Effective Safety Supervision

Welcome!

Goals

1. Describe and discuss why enforcing policies is the supervisors job

2. Define "adequate supervision" and describe how supervisors can meet this requirement

Goals

3. Describe supervisor responsibilities for holding employees accountable

4. Discuss tools for employee motivation

What leadership is NOT

Not power -• Power derives from status, money, ability to harm,

access to media, control materials, etc.• Thug who sticks a gun in your back has “power” but

not leadership

The nature of leadership

What leadership is NOT

Not status - • Status or position may enhance the opportunity for leadership• Some in with high status or position haven’t a clue how to lead

Not authority - • Person may have subordinates, but not followers• People will follow only if person acts as a leader

What leadership is NOT

Not management -• Management is an organizational skill• Managers preside over processes, functions, programs

Leadership is not common sense - • Common sense - What is it? How do we develop it? • Good sense is individual. Common sense would result in

common leadership styles.

Define Leadership

Leader Style

• Champ • Chump

Chump

• Poor communication• Arrogant • Know it all• Says one thing does

anther• Doesn’t follow through• Power trip

• Lies• No trust• Poor teacher

Champ

• Communicates well• Sets example• Approachable• Teaches• Consistent• Sets expectations

• Honest• Builds trust• Has your back

GOLDEN RULE

• Treat others the way you want to be treated

Platinum Rule

• Treat people the way they want to be treated

– The key is understanding….

Why did you go after a leadership position?

What do you think some of the lost luxuries you lose as a leader?

Lost “Luxuries”

• Thinking mostly of yourself

• Acting on feelings

• Whining

• Not listening

• Taking sides

• Emotions on sleeve

• Closing your eyes

Gripes go UP

• Movie Clip

Demonstrate Safety Leadership

What the rules say…comply with the law

Duty to comply with safety and health orders, decisions and rules. Every employer, owner, employee and other person shall…

•obey and comply with every requirement of every order, decision, direction, standard, rule or regulation …

•do everything necessary or proper in order to secure compliance with and observance of every such order, decision, direction, standard, rule or regulation.

What is the employer’s primary responsibility?

What does “secure compliance” mean in the rule?

Why does the employer have a greater responsibility than the employee?

Any supervisors or persons in charge of work are held to be the agents of the employer in the discharge of their authorized duties, and are at all times responsible for:

(A) The execution in a safe manner of the work under their supervision; and

(B) The safe conduct of their crew while under their supervision; and

(C) The safety of all workers under their supervision.

Since the supervisor is an "agent of the employer," what's the legal impact if a supervisor violates a safety rule or ignores employees when they violate safety rules?

Criminal Complaint Case Number 08-6403M United State District Court Central District of Illinois, Filed April 2, 2008 United States of America v. Stephen F. Vyncke

COUNT ONE (Obstruction of a Pending Proceeding) On or about October 10, 2007, at Rock Island, in Rock Island County, in the Central District of Illinois, the defendant, STEPHEN F. VYNCKE, did corruptly endeavor to influence, obstruct and impede the due and proper administration of the law under which a pending proceeding was being had before an agency and department of the United States, that is, the Department of Labor and its agency the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, ('OSHA'), in that the defendant acting on his own behalf and as an agent, servant and employee of Winter's Architectural Roofing Company, altered the worksite located at 513 31st Avenue in Rock Island, Illinois, by erecting safety fall protection on the roof of the building after the death of Walter Whipple on October 10, 2007, in an effort to obstruct the OSHA investigation.

3 counts total – potential 5 years imprisonment and $250,000 fine

Legal Liability

Policy

Procedure

PracticeYou can incur liability at any level – Policy and Procedure must meet standards of care and legal requirements; Practice must carry out Policy and Procedure!

Leaders understand cause and effect

• If you want employees who care about their work…demonstrate care for employees.

• If you want honest and fair employee behavior..treat employees with honesty and fairness.

• If you want selfless performance… be selfless. • If you want loyalty… be loyal.

If a supervisor wants to increase employee trust, what must he or she do?

Discuss the resulting effects the following leadership approaches have on morale and performance:

Caring

Controlling

• People follow because of who you are and

What’s your leadership style?

Which leadership style the construction supervisor should use often depends on the willingness of the crew to follow your lead.

The crew also has to demonstrate that they have the ability to perform what you ask.

When you choose a leadership style you also are determining how you will facilitate and coordinate information

John Smith

John’s Co-workers

John’s family

You, theSupervisor

The Company

Critical Decision Point: Understanding the impact of safety leadership

What is the impact of your decision on...

Employers to furnish safe place of employment. Every employer shall…

• furnish employment and a place of employment …

• adopt and use such practices, means, methods, operations and processes …

• do every other thing reasonably necessary …

Provide Resources and Support

What the rules say…provide resources

Let's take a closer look at what's being said here:

• "employment" • "place of employment" • "safe and healthful" • "devices and safeguards … • "practices, means, methods, operations,

processes" • "reasonably necessary"

What can the supervisor do to make sure the physical environment is safe?

What can the supervisor do to make sure the psychological environment is healthful?

When does positive stress become negative distress?

Job Stressors + • Workload• Relationships

Stress Moderators a • Individual factors• Situational factors

NIOSH Job Stress Model

Provide Effective Safety Training

The employer shall see that workers are properly instructed and supervised in the safe operation of any machinery, tools, equipment, process, or practice which they are authorized to use or apply...

What the rules say…instruct…train…educate

What is safety education?

• Generally, the “why” in safety - describes the consequences of performance

• Natural consequences = explains the resulting hurt/health that occurs automatically as a result of our actions

• System consequences = explains the organizational punishment/reward that may or may not occur as a result of our actions

Why is it important to always discuss the natural and system consequences of employee behavior?

Why should supervisors be involved in training?

How do you know safety training is effective?

A safety performance problem may not always be the result of a training deficiency.

Describe theSafety Performance

Discrepancy(The Gap)

Describe theSafety Performance

Discrepancy(The Gap)

Is there

a deficiency in knowledge,ability or

skill?

Has theemployee

performed task before?

Conductformal

training

Is safebehavior

punished?

Is the taskaccomplished

often?

Conductpractice

Providefeedback

Is unsafebehavior

rewarded?

Does safebehaviormatter?

Doobstacles to

safe behaviorexist?

Removepunishment& arrangepositive

consequences

Arrangenegative

consequences

Arrangepositive & negative

consequences

Removeobstacles

Training Options

Mager’s Decision Tree

Improving Safety Performance

No

NoNo

Employee does notknow how to accomplish the task safely.

Yes Yes

YesYes Yes

Employee does know how to accomplish the task safely.

Are training or non-traininginterventions the solutionto poor safety performancein the workplace?

Yes

Non-training Options

No

The employee does not know how to do the task safely.

Employee does know how to do the task safely

What caused the accident?

What actions are appropriate?

Just another day at work

Read the following OSHA accident synopsis and answer the questions:

Duty to comply with safety and health orders, decisions and rules. Every employer, owner, employee and other person shall… do everything necessary or proper in order to secure compliance with and observance of every such order, decision, direction, standard, rule or regulation.

Insist on safe performance

What the rule says…secure, enforce, require…

Rules for all Workplaces.

(1) Employers’ Responsibilities… (b) The employer shall take all reasonable means to require employees to…

(2) Employees’ Responsibilities

(a) Employees shall conduct their work in compliance with the safety rules contained in this code.

(b) All injuries shall be reported immediately to the person in charge or other responsible representative of the employer.

The "Chain of Accountability“

The employer is accountable to the

and obligate to

OSHA Rules “Laws”

Employees

The "Chain of Accountability“

The employee is accountable to the

and obligate to

Employer

Fellow Employees

Want Good Information? Show Them The LOVE!!

• Accident reporting/investigation should not be a negative experience

• Your attitude in responding to an accident report is critical

• Never – Question the validity of injuries – Belittle employee behavior/actions– Discuss write-ups/discipline

How to get desired performance

Challenging Conversations

As a Leader you owe…

• You owe your organization

• You owe it to your team members

• You owe it to yourself

Clarify your expectations and theirs

“I expect my people to do what it is that I haven’t told them.”

What do you expect from your Leaders?

So how do we deal with problems?

• Check yourself

• Be discreet

• Be specific

• Be positive

Case Studies!!!

• Let’s look at the 4 cases…….

Difficult conversation

1. Be clear about why you are having the conversation.

2. Be specific. Uncomfortable is okay.

3. Describe what you know.

Difficult conversation

4. Ask for the other side of the story.

5. Explain the way that you feel about the situation.

6. Provide a course of action

Difficult conversation

7. Describe the consequences.

8. Provide a timeline for changes.

9. Schedule a follow up conversation.

Positive Reinforcement.

When effective, positive reinforcement increase mandatory and discretionary behavior.

• Employee performs to receive the consequence

• Employee may perform far beyond minimum standards

• Focus is on excellence - success based

What do employees think?

“If I report a hazard, I will be recognized.” “If I make a suggestion that saves us some money, I

will be rewarded.”

Positive Reinforcement

• “I will do more of _____ to get _______.”

• “Reward” must be something they want

• If it does not increase the desired behavior, it’s not reinforcing

Negative Reinforcement. When effective, negative reinforcement increases required behaviors only. • Employee performs to avoid the consequence - fear based

• Employee performs to minimum standard - just enough to get by

• Focus is on compliance

What do employees think? “If I wear that eye protection, I won’t get

injured.”

“If I comply with safety rules, I won’t be disciplined.”

Problems with Punishment as the Primary Motivator

• Focus is on failure • Produces:

– Minimal effort– Low morale, lack of

trust– “Put-in-my-time”

attitudes– Counter-control– Highly variable results

Using this approach, do the employees believe that you care

about their safety?

Extinction – Withholding positive recognition of desired behaviors. Results in the extinction of desired behaviors.

• No expectation positive consequences• Employee is ignored - may be perceived as positive or

negative reinforcement• Initially, the employee will work harder - then gives up

What do employees think? “It doesn’t matter how hard I work around here.” “Apathy is rampant, but who cares.” “Hey, we can get away with anything around here!” “If management doesn't care… why should I?”

What’s the most common supervisor response to good work?

Ignore it!

To be effective, discipline should be …

Soon Certain

Significant Sincere

Complied with OSHA standards

Ensured accountability

Provided effective supervision

Provided effective safety training

Provided resources

Leadership requires discipline when justified

Have I…

Once you're justified, leadership demands action

Keys to appropriate discipline

• Discipline is based on fact not feeling. • Consistent throughout the organization: top to bottom and

laterally • Applied only after it's determined management has met

obligations to employee• Appropriate to the severity of the infraction and impact on the

organization

Should employees, supervisors and managers all receive the same disciplinary action for a given infraction? Why or why not.

Yes No Why?

Motivation is key to effective discipline

The supervisor's motivation can make the difference between success and failure when disciplining.

Which stated reason (motivation) below is more likely perceived as leadership by the employee?

___ "I'm disciplining you because I have to…it's policy…If I don't I might get in trouble."

___ "I'm disciplining you because I want to…you're important…I don't want you to get hurt. I want to make sure you understand I insist on safe performance."

Best Practice: Regular Recognition

Regularly Recognize and Reward and you'll

Rarely have to Reprimand

!

!

What are appropriate safety behaviors to recognize?

________________ with safety rules

________________ injuries

________________ hazards

________________ other employees

Comply

reportreport

warn

What's the most common safety behavior actually rewarded?

Let's Review