SAFETY MATTERS

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Encouraging Compliance

     In previous editions we have discussed a positive safety culture, best practices in safety management and even a few ideas of "what not to do" in safety. It is a proven fact that regardless of how positive, well-presented and well-designed your safety program is, it still comes to down to the human factor.  What do we do when we train, provide, coach and mentor our workers and they still choose to make the unsafe decision?  The answer: a Graduated Enforcement Mechanism.

     A Graduated Enforcement Mechanism is what most companies have in their Written Safety and Health Policy that communicates to workers that if they violate safety policy, they will receive a verbal warning. If the worker violates policy a second time, a written warning will be issued and placed in the employees file. If a third violation takes place, the employee may be terminated. 

     This is only one example of a Graduated Enforcement Mechanism; your company’s may vary. If your company has this policy in place, it typically holds up well under scrutiny of OSHA in the case you find yourself in an informal conference.  OSHA traditionally wants to see that your company is doing all it can to keep employees safe, even if it means having to remove unsafe employees from your organization. 

     The benefits of this program are in workforce perception.  When the workforce sees that there are consequences to bad safety practices, then most of the workforce will comply.  Regrettably, if you do not have this program in effect now and choose to implement it, it may not be well received by many employees. However, your company will enjoy a tangible decrease in accidents as a result.  It rarely leads to an employee actually having to be let go, but if that is the case, the news spreads quickly. Other employees will hear about it and remember it when faced with the option to work unsafe.

     Something that needs to be considered is - and the wisdom behind the policy - if you go in front of a compliance officer telling him "We have warned that employee twenty times and he won’t cooperate!"  What exactly does this communicate? You have risked this person’s health and safety at least 18 times!  So in the case of employee misconduct, where the person just will not comply, it will be much more pleasing to remove an employee while still alive than the unfortunate alternative! 

Your feedback is always welcome and appreciated! Please email Ladd Henley at ladd@texoassociation.org if I can assist with your company’s safety