Boosting Productivity Within a “Zero Personal Harm” Framework

Quotable Quote

"A health & safety problem can be described by statistics but cannot be understood by statistics. It can only be understood by knowing and feeling the pain, anguish, and depression and shattered hopes of the victim and of wives, husbands, parents, children, grandparents and friends, and the hope, struggle and triumph of recovery and rehabilitation in a world often unsympathetic, ignorant, unfriendly and unsupportive, only those with close experience of life altering personal damage have this understanding"

There are far too many people who have their life permanently altered (terminated or impaired) in Australia every year, sadly we do not really know how many. There is some evidence to suggest that the incidence of some life altering personal damage is getting worse not better (Geoff McDonald & Associates, Brisbane).

Damage to people from work falls naturally into one of three Classes.(Geoff McDonald & Associates)

- Class I damage permanently alters the person’s life and subdivides into

- fatal

- non fatal

- Class II damage temporarily alters the person’s life

- Class III damage temporarily inconveniences the person’s life

 Focus on Class 1 Damage

The report of the Industry Commission 1995 indicates that safety in Australia is fundamentally a Class 1 problem (87% of occurrences were Class 2 with18% of cost, 13% of occurrences were Class 1 with 82% of cost) This report further strengthens the argument that instead of concentrating on reducing the number of Lost Time Injuries we should be focusing on Class 1 damage reduction. (Geoff McDonald & Associates, Brisbane)

Background

Many managers and supervisors are sick to death of safety being rammed down their throats. They see many approaches to safety as an impediment to the main tasks they have to perform and are rewarded for. Many organisations manage safety as an “add-on” rather than integrate it as part of the overall business approach. Safety must add value to the business if it is to be successful.

Boosting Productivity Within a “Zero Personal Harm” Framework

Business needs the following to be successful and to boost productivity within a “Zero Personal Harm” framework-

Development of a robust Safety Management System guided by the lessons from the paper “What Makes a Safety Management System Fly”

Using data on Class 1 personal damage occurrences to guide your safety efforts

Recruitment, selection and retention of excellent staff

Excellent leadership / build trust between all levels of personnel/ Rewards for excellent performance and lesser rewards for those that are really trying

Well thought out regularly reviewed Vision, Mission and Goals

Excellent teamwork

Management of Organisational change (When introducing change remember “People support what they create” )

Excellent communications, employees really value face to face communications from their supervisor

Role modelling by supervisors and managers is important

Clearly defined responsibilities and accountabilities that are reinforced

Regular, rigorous audits of key functions

Short, succinct written procedures for key tasks (use diagrams, pictures, flow-charts wherever possible)

An excellent performance appraisal process that targets key performance areas

Written management plans for key performance areas

Benchmarking against the excellent performers

Excellent management of time (succinct correspondence, minimum of meetings etc)

Management & supervision that is in close contact with the coal-face

A sensible Quality Assurance system that actually adds value to the enterprise

Excellent learning programmes guided by a detailed Learning Needs Analysis