Off-the-job Safety (residences & public places)

The off-the-job safety statistics are staggering.

Employees are safer at their jobs than when they leave work.

Nine out of 10 deaths and two-thirds of disabling injuries suffered by workers in 2004 occurred off
the job.

Off-the-job injuries to workers cost the nation at least $193.6 billion in 2004 compared with
$142.2billion for workplace injuries. Some costs are paid directly in the form of wages to absent workers
andthe cost of hiring and train- ing replacement workers. Some of the cost is hidden: lost production,
lostsales, late deliveries and ultimately, lost customers. And some of the cost is hidden even
deeper.Growing community accidents result in increased insurance costs, taxes and welfare
contributions.Off-the-job injuries and fatalities are numerous and varied. They occur in the home, in
public,during recreational activities and while on the road. These injuries and fatalities are classified as
off-the- job because they do not arise out of, nor in the course of, employment.

Employers care about off-the-job safety?

Its the right thing to do. While companies have a legal responsibility to prevent occupational

injuries and deaths, they have a moral responsibility to try to prevent injuries away from the job.

It creates good will and good publicity. A company that cares for its employees after theyleave work is
showing a commitment to the community

which reflects well on the company.

 It offers a recruiting edge. Off-the-job safety is an additional benefit that can be used toattract and
retain employees.

It saves money. Operating costs and production schedules are affected as much whenemployees are
injured away from work as when they are injured on the job.

FACTORS THAT ENCOURAGE WORKERS TO REPORT OFF-THE-JOB INJURIES:

Mandatory reporting company policy, disciplinary action

Voluntary reporting

training and re-training of employees, continuing verbal andwritten communication, demonstrating the
cost of off-the-job injuries

FACTORS THAT DISCOURAGE WORKERS FROM REPORTING OFF-THE-JOB INJURIES:

Fear of retribution/disciplinary action

Fear of discovery or being singled out

Indifference
Peer pressure

Privacy concerns

Loss of income or benefits

Lack of communication between workers and management

WHY DONT ALL COMPANIES

OFFER OFF-THE-JOB SAFETY PROGRAMS?

Lack of resources

Lack of interest

Lack of awareness

Lack of information

Public and employee relations

In addition to the associated cost savings, an off-the-job safety program can be an excellentpublic
relations tool. Community residents witness that company management is serious about itscommitment
to employee safety

and that this commitment extends to employees families as well.

The result can be improved acceptance of the company in the community.An off-the-job safety program
also can enhance the communication between employee andsupervisor. In turn, this can reinforce good
employee morale and encourage a positive safety attitude onthe job. The result is improved safety
awareness on the job. This is especially true when off-the-job andworkplace safety programs operate
side by side. In fact, it is recommended that off-the-job andoccupational safety efforts
be integrated.While many companies are building outstanding occupational safety records, their
employeescontinue to suffer disabling injuries and deaths while off the job. As with workplace
accidents, off-the- job accidents affect production and schedules. For the most
beneficial results, occupational and off-the- job safety should be integrated.

Value Based Safety & Off-the-job Safety

Value-Based or Behavior-Based Safety

With these changes in management methods and the success that they achieved, safetymanagement
methods derived from or related to the general methods emerged that can besummarized as behavior-
based safety methods. Much has been written about this aspect of safetymanagement. Just as with the
general shift in management methods, some organizations are moresuccessful than others in
implementing behavior-based safety. As a result, the work group andorganization experiences a cultural
change and safer work records.

Different authors have dened behavior

-based safety somewhat differently. In general,behavior-based safety techniques focus on work

processes. In analyzing work processes, the workgroup

identies behaviors that are critical to safe process perform

ance. They measure how well the groupcompletes safe behaviors. Measurement typically requires
observation. Analysis of performanceprovides feedback to the participants. Participants also identify and
resolve other process elements thatimpact the ability to perform safely as part of the continuous
improvement process.To be effective, those in the workgroup need training on hazard recognition,
evaluation, andcontrol as well as learning how behaviors that are part of the process can con- tribute to
the safety ofthe work. The participants may need to change their approach to how safety is handled in
the process. Itrequires a shift from a top-down management style. It requires broad participation and
collaborationamong members of a work group. It requires shared leadership within a work team.
Instead of placingblame for wrong behavior, it works to change the process and to ensure that those
engaged in theprocess under- stand the role that their behavior plays in the success of the process. It
works in concertwith other safety methods, which all contribute to continuous improvement of the
processes.
Off-the-Job Safety

From childhood on, people gain knowledge, skill, and understanding through training. Trainingcan take
on many forms and may involve a variety of media. Training is essential for learning how toformulate
safe decisions and take safe actions. Through training, people learn to minimize errors thatlead to
accidents and injuries.

Principles of Learning

Planning and development of training begin with an understanding of how people learn andwhat
contributes to learning. The following list summarizes some principles of learning.1. Stimulate multiple
senses. We receive most information through vision. Hearing processes alot of information, but cannot
handle information at the same rate as visual input. Incorporating visualmaterials into training helps the
learning process.2. Identify the need for training. The trainee will understand what is being learned
better ifobjectives and strategy for training are presented clearly.3. Organize the content logically. It is
better to conduct training in small modules rather thanlarge ones. What constitutes logical order
depends on the material being taught. One form of order is

proper sequence, where early modules establish the background for later modules. Another form of

order is level of difculty, where easy material progresses to that which is more difcult.

4. Teach principles with procedures. People will understand procedures better and retain them

longer if the principle or objective for the procedures is presented rst.

5. Teach the whole process rst, then detailed parts. Trainees should learn the whole procedure

rst. They need to see what each step leads to. Then they can go through the details of the process6.
Make sure trainees have time to practice, but keep practice periods short. When trainees arelearning
skills and the criterion for success is meeting some performance standard, trainees need timeto
practice. Short practice periods with breaks are more effective than long practice sessions.7. Ensure
participation when performance is the goal. When training occurs in group

arrangements, some trainees hold back from participating. An instructor must watch for this and nd

ways to involve everyone.8. Give trainees knowledge of results. Trainees need to know how they are
doing. It is better toevaluate trainees in small increments and give them results of evaluations, rather
than delay evaluationand results.9. Reward correct performance. There are many forms of feedback.
Positive is generally betterthan negative. Praise and verbal comments can be used when trainees do
things correctly. Accurate andimmediate feedback is better than delayed and general feedback.10. Keep
trainees interested and challenged. Instructors can use various techniques to increaseparticipation and
interest in subject materials. Ask questions and stimulate discussion, and when thereare skills involving
several people, role playing exercises help maintain interest.11. Simulation should duplicate actual
conditions. When procedures and settings are simulated,they should accurately represent real situations
as much as possible. Unrealistic simulation can lead toincorrect behavior in real contexts.12. Unique or
unusual material is retained longest. Use of examples and real situations helpspeople visualize what is
taught. Dramatic and exotic style may be entertaining, but care must be given tomake sure such activity
is meaningful.13. Provide relearning to sustain knowledge and skill. The idea of a learning curve tells us
thatthe more skilled a person becomes, the slower the rate of improvement. After training, the
knowledgeor skill achieved by the end of training decays with time. Creating opportunities to relearn,
update, orevaluate skills and knowledge will help keep performance at desired levels.14. Fit training to
individual needs. The knowledge or skill of each trainee can be assessedthrough pretests, interviews,
and other evaluations. When there is too great a range in knowledge andskill in the same training
session, few trainees are well served. With self-paced instruction and criterion-based training,
individuals can achieve the desired level of knowledge or skill at their own pace. Slowlearners or those
with elementary skills are not intimidated by others who are advanced. Computer-based instruction and
training systems allow for customized instruction and repeating of sessions tomatch the needs
of individuals.

Contingency Training in Safety

Too often, people learn how to do a job or operate some equipment by being taught only theprocedures
for normal operations or conditions. They never receive instructions about what to do whenthings are
not normal or when an activity, like maintenance and cleaning, are not part of normalproduction
operations. When things go wrong, people are left to make their own decisions about whatis wrong and
what to do. Errors in critical methods can be disastrous.Training programs must teach about
contingencies

anything out of the ordinary. Typically,maintenance, repair, and cleaning are not activities performed
during production. A contingency occurswhen machines start to produce faulty parts or when feed and
ejection elements do not work right. Acontingency occurs when something breaks, when a process
overheats or pressure becomes too high, orwhen equipment does not work correctly. Contingencies are
events and conditions that are not ordinaryor routine.Contingencies must be included in procedures and
tr

aining programs. People have difculty

recognizing the symptoms of things going wrong and often fail to recognize what is happening and whyit
occurs. After they recognize that something is wrong and what it is, they need to know what actionsare
appropriate and safe, and they need the authority to act with safety for themselves and others.
Toooften, they place the importance of doing a good job above the importance of safety. Too
often,production is paramount to safety.

Training Techniques

There are many training methods. The method to use depends on the content of and ability todeliver
training. For example, there are limited ways to reach the public or product users. Sometimesonly
a warning sign or user manual are available; sometimes advertisements or radio and television
talkshows can be used. By capturing the desired audience of trainees, the methods can be
expanded.Standard audiovisual presentations may work well. Stand-up lectures, role playing, case
studies,problem solving, special training facilities, computer-assisted instruction, and other techniques
areuseful. Which one to use depends on whether one is trying to convey general knowledge or to
developskills to a measurable level of performance? Selection also is limited by cost. If a person has
a job that

plays an important role in personal safety and the safety of others, signicant time, money, and facilities

may be needed.A common, low-cost way to reinforce training with workers is to conduct periodic
sessions withsmall work groups. The supervisor conducts the session with employees. Some call these

sessions

tailgate or toolbox safety meetings. Various techniques may be used. Typically, the group addresses
oneor two topics, uses a discussion format, and reviews hazards, controls, and safe procedures. A key
tomaking these sessions effective is selecting topics that deal with particular hazards for the group,
not just general ones.

Training Aids

For safety, there are many training aids and materials. Several companies produce very goodtraining
materials in a wide variety of formats and media. Information about them are found in safetyand health
periodicals and journals and in safety product directories. NIOSH has many safety trainingmaterials
available for purchase.

Safety as a value vs. Safety as a Compliance

Safety as a value

The idea of working collaboratively on improving management processes to reduce errors

(including incidents and accidents) and to shorten process times to the benet of external and internal
customers of a work group forms much of the foundation for behavior-based safety techniques.
Thereare two main advocates for these techniques. One can refer to their writings for details
about applyingthis approach.The approach can be effective. The approach has also been somewhat
controversial. Thegeneral idea is to help workers gain insight into behaviors and to avoid behaviors that
may lead toincidents and accidents. There are a number of methods for achieving this objective. The
effectiveness islikely to vary with the work management methods in place and within which this
approach is applied.The management context is likely to impact the effectiveness of engaging workers
inunderstanding and applying information about human behavior in incidents and accidents. In
somework environments, workers were assumed to be contractors, and thus, responsible for their
ownsafety. This implies that the worker must be able to control both unsafe conditions and unsafe
acts.Management left them on their own. A century ago, this approach was common in mining.

Under the legal philosophies that preceded workers compensation being a no

-fault process,workers were responsible for their own behavior with regard to risk and safety and
also had someresponsibility for their behavior as i

t may impact a fellow workers safety. The theories of assumption of

risk, contributory negligence by employers, and the fellow servant rule all placed responsibility
forbehavior on the individual.Under a top-down management philosophy, a supervisor eval

uates a workers per

formancebased on behaviors exhibited during the evaluation period. Then the supervisor establishes
performancegoals for the next rating period. Some early approaches to monitoring safe work
behavior11 wereformal and some were informal. A more informal approach involved handing out a card
to a workerobserved performing a task correctly and safely as a means of positive feedback.In
a collaborative environment that focuses on continuously improving the overall processperformance,
the emphasis is on changing the process through policy, technology, procedures,materials, and other
means. In achieving safety, there is a need to analyze many things. Included in theanalysis are behaviors
associated with the process changes and the risks and dangers that they maypose. There is a need to
document how the process is to work and to train everyone engaged in theprocess about how to
perform each task correctly. There is a need to understand what can go wrongand how incorrect task
performance may contribute to the resulting errors (including incidents andaccidents). The approach
may involve simulations of various kinds, encouraging feedback among allparticipants and even
establishing methods for measuring process performance, including individualbehavior
by participants.Approaches for changing worker behavior that do not use effective feedback techniques,
thatoperate in work climates with top-

down management environments, and do not have clearly dened

processes for doing things correctly are less likely to achieve measurable changes in safety
performance.Collaborative work environments that engage everyone in the work group in improving
processes and

the overall performance for customers have a better chance for success with behavior-based
safetymethods, because work behaviors are simply a component of the processes that are the focus of
thegroup.

Safety as a compliance

Workplace Safety is emerging as one of the key risk management and regulatory compliancefocus areas
among many global companies. As a result of this trend, traditional workplacesafety compliance
systems, which were designed to be point solutions at a plant-level, are giving way toenterprise-wide
safety management systems. Such systems need to comply with the OSHA 29CFRregulations and
support the OSHAS 18001 framework, while providing enterprise-wide visibility intoincidents and
trends, corrective actions and process metrics. This paper highlights the requirements ofnext generation
systems for workplace safety compliance.

Safety as related to health practices

Employers have responsibilities for the health and safety of their employees. They are alsoresponsible
for any visitors to their premises such as customers, suppliers and the general public.

Risk assessments

Your employer has a 'duty of care' to ensure, as far as possible, your health, safety and welfarewhile
you're at work. They should start with a risk assessment to spot possible health and safetyhazards.They
have to appoint a 'competent person' with health and safety responsibilities usually one ofthe owners in
smaller firms, or a member of staff trained in health and safety.

For businesses employing five or more people, there must also be:

an official record of what the assessment finds (your employer has to put plans in place to deal with
therisks)
a formal health and safety policy which includes arrangements to protect your health and safety
(youshould be told what these are)All employers, whatever the size of the business, must:

make the workplace safe

prevent risks to health

ensure that plant and machinery is safe to use

ensure safe working practices are set up and followed

make sure that all materials are handled, stored and used safely

provide adequate first aid facilities

tell you about any potential hazards from the work you do - chemicals and other substances used by
thefirm - and give you information, instructions, training and supervision as needed
set up emergency plans

make sure that ventilation, temperature, lighting, toilet, washing and rest facilities all meet health,safety
and welfare requirements

check that the right work equipment is provided and is properly used and regularly maintained

prevent or control exposure to substances that may damage your health

take precautions against the risks caused by flammable or explosive hazards, electrical equipment,
noiseand radiation
avoid potentially dangerous work involving manual handling (and if it can't be avoided, take
precautionsto reduce the risk of injury)

provide health supervision as needed

provide protective clothing or equipment free of charge (if risks can't be removed or
adequatelycontrolled by any other means)

ensure that the right warning signs are provided and looked after

report certain accidents, injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences to either the Health
and SafetyExecutive for Northern Ireland or the local authority, depending on the type of business

So that the work premises provide a safe and healthy place to work, your employer should:

make sure that are properly ventilated, with clean and fresh air

keep temperatures at a comfortable level (a minimum of 13 degrees Centigrade where the workinvolves
physical activity; 16 degrees Centigrade for 'stinter' like offices - there's no maximum limit

light premises so that employees can work and move about safely
keep the workplace and equipment clean

ensure that areas are big enough to allow easy movement (at least 11 cubic metres per person)

provide workstations to suit the employees and the work

keep the equipment in good working order

make floors, walkways, stairs, roadways safe to use

protect people from falling from height or into dangerous substances

store things so they're unlikely to fall and cause injuries

fit openable windows, doors and gates with safety devices if needed
provide suitable washing facilities and clean drinking water

if necessary, provide somewhere for employees to get changed and to store their own clothes

set aside areas for rest breaks and to eat meals, including suitable facilities for pregnant women
andnursing mothers

let employees take appropriate rest breaks and their correct holiday entitlement

make sure that employees who work alone, or off-site, can do so safely and healthily