Maintenance Technology September 2016 - 21

SAFETY STRATEGIES and measurable. While they begin with top management, these objectives must cascade down through the organization to the shop floor. Performance evaluations, in turn, should include a review of safety-performance objectives. Individual accountability is imperative if risks are to be mitigated and injuries are to be avoided. While management and supervisory personnel should be rewarded for positive safety performance, there also must be consequences for failing to deliver safe performance. That means every level of management must be held accountable- without exception. Individual workers must be held accountable. Positive behaviors should be reinforced through recognition and reward. Conversely, unsafe behaviors must have consequences, including termination, if warranted. Ultimately, everyone at a site must be held accountable if injury-free performance is to be achieved. Policies and procedures are crucial. Policies are strategic and set expectations. Procedures are tactical and specify actions. Procedures should be written and verified by people with "real world" experience. Garner input from workers who will be subject to the respective procedure. Policies and procedures must be audited to ensure they are being followed. Policies must clearly state their objective, e.g., isolation of energy sources in a lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedure. A policy or procedure should be evaluated based on how well it meets its stated objective. Root-cause analysis (RCA) can aid in this process. In addition: ■ Use flowcharts to graphically illustrate procedural process flows or decision trees. ■ Clearly define roles and responsibilities- include safety requirements in job descriptions. ■ Use RACI (responsible, accountable, consulted, informed) charts, where appropriate, to facilitate understanding of roles and responsibilities. Reporting must be consistent. Ensure prompt reporting of incidents and injuries with consequences for failure to report or to report in a timely manner. Implement an injury-management process to help avoid the mischaracterization of injuries by medical professionals. Given the fact that personnel in off-site doctors offices, medical-clinics, and hospital emergency rooms aren't always familiar with OSHA regulations and reporting, a less-severe injury could be inappropriately classified as more severe. This isn't to suggest injured workers should not receive expert medical care: They definitely should! The difference between recommending a prescription medication SEPTEMBER 2016 Tips for Structured, Predefined Safety-Training Programs The importance of plant and facility safety training can't be overstated. It's mandatory. Best practices call for safety training to start with site- and unitspecific safety orientations for new hires, as well as contractors. Such orientations set clear expectations on day one for those involved in regular site operations, capital projects, and turnarounds. New-employee orientation should include leadership participation to reinforce the importance of injury-free operations. When it comes to the specifics of ongoing maintenance safety training, be sure to: ■ Train workers on risk recognition and analysis, i.e., show them how to interpret safety performance and understand its relative importance. Furthermore, provide them with training on the processes in which they work so they have a fundamental understanding of what's going on inside the equipment and any hazards associated with it. Note that process training of maintenance workers is now a part of OSHA 1910.119 Process Safety Management. ■ Capture and communicate safety performance so all personnel are aware. ■ Make housekeeping everybody's responsibility. This saves the time and expense of having laborers clean up after others-the image of which simply reinforces the misconception that safety isn't everybody's responsibility. Develop exceptional discipline relative to housekeeping, including the use of regular inspections. ■ Identify resident crane and rigging subject-matter experts (SMEs) who can review and approve all critical lifts. ■ Confirm the safety performance of crane companies and operators/ contractors (see contractor safety sidebar). Don't accept safety programs as a substitute for demonstrated safety performance. Establish criteria, i.e., certifications, for all internal and external crane operators. ■ Develop, implement, update, and store lifting plans for easy future reference. ■ Make safety meetings mandatory, structured, and interactive. Such meetings are a critical component in driving safety performance. ■ Provide detailed training on all life-critical subjects, i.e., LOTO, confined space entry, focusing on areas of greatest risk. ■ Include relevant off-the-job hazards as part of safety training, including areas such hunting, boating, chainsaw operation, weather emergencies, and defensive driving. ■ Avoid stale and ineffective training programs and recognize that computerbased training programs have limitations. ■ Invite internal and/or external SMEs and other plant personnel to conduct training. ■ Use innovation and interaction to keep interest high, i.e., consider roleplaying techniques and leverage personal testimony, which can be very compelling. ■ Conduct regular toolbox safety talks to engage workers and employ visual aids to enhance and sustain awareness. ■ Conduct interdepartmental safety training, e.g., LOTO with operations and maintenance, where responsibilities are shared. ■ Recognize the seasonality of some training, i.e., hot/cold weather hazards. ■ Use giveaways to emphasize themes, such as safety glasses to promote eye protection. Finally, make it a point to constantly garner feedback from safety-training participants and measure (anonymously) their comprehension. That's one of the best ways to ensure the effectiveness of these training efforts. MAINTENANCETECHNOLOGY.COM | 21 http://www.MAINTENANCETECHNOLOGY.COM

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Maintenance Technology September 2016