Safety Escape
10/30/2006
David R. O'Donnell (email)
Safety Escape, LLC
Are you satisfied with your safety results' Is the safety of your employees important to you' Is the safety of your employees important to their spouse, children, and grandchildren' Hopefully the answer to the second two questions is an emphatic yes!
Whether the answer to the first question is yes or no you might be hearing things like the following from your workforce. We work around hot things, we work around cold things, we work in confined spaces or elevated spaces, we work around sharp objects or with equipment with numerous pinch points, or our work requires repetitive motion or lifting. Our work is tough and you know'eventually we will get hurt. It's part of the job. You might not hear these exact words or any words, but the injury data might tell you this could be the attitude and thought process. People do not intentionally injure themselves, but injuries are the unintended consequence of people's actions. How did they approach the job' Were they in automatic mode and not thinking of the task at hand or did they take the time to think through the hazards associated with completing the task and take the effort to avoid the hazards and injury' Maybe they avoided an injury by sheer luck.
If your safety program is structured so the focus is compliance to regulations, you will get very different results then if your program is anchored with a commitment for doing what is right, not just what is regulated. Here is a key question: 'Do you have the right Safety Culture in place to support your safety program and your desired safety results'' You can have all of the elements of a world-class safety program (i.e. policies and procedures, reports and logs, training, equipment, audits and inspections, hazard assessments, injury investigations, management involvement, metrics and goals, etc., etc.) in place, but if you do not have the right Safety Culture in place, your outcome will be sub optimal.
Culture can be defined as: what people do and why they do it. 'What' they do is the behavior or action people display or take in completing a task or assignment. The 'why' they do it is getting at the root of the organization culture. Culture cannot be changed overnight. It takes a long time to establish a culture and it takes a long time to change.
Establishing the right Safety Culture must not be approached as a program and it definitely cannot be perceived as 'the flavor of the month.' It truly is a long-term proposition that must become a way of life. It requires communication and reinforcement along with management commitment and involvement. Establishing the right Safety Culture can produce improved safety results and can also lead to overall enhanced performance.
E.I. DuPont states the following about safety commitment in their Managing Safety Resource Manual, 'Safety can never be managed on a campaign basis. Effective safety management must be ongoing. We have found that effort devoted to safety gives a good return, not only in terms of reduction in the cost of medical and workers' compensation, but also in greater productivity, improved product quality, better employee relations, and a more profitable overall operation.' Year after year DuPont records outstanding safety performance because they continually focuses on safety. That's their culture.
Your organization's Safety Culture produces your safety results. If you want improved results you cannot expect to achieve them with your current culture. You need to develop a new desired culture in order to achieve your new desired safety results.
E.I. DuPont's Managing Safety Resource Manual also states, 'Ten year study of all serious injuries occurring at DuPont sites-offices, refineries, transportation, at all kinds of plant sites ' they learned that 96 percent of all injuries were caused by the unsafe acts of people and poor work practices.' People's actions and work practices are imbedded in an organization's culture.
The Injury Iceberg (above) is a wonderful illustration of an organization's safety culture. The large mass of the iceberg below the water line represents your safety culture. Remember that your safety culture produces your safety results or outcomes. The portion of the iceberg above the water line represents your company's safety results. This part of the iceberg probably reminds you of the familiar 'Injury Triangle.' Take a minute and look at the injury iceberg. It's quite thought provoking. There is a very large mass below the water line that represents your safety culture, which consists of all kinds of activities associated with your safety program and safety results. The only labeling in the culture part of the iceberg represents unsafe acts and unsafe conditions. It assumes that you have all of the elements of a good safety program, mentioned earlier in this narrative, in place. Unsafe acts and unsafe conditions are part of an organization's culture. Policies, procedures, reports, audits, logs, metrics, etc do not cause injuries, but an individual's actions can and unsafe conditions can. Remember the summation of the DuPont study'
In order to positively impact safety outcomes you must work on the cultural aspects of your organization. You must be willing to change attitudes throughout your organization. You must be willing to change people's actions throughout your organization. You must be committed to making this a way of life in your organization.
It can be done. There is a proven process that if followed and committed to can change an organization's Safety Culture and produce enhanced performance.
Is safety important to your organization' Are you ready to take safety to the next level'
About the Author
David R. O'Donnell (email) earned his BS in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University and his MBA from Butler University. He had short tenures of employment at a Division of GM and Cummins Engine before having the opportunity to start a 34-year career at Eli Lilly and Company.
Dave had the privilege of experiencing 11 different assignments and 6 different plant sites during his career. He held positions in Facility Engineering, Utilities Engineering, Utility Management, Human Resources, International Pay and Benefits, Project Management, and Facilities Management. One of the most exciting was when he was part of the commissioning team for a new plant in Kinsale, Ireland. Once the plant was commissioned he was responsible for organizing the Engineering and Maintenance organizations. His last two assignments were as Facility Manager at Tippecanoe Laboratories, a Development and Manufacturing site and the same position at Greenfield Laboratories, a Research Facility. During 10 years at Tippecanoe Labs the Company invested over $800 million in new facilities and capital improvements and while at Greenfield Labs there was an investment of over $250 million in new facilities and capital improvements. Dave became interested in safety and safety culture during the later part of his tenure at Tippecanoe Labs and carried this interest and success to the Greenfield site. He has seen first hand how an efficient safety culture leads to improved safety results as well as enhanced overall performance.
Dave and his wife Jeanne are the proud parents of three sons, two of whom are married. Their youngest son was born while they lived in Ireland.
Dave has been involved with volunteer work for years. He coached youth soccer for 13 years, 11 of which were with competitive teams and the last 4 years of coaching were at the High School level. In 1998 he was awarded the Administrator of the Year award from the Indiana Youth Soccer Association and Central Indiana Youth Soccer League for years of involvement with both organizations.
Other past volunteer activities include serving on the Advisory Board for St. Elizabeth Medical Center and on the board of Family Services, both in Lafayette Indiana. He served on the BOD of the Greater Greenfield Chamber of Commerce, Alliance for Community Education, and Hancock County United Way. He is currently on the board of the Hancock County Community Foundation.
Dave enjoys yard work, golf, exercising, reading, and spoiling his two grandsons.
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