of the program will be to provide the workers’ compensation administrator with timely information and assistance to meet legal and company requirements for risk/claims management. This will mean investigating every incident and unsafe practice/condition thoroughly to determine cause and prevent recurrence. By encouraging the proper attitude toward job safety performance and conducting regularly scheduled training, employees will experience, expect and participate in a safe and healthy culture every day.
The Full Benefits Realized
The full value of a dedicated safety program has many rewards. Imagine the successes being realized as medical and workers’ compensation insurance costs are lowered, lost days are less, productivity is up, morale is high, fear and stress are reduced and all employees make safety job one.
The long-term benefits to achieving the proper focus on safety awareness and training for a facility maintenance crew are many. Some are summarized below:
- Protecting the health and safety of all employees
- Decreasing the potential risk of disease, illness, injury and harmful exposures
- Reducing workers’ compensations claims and costs
- Improving efficiency by reducing the time spent replacing or reassigning injured employees
- Reducing the need to find and train replacement employees;
- Improving employee morale and efficiency as employees see that their safety is important
- Minimizing the potential for penalties assessed by various enforcement agencies through consistent compliance with health and safety codes.
