Corporate Safety Appraisal
There are times when outside help is useful in assessing a specific function
of a company, particularly regarding a company’s safety function. If time is
critical, impartiality crucial, and expertise essential in solving a problem,
accessing a qualified safety consultant is the logical choice.
A Corporate Safety Appraisal is one tool that can be used by a company to
provide a detailed overview of how successful safety is being managed.
Custom appraisals may be as broad or detailed as the client wishes.
Regardless, important insights will be gained through the initiation
of a corporate safety appraisal.
The most important step in the Corporate Safety Appraisal process is
to determine what it is the client wants to know about their company’s
safety function. Are losses due to injuries and illnesses increasing?
Have recent incidents suggested a problem with the implementation of the
safety program? Are resources allocated to the safety function being
managed effectively? Have changes in the company’s activities prompted
an assessment of the safety program?
The safety appraisal consists of the following elements:
-
Strategic Plan
-
Program Review
-
Employee Interviews/Site Visits
-
Safety Perception Survey
Once the client’s motivation is determined, a strategic plan will
be developed to ensure the desired information is obtained and
effectively communicated.
Strategic Plan
The most important step in the Corporate Safety Appraisal process is to
determine what it is the client wants to know about their company’s safety
function.
- Are losses due to injuries and illnesses increasing?
- Have recent incidents suggested a problem with the implementation of
the safety program?
- Are resources allocated to the safety function being managed effectively?
- Have changes in the company’s activities prompted an assessment of the safety program?
- How is effective is the company’s safety philosophy & programs/policies being communicated
throughout the organization?
- What input do employees have in the safety process within the organization?
- Do employees feel the company is concerned about their safety and health
while performing their daily jobs?
Once the client’s motivation is determined, a strategic plan will be developed
to ensure the desired information is obtained and effectively communicated.
Program Review
A review of the current safety program is undertaken to assess those activities
and program elements used by the client to manage the safety function.
Information obtained in the Program Review will be used in other activities
to determine to what extent the safety program is being administered in the
field. Specifically, this will be determined through the Safety Perception
Survey, Employee Interviews/Site Visits, and Incident Analyses.
Safety Perception Survey
Customized for each client’s specific needs, a Safety Perception Survey is utilized
to analyze 21 categories of the safety function of a client. Each category
is measured for management, supervision and hourly employees.
Results of the Safety Perception Survey are interpreted, prioritized and
presented to the client through graphics and easy-to-understand narrative.
The initial Safety Perception Survey’s greatest benefit is to serve as a baseline
for future surveys. The client has the option of repeating the survey periodically
to assess the impact of corrective efforts and to verify the continued success of
the safety function.
Employee Interviews/Site Visits
Safety Perception Surveys are unmatched in their ability to quantify a
client’s safety function by providing a measurable glimpse of the “big picture”.
However, interviews and site visits are just as useful in assessing the client’s
climate and can be used to gather useful “specifics” from management, supervision,
and hourly employees.
Interviewers visit jobsites and perform quick, informal interviews of employees.
Interview notes are then summated into declarative statements from which findings
and recommendations are developed. Anonymity of interviewees is guaranteed,
ensuring honest, enlightening feedback for the client.
Sample Perception Survey Results from our Appraisal Process below.
