new science issue workplace health safety - ul · pdf fileworkplace health &...

• UNIFYINGHEALTHANDSAFETYMANAGEMENT• SCORECARD• BUILDINGASTRONGSAFETYCULTURE• ASAFETYTURNAROUND

UL.COM/NEWSCIENCE

NEW SCIENCE WORKPLACE HEALTH & SAFETY JOURNAL

1ISSUE

NEW SCIENCE: SUSTAINABLE ENERGY 2

NEW CHALLENGESCALL FOR NEW SCIENCE

Progress is an unstoppable, transformative force. New technologies, product breakthroughs and globalization are arriving one on top of another at a dizzying pace. Innovation makes us more efficient, more productive and more connected. But there is a cost, and that cost is risk. To help mitigate the emerging risks, UL is developing New Science advances. Through fundamental discovery, testing methodologies and equipment, procedures, software and standards, UL is creating new and important ways to make the world a safer place.

NEW SCIENCE: SUSTAINABLE ENERGY 3

WORKPLACE HEALTH & SAFETYOVERVIEW

UNIFYING HEALTH AND SAFETY MANAGEMENT, PG.4

SCORECARD, PG.8

UL innovated software and information solutions that integrate health and safety management to enhance employee well-being and business performance.

UL created a safety scorecard uniquely combining leading and lagging indicators to help companies better prevent workplace injuries and illnesses.

An aging, less healthy workforce and the growing need for enhanced worker productivity demand innovations in occupational health and safety management. Our Workplace Health & Safety journal covers four subjects that demonstrate important ways UL’s New Science is helping to make the places people work healthier and safer. We are Unifying Health and Safety Management to help companies better safeguard employee well-being. We are innovating a Scorecard that uses leading indicators so organizations can become more preventive in mitigating safety risks. We have pioneered a new approach, enabling businesses to improve safety by Building a Strong Safety Culture. And we have created a unique learning platform that helped drive A Safety Turnaround at one inspiring company. The advances highlighted in this journal — integrating health and safety management, helping companies shift from a corrective to a preventive focus and ingraining safety in a company’s culture — are all critical to protecting the health and safety of today’s workers.

BUILDING A STRONG SAFETY CULTURE, PG.13

A SAFETY TURNAROUND, PG.17

UL developed a unique approach, helping companies build a strong safety culture that can continuously move toward peak health and safety performance.

Aided by an innovative UL learning platform, McWane effected a significant and rewarding turnaround by institutionalizing workplace health and safety best practices.

UNIFYING HEALTH AND SAFETY MANAGEMENT

SCORECARD

BUILDINGASTRONGSAFETYCULTURE

ASAFETYTURNAROUND

5WORKPLACE HEALTH & SAFETY/UNIFYING HEALTH AND SAFETY MANAGEMENT

WHY UNIFYING HEALTH AND SAFETY MANAGEMENT MATTERS

Occupationalhealthandsafetymanagementhastraditionallyfocusedonsafetyissuesbecausethesearegenerallyeasierfororganizationstoidentifyanddealwith.1However,ahealthyworkplaceis—bydefinition—asafeworkplace,afactthatunderscorestheimportanceofintegratinganorganization’shealthandsafetyefforts.2Additionally,whileoccupationalhealthandsafetymanagementhasnotpreviouslybeenseenasawayforbusinessestomaximizetheoutputoftheirworkers,ithasbecomeclearthatintegratinganorganization’shealthandsafetyfunctionscansubstantiallyimproveworkerconditionsand,relatedly,thecompany’sownperformance.

CONTEXT Today’sworkforceisevolving.MorethanhalfoftheworkersintheU.S.todayareover40,andthemedianagecontinuestorise.3Infact,by2015,oneoutofeverythreeU.S.workerswillbeover50.4Olderworkershaveagreaterriskofillnessandinjuryandslowerrecoverytimes.5Workersover45yearsofagespend72%moretimeawayfromworkduetoworkplaceinjuriesorillnessesthandotheiryoungercounterparts.6Importantly,olderworkerstendtohavegreaterexperienceandinstitutionalknowledgethantheiryoungercolleagues,andthelossoftimecausedbytheabsenceofanorganization’smosthighlyvaluedworkerscanalsohaveasignificantnegativeimpactonproductivityandoperationalcosts.7Inaddition,youngerAmericanworkersareincreasinglylesshealthyandbringwiththemahostofmodernhealth-relatedchallenges.Theyaremorelikelythantheircounterpartsinotherwealthycountriestoexperienceillnesses,injuries,andprematuredeath.8Relativetooccupationalhealthandsafety,thestakestodayarehigherthaneverbefore.

WHAT DID UL DO? Drivenbyacommitmenttoenhancethewell-beingofemployeesanderadicatepreventableworkplaceincidents,wecloselytrackedmarkettrends,listenedtocustomersandexaminedtheirbusinessproblems.Thisledustotherealizationthatintegratingthemanagementofhealthandsafetyfunctionswouldbemorepotentthantheapproachemployedbythevastmajorityoforganizations,inwhichtheseelementsaredistinctanddisconnected.9Withthisinsightasourguidingprinciple,weinnovatedsoftwareandinformationsolutionsthatuniquelyintegratehealthandsafetyinformation.Wecontinuouslyevolveoursolution,combiningtheperspectiveandskillsofourworkplacehealthandsafetyexperts,softwareengineersandeLearningspecialists10toprovidecompanieswithanaggregated,company-wideviewoftheirhealthandsafetyperformancethat:

Integrating an organization’s health and safety functions can substantially improve worker conditions and relatedly, a company’s performance.

6

• Supportsandautomatesworkflow

• Providesbetterinsightsandvisibilitytoidentifyrootcauses

• DirectsrelevanteLearningwhenandwhereitismostneeded

• Facilitatesmorecross-functionaldecisionmaking.11

UL’sunifiedsoftwareenablesbusinessestomanagetheirhealthandsafetyeffortsmoreeffectivelyacrosstheenterprise.

Oursolutionsdemonstratethatunifyinghealthandsafetymanagementisalsomoreefficientandcost-effective.Advantagesinclude:

• Reducingthenumberandredundancyofdeployedsystemstoeliminatetheduplicationofseparatehealthandsafetymanagementsystemstypicallymanagedthroughdifferentorganizationalsilos

• Improvingreporting,data-sharing,internalbenchmarking,transparency,communicationandaccountabilitybecausethereisgreatervisibilityintothedata

• Sharpeningthebreadthanddepthofriskanalysistotargetpreventioneffortsbyengagingabroaderbaseofemployeestocontributeobservationsandkeyinsightsthatcanaidinreducingrisk12

Ourintegratedhealthandsafetymanagementsoftwarecanplayacentralroleinmaintainingandmeasuringboththeoccupationalandtheoverallhealthandsafetyofemployees.Forexample,companiesthatrequireemployeestovisitanoccupationalhealthclinicannuallyforgeneralwellnessexamsareabletocategorizeemployeesbyhealthriskandtrackthewellnessoftheentireorganizationovertime,andcanthusidentifypotentialissuesandeffectivelymitigatetherisks.Thisiscriticalbecauseemployeewellnesshasadirectfinancialimpactrelatedtolosttime,workers’compensation,injurytreatment,etc.13

Oursoftwarealsoenablescompaniestoimplementabehavioralsafetyprogram.Suchaprogramwouldcombinetrainingonsafetybestpracticeswithanobservation-basedreportingsystemthatfocusesonnearmissesandunsafeconditionsandprocessesaswellasinjuriesandincidents.Trackingtheseincidentsallowsacompanytocorrectsafetyissuesbeforeworkersareinjured.Byintegratinghealthandsafetyinformation,oursoftwareenableseverythingfromtheschedulingofclinicappointmentstothetrackingofhealthdatatothemanagementofbothsafetytrainingandanobservation-basedreportingprogramtobecentrallymanagedforoptimalperformance.14

UL has continuously evolved its unique, integrated PureSafety and OHM safety management software solutions to enable businesses to manage their health and safety efforts more effectively across the enterprise.

WORKPLACE HEALTH & SAFETY/UNIFYING HEALTH AND SAFETY MANAGEMENT

7

IMPACT Inhelpingbusinessesintegratehealthandsafety,ULisenablingthemtomoreeffectivelydealwiththegrowingchallengesrelatedtotheiragingandlesshealthyworkforce.Ourinnovativesoftwareuniquelyaggregateshealthandsafetydata.Thisnotonlyimprovesoperationaloptimizationbutalsohelpsdetectandidentifyemergingissuesthroughbettertrackingandreportingofcriticaldata.This,inturn,givesorganizationsanewabilitytoimprovebusinessperformance,whilehelpingtoensureasafer,healthierandmoreproductiveworkplace.15

WORKPLACE HEALTH & SAFETY/UNIFYING HEALTH AND SAFETY MANAGEMENT

UNIFYINGHEALTHANDSAFETYMANAGEMENT

SCORECARD


ASAFETYTURNAROUND

9

WHY THE SCORECARD MATTERS Thereisgrowingrecognitionamongbusinessesregardingtheimpactthatworkplacesafetyandhealthmanagementcanhaveonorganizationalproductivity,employeewell-beingandmorale,riskmanagement,andoperationalcosts.1Giventhistrend,itisnotsurprisingthatcompaniesareincreasinglyseekingtomeasuretheperformanceoftheirhealthandsafetyefforts.2Unfortunately,mostsystemsavailabletodayassessonlywhathasalreadyhappened,helpingorganizationsunderstandtheimpacttotheirbusinessandfosteringaone-dimensionalfocusoncorrectiveactions.Toachievemoresignificantoutcomes,companiesdonotonlyneedtomeasuretheimpactofwhathappened;theyneedmetricstohelpthemidentifyandunderstandpotentialissuesandtoshifttoamorepreventiveapproachtomitigatingtherisksofworkplaceinjuriesandillnesses.3

CONTEXT Tohelpmeasuretheeffectivenessandreturnoninvestmentoftheirhealthandsafetyprograms,morecompaniesareturningtosafetyscorecards.Thesetoolsweredevelopedtomakeiteasierforhealthandsafetyprofessionalstousedataandmetricstomeasurethesuccessoftheirinitiativesandtobringvisibilityonhowtheyareperforming.4Theissuewithexistingscorecardsisthatthemeasurestheyincludearetypicallylimitedtolaggingindicators.5

Laggingindicators—includinginjuryrates,thenumberofinjuriesandillnesses,workers’compensationcosts,performanceagainstbenchmarks(e.g.,reduceinjuriesby10%overthepreviousyear)—areanimportantpartofaneffectivesafetyscorecard.However,thesemeasuresfocusonthepastandwhat’salreadyhappened.Theydonotreflectthecompany’scurrentstrengthorpotentialflaws.6Lowincidenceratesareanadmirableachievement,buttheydonotalwaysmeanthatpotentialhealthandsafetyhazardsarebeingeffectivelymitigated.Failuretoactivelyseekoutandtakepreventiveactionstoaddressemergingissuesmayhavelittlevisibleimpactatfirst,butovertimethiscanleadtoconditionsthatresultinseriousaccidentsorcatastrophicevents.7

WHAT DID UL DO? Wewerenotsatisfiedwiththesafetyresultsgeneratedbytheprevailingscorecardconventionofquantifyingonlytheimpactofpasteventsthroughlaggingindicators.Withthegoalofhelpingcompaniesensurethewell-beingoftheirworkers,ULaskedthequestion,“Whichindicatorsshouldsafetyandhealthprofessionals

With the goal of helping companies ensure the well-being of their workers, UL sought to identify the optimal set of indicators that safety and health professionals should examine.

WORKPLACE HEALTH & SAFETY/SCORECARD

10

beexamining?”Specifically,wewantedtoidentifythemeasuresthatwouldhelpcompaniesbetterunderstandandmeasureriskandbeproactiveinreducingoreliminatingasmanyworkplaceinjuries,illnessesandfatalitiesaspossible.Throughourexperience,weunderstoodthatlaggingindicatorscorecardsandthereactiveapproachtheyfostercouldnot,forexample:

• Indicatethepercentageofemployeessubmittingobservationsandnearmisses(i.e.,warningsignsofinjuriesabouttohappenorthatalmosthappened)

• Determinethepercentageofcorrectiveactions—fromobservationandnear-missreporting—completedinlessthan48hours,therebypreventingfutureoccurrence

• Giveinsightintohowmanyinvestigationswerecompletedina48-hourtimeperiodafteranincidentoccurred

• Providethe“find/fix”ratiotooffervisibilityintohoweffectivelyanorganizationaddressesthepotentialissuesthathavebeenidentified

• Interprethowemployeesperceiveandclassifyreportedhazards

• Showtrendsorpatternsinthecausesofincidents

• Indicatenewpotentialthreatsorissues

• Monitortheeffectivenessofhealthandsafetytraining8

UL’sexpertiseinimplementingsafetybestpracticesandmeasuringtheresultsstronglysuggestedthatleadingindicatorswouldbethemostlikelytopredictfutureincidentsbecausetheyfocusontheconditionsthatcreatehealthandsafetyrisks.9Todevelopanoptimizedsetofindicators,UL’ssafetyexpertsstudiedtheoccupationalhealthandsafetyliteraturetoaccountforasmanyemergingrisksaspossible.Wealsometwithclientstoidentifytheindicatorstheywerecurrentlyusing,theonestheywereconsideringandthosetheywishedtheycouldmeasure.Thisprocessyieldedacomprehensivelistofindicators,whichwerethenrefinedbasedonoursurveyingofcompaniesforfeedback.Wehavecreatedthemostextensivesetofmeasurableindicatorsthathaveadirectcorrelationwithhealthandsafetyoutcomes.10Wenowenableorganizationstomonitoranentirelynewsetofmetricsthatwerenotpreviouslyavailabletothem.


UL’s experience strongly suggested that leading indicators would be the most likely to predict future incidents because they focus on the conditions that create health and safety risks.

11

Weinnovatedasafetyscorecard—deliveredasaSaaS(softwareasaservice)or“privatecloud”solution11—thatuniquelyencompassestheseleadingandlaggingindicatorstohelporganizationsbecomemoreprevention-orientedtooptimizetheirsafetyandhealthperformance.Thelaggingindicatorsfocusonbenchmarkingperformance(e.g.,numberofinspections/auditscompleted,percentageofcompliant/safeconditions,percentageofemployeestrained,etc.)inanongoingway.Complementingthis,theleadingindicatorsalignwithstepsandprocessesdesignedtopreventlossand,aspartofsafetyanalytics,havetheaddedvalueofenablingpredictionthattheprobabilityofanincidentoraccidentwillhappenifissuesarenotaddressed.Theymakeitpossibletotakemoreproactivepreventiveactionstocorrectproblemsbeforetheyshowupinlaggingindicators.12Inaddition,ourscorecardallowsmanyindicatorstobecapturedinrealtime,enablingorganizationstotakeimmediateaction.13

TheULteamofsafetypractitionersandresearchershasidentifiedandcodifiedthreeofthemostimportantleadingindicatorsthatshowastrongcorrelationwithoutcome(losses):

• The number of people contributing to the process(inspections,near-missandobservationreporting):Wehavefoundthatengagingandparticipatingultimatelyfosterspreventionandleadstobetterresultsifandwhenthecompanyactsontheinformationbeingreported.Werecommendthatorganizationsevolvetheirprogramstoallowforandsupportreportingofobservationsofbothsafeandat-riskconditions.Ourresearchhasfoundthatbest-in-classcompanieshaveatleastoneobservationreportedbyeachemployeeeveryweek.

• Amount of time before open issues are closed:Mostorganizationshavedifficultydiscerningwhetherissuesidentifiedoninspectionsorsubmittedasnearmisseshavebeensatisfactorilyresolvedandclosed.Themosteffectivebusinessesnotonlyknowwhatissueshavebeenclosedbutalso,moreimportantly,setbenchmarksontheamountoftimetheyareopen,andholdthemselvesaccountableforclosureinatimelymanner.Weconsideritabest-practicebenchmarktocloseissueswithin48hoursofreporting80%ofthetime.

• Establish a severity rating for those conditions requiring attention:Mostat-riskconditionsreportedaresimplythat—somethingnoncompliantdeficientandrequiresattention.Thesimplestseverityratingwouldincludeidentifyingthefrequencyofoccurrenceandtheseverityoftheinjurythatwouldoccurifnotcorrected.Establishingseverityratingsandapplyingthemwhenat-riskconditionsareidentifiedallowsabusinesstoprovidesomelevelofobjectivitytoeffectivelypreventincidentsbyfocusingattentionandresourcesonthoseconditionsandsituationsthathavethehighestpotentialforloss.14


The UL safety scorecard enables organizations to monitor an entirely new set of metrics that were not previously available to them.

12

Ourscorecardwasdesignedtofosterearlyinterventionthroughthereportingofobservationsandnearmissesalongwithlearningfromincidentsandthusinformingmeaningfuldiscussionwithinanorganizationtodrivesbothpreventiveandcorrectiveactions.Todothis,weblendedkeyleadingandlaggingindicatorsandmadeinformationcriticaltoeffectivesafetyandhealthprogramsvisibletoall.Wevettedoursafetyscorecardwithearly-adopterclientstoensurethatithelpsbusinessesmoreeffectivelyunderstand,measureandreducerisk.15

IMPACT ULworkswithorganizationstocreatesafetyscorecardsthatuniquelyincorporatebothlaggingandleadingindicators.Tohelpensurethatacompanymeasureswhatwillenableittoshiftfromacorrectivetoapreventivefocustoimproveitshealthandsafetyperformance,weworkwiththecompanytotailorascorecardtoincludemetricsthat:

• Alignwithitsgoals

• Areattainableandeasytomeasure,providingimmediateinsightintowhetherdesiredoutcomesarebeingachieved

• Havebuy-inandsupportatalllevelsinthecompany

• Helpdrivefutureperformance16

Providingvisibilitythroughtherightblendofmetricsmaximizestheutilizationofbothtimeandresourcesbyhelpingmanagersmoreeffectivelyprioritizewhenandwheretoact.Theinsightsourscorecardisdesignedtoprovidehelpimprovehealthandsafetyperformancewhilereducingacompany’ssafetyrisksandcosts.17AtUL,weunderstandthattheonlyacceptableinjury,illnessorfatalityisonethatdoesn’thappen.


The insights the UL safety scorecard is designed to provide help improve a company’s health and safety performance while reducing its safety risks and costs.


SCORECARD

BUILDING A STRONG SAFETY CULTURE

ASAFETYTURNAROUND

14

WHY BUILDING A STRONG SAFETY CULTURE MATTERS Buildingasafetyculturecanhelpabusinessmaximizeproductivityandreduceitsinjuryandillnesscostsby20–40%.1Thisisacriticalconsiderationatatimewhencompaniesareincreasingtheirinvestmentsinoccupationalhealthandsafetymanagementtoaddresstheirworkforceissues.However,investmentinnewsystems,byitself,isnotsufficienttodrivecontinuousimprovementinworkplacehealthandsafety.Adoptingandembracingastrongsafetyculturecanimprovebothwell-beingandproductivity.

CONTEXT Everycompanywantstokeepitsworkerssafebyminimizingworkplaceinjuries,illnessesanddeaths.IntheU.S.,12workersdieonthejobeveryday,andeveryyear,morethan4.1millionworkerssufferaseriousjob-relatedinjuryorillness.2Thedirectcostsoftheseincidentstobusinessesincludeincreasedworkers’compensationpremiums,potentiallegalexpensesassociatedwithlitigationandincreasedregulatorypenaltiesandcompliancecosts.3Today,U.S.businessesspend$250billionperyearoncostsassociatedwithoccupationalinjuriesandillnesses.4Therearealsoimportantindirectcosts,whichincludediminishedproductivity,decreasedworkermoraleanddamagetoacompany’sreputation.5Together,thesecostsandtherelatedconsequencespointtothefactthat,inadditiontohealthandsafetyprograms,thereisaneedtoestablishapowerfulsafetyculturetoenhanceemployeewell-beinganddirectlyinvolveemployeesinoptimizinganorganization’sperformance.

WHAT DID UL DO? ULrealizedthatwhilehealthandsafetymanagementsystemsareessentialtoolstohelporganizations,themosteffectivewaytoimproveperformanceisbyhelpingcompaniesdevelopastrongsafetyculture.Thisinsightderivesfromourexperienceovermorethanadecadeworkingwithbusinessestooptimizetheiroccupationalhealthandsafetyperformance.Wefoundthatthestrongest-performingcompaniestendedtoinstitutionalizehealthandsafetypracticesaspartoftheircultures.Theseorganizationsincorporatehealthandsafetyintotheirculture-buildingactivitiesandregularlymeasurethestrengthoftheirculture.Thetop-performingcompaniesalsodrivehealthandsafetyintotheirvaluesandintotheassumptions,normsandeverydaybehaviorsoftheiremployees.6

Buildingonourinitialinsight,wefoundthatastrongculturenotonlycontributestoimprovingsafetybutisthedifferencebetweenachievingacceptablecomplianceandbest-in-classsafetyoutcomes.Someofourkeyfindingsinclude:

Adopting and embracing a strong safety culture can improve an organization’s overall well-being and productivity.

WORKPLACE HEALTH & SAFETY/BUILDING A STRONG SAFETY CULTURE

15

• Solidcomplianceandriskmanagementprocessescanproducedisappointingorinconsistentoutcomesifculturalissuesarenotadequatelyaddressed.Overthelastfewyears,manyhealthandsafetyprofessionalshavebegunimplementingprocessestogatherandanalyzeobservationaldatatomakeincident-preventioneffortsmoreproactive.Thisisanimportantadvance,butifcompaniesdon’thaveaculturethatencouragesearlyreportingthroughouttheworkforce,someofthemostvaluabledatawillnotmakeitintothoseprocesses.

• Developingariskseverityindexsupportedbycarefullytrackedmetricsrepresentsasignificantaccomplishmentforacompany.Butiftheindexisnotseen,understoodandusedbyuppermanagement,thecompany’sabilitytoturnthatinformationintolastingimprovementsmaybelimitedbyalackofsupportandconflictingtop-levelgoalsandmessagestotheworkforce.

• Employingthebestgovernanceprocessescan’tcovereverysituationanddecision,soastrongcultureisneededtoensurethatworkersandmanagersdo“therightthing”outsidesuchprocesses.7

Ourfindingsabouttheimportanceofcultureledustocreateanewandinnovativeapproachtoworkingwithcompaniestohelpthembecometopperformersinoccupationalhealthandsafetymanagement.UL’suniquefocusencompassesworksiteconditions,employeebehaviors,processesandmanagementsystems.Wehavefoundthatestablishingasafetyculturecanenableacompanytoachievelong-term,continuouslyimprovingresults.8

Ourculture-buildingmethodologybeginswithworkingwithcompaniestoestablishhealth-andsafety-promotingprocessesandsystems.Processesprovidestructureandguidancefortheworkforcewhilesimultaneouslysolidifyinghowprofessionalstrackandmeasurehealthandsafetyoutcomes.9Therightmanagementsystemdefinesvalues,goalsandstrategiestobetteraligndiverseprocessesandfunctionswhilealsoprovidingbenchmarkstogaugeprogressandguidecorrections.10

Aspartofouruniquecultureorientation,wehelpbusinessesincorporateearlyreportingandlearningaskeyelementsoftheirsafetyculture.Often,earlyreportingmaystartwithnarrowlyavoidedincidents(i.e.,nearmisses)andevolvetoincludeothertypesofobservationsfromallmembersoftheworkforceonceasafetycultureisestablished.Ourresearchhasfoundthatmoreobserversgenerallyequatesto


UL found that a strong safety culture is the difference between achieving acceptable compliance and best-in-class outcomes.

16

betterperformancebecausecompaniesacquiresignificant,deeperinformationonalargernumberofeventsratherthanonlythoserecordedashavingalreadyhappened,andthebestwaytoincreasetheobserverpoolistomakesafetyacoreculturalcomponentoftheorganization.Analyzingpatternsinpotentiallyhazardousnear-incidentscanhelpidentifytheircausesandcontributingfactors.Thisenhancedlearningallowscorrectiveactionstobetakenbeforeanotherincidentoccursandhelpsensurethatworkplaceconditionsandemployeebehaviorscanbeadaptedtoevolvingcircumstances.11

Tofacilitateemployeeengagementandhelpsolidifythesafetyculture,ULdevelopedasystemthatisintegratedcross-functionallyandasoftwarethatincludesintuitivedashboardsmodeledaftersocialmedianetworks.Thisallowsemployeestoeasilyandanonymouslyreportunsafeconditionsandnear-missincidents.Wealsohelpcompaniesdeterminewhatwillbemeasuredandhow,usingourdeepbaseofcross-industryexperience.ULthenhelpsbusinessesmaximizetheinsightsandinformationprovidedbytheinvolvementoftheiremployees,fromgeneratinginitialdatatosettingclearcorrectiveactionswithaccountabilitytrackingtoensurethatcriticaltasksarecompletedontimetoachievemeaningfulresults.Thisleveragesthecompany’ssafetycultureandhelpsfurtherstrengthenitbymakingemployeecontributionsavaluableinput.12

IMPACT AtUL,weareworkingtoarmcompanieswithintegratedprocessesandsystemsinwhichculturepermeateseveryactivityandhelpsdriveaconsistent,upwardprogressiontowardpeaksafetyandhealthperformance.Inastrongsafetyculture,workersengageinsafety-consciousbehaviorsontheirown,everyonehelpsidentifypotentialareasforimprovementandparticipatesinenhancingsafetyprocesses,andsafetymanagementsystemsbecomemoreeffective.Ultimately,helpingcompaniesbuildastrongsafetyculturealsohelpsthemgetthemostreturn:improvedworkerproductivity,employeeengagementandstaffsafety.


Identifying the causes and contributing factors of potential hazards allows corrective actions to be taken before an incident occurs.


SCORECARD


A SAFETY TURNAROUND

18

WHY MCWANE’S SAFETY TURNAROUND MATTERS

Today,bothcorporateexecutivesandthefunctionalpractitionerswhofocusonoccupationalhealthandsafetybelievethatnotonlyisenhancingemployeewell-beingtherightthingtodo,butitcanalsomakeasignificantcontributiontoacompany’sbusinessperformance.1Partofwhatisdrivingthisbeliefistheknowledgethataninvestmentinhealthandsafetyisdirectlyfocusedonenhancingacompany’smostimportantasset:itspeople.2McWane’ssafetyturnaroundisimportantbecausethecompanyovercameinadequate,underperforminginfrastructureandnegativepublicitytocreateanaward-winningenvironment,healthandsafetyculture.3TheMcWanecasestudythereforerepresentsaproofofconcept,demonstratingwhatispossiblewhenanorganizationmakesandfollowsthroughonacommitmenttoimprovehealthandsafetyintheworkplace.

CONTEXT

McWaneisafamily-ownedbusinessthatisaleadingproviderofwater,sanitationandfiresafetyinfrastructureproducts,withanewerfocusintheelectricalutilityindustry.Theorganizationhas6,000employeeswhoworkin25differentmanufacturingsitesacrosstheU.S.,Canada,AustraliaandChina.In2003,thecompanysufferedfromwidelypublicizedsafetyandenvironmentalproblemsatsomeofitsfacilities.Afederalinvestigationresultedinfinesandpenaltiesaswellasaprolongedtrialinwhichseveralemployeeswerefoundguiltyofenvironmentalcrimesin2006.Thecompanyacknowledgedthatithadallowedisolatedoperationalsilostoinhibitinformation-sharingandopportunitiestoassessandrespondtoincidents;reportedaccidents;andotherhealth,safetyandenvironmentaltrendsatthecompany.McWanetookdecisiveactiontoturnitssituationaroundandbecomeabenchmarkofexcellencerelatedtoworkplacehealthandsafety.4

WHAT DID UL DO?

McWanesoughttoimplementacomprehensive,transparentenvironment,healthandsafety(EHS)managementsystemthatemphasizedtrainingandaccountability,managementcommitment,andemployeeengagementascorporatevalues.5McWaneturnedtoULforhelp.Overnearlytwodecadesofworkingwithcompaniestoenhancetheiroccupationalhealthandsafetymanagement,wehavedevelopedtheinsightthatimprovinglearningisoneofthekeystochanginganddevelopingastrongsafetyculture.UL’sexpertiseshowsthatitiscriticaltocreateabaselineofemployeeknowledgeoftheelementsofhealthandsafetyandtohelpemployeesunderstandboththeirroleandtheirimportanceintheprocessandhowexposuretohealthandsafetyriskscannegativelyaffectthemandthepeoplearoundthem.6

WORKPLACE HEALTH & SAFETY/A SAFETY TURNAROUND

The McWane case shows what is possible when an organization creates a strong environment, health and safety culture.

19

AfterassessingMcWane’ssituation,werecommendedourinnovative,web-basedlearningplatform,PureSafety.Ourplatformuniquelycombinesadultlearningprinciples,suchasinteractivityandengaginginstructionaldesign,withanin-depthknowledgeofsafetybestpractices.7PureSafetyalsoautomatesthelearningprocess,enablingcompaniessuchasMcWaneto:

• Access700+healthandsafetycoursesinupto9differentlanguages

• Reportandtrackincidents

• Manageandlearnfromincidents,observationsandnearmisses

• Assigncorrectiveactionstoavoidfutureincidents

OneofthemostinnovativefeaturesofthePureSafetyplatformisthatitcanusedetailsfromreal-worldoccurrencestoauto-populatein-the-momentnewsflashesorcreatecustomizedtrainingsessionsbasedonactualevents.8OureLearningcoursesaredevelopedbyateamofsubjectmatterexpertsandinstructionaldesignersandupdatedasneededtoaddresschangesincompliancerequirements.9Ourcoursesarealsouniqueinthattheydonotfocusonlyonprovidingthenecessaryinformationtopromoteadherencetosafetybestpractices.Instead,UL’seLearningisdesignedtofosteranunderstandingofwhatthesebestpracticesmeanintermsoftheroleemployeesplayintheirownsafetyandthatoftheircolleagues.10

UsingourplatformallowedMcWanetonotonlyimproveawarenessandcomplianceamongemployeesbutalsoredirectlearningresourcestoothercriticalissuessuchasunderstandingandcorrectingworkplacehazards.Bytrackingcoursecompletionandcompliancebehaviors,UL’slearningplatformhelpsimproveemployeeengagementandenhancesaccountabilitybyhelpingmanagersidentifyemployeealignmentwithobjectivesandaddressanyemployeeoutliers.11

Ongoingeducationandtraining,poweredbyUL’slearningplatform,becameakeypillarinMcWane’sturnaround.Specifically,oureffortscontributedtotheestablishmentofanemployeeengagement-basedcultureinwhichallmanagerswererequiredtocompleteOSHA10-hoursafetycompliancetraining.Theywerealsorequiredtoacquirenewmanagement“softskills”throughtheNationalSafetyCouncil’sSupervisoryDevelopmentcourse,internalDaleCarnegie“CastingLeadership”trainingandotherclassestoenhancetheirabilitytocommunicateandmotivateemployees.Employeetrainingwasalsoextensiveandincludeddailysafetycontacts,weeklytoolboxtalks,frequentreviewofincidentsandinspectionstomonitorperformance.Auditresultsweresharedwithemployees,andtherewas


The UL platform uniquely combines adult learning principles, such as interactivity and engaging instructional design, with an in-depth knowledge of safety best practices.

20

continuouslearningaboutnewequipmentandprocedures,aswellasformalizedcompliancetrainingandproficiencytests.Ourlearningplatformtrackedwhichemployeeshadcompletedeachtrainingmoduleandatwhattime.Italsoaggregatedperformanceacrossorganizationalsilosandfacilitatedcross-silocommunications.12

IMPACT

TheMcWaneturnaroundwasfueledbythecompany’sdeterminationandcommitment.UL’slearningplatformprovidedpowerfultoolstohelpthecompanyoperationalizeandbuildsafetysuccess.TheplatformwasacatalystthathelpedMcWaneenhancecollaborationamonghealth,safety,humanresourcesandoperations.Thisallowedtheorganizationanditscollectiveresourcestotargeteffortstoimproveworkingconditions,increaseemployeeinvolvementandcreateasharedpurposeforthewell-beingofemployees.13

Ultimately,McWane’seffortshelpedthecompanyestablishacultureofhealthandsafetythatachieveda77%declineintotalrecordableincidentratesbetween2002and2012anda75%decreaseinitsDARTrate(i.e.,daysawayfromwork,restricteddutyandjobtransfers)duringthesameperiod.AmerexCorporation,aMcWanecompany,reportedan88%decreaseinworkers’compensationclaimsbetween2006and2012;a76%declineinthetotalrecordedincidentratefrom2004to2012;andadeclineinthenumberoffirstaidinjuryclinicvisits,from175with$87,500inexpendituresin2008to50visitswith$25,000incostsin2012.Thesetangibleresultsvalidatethehumanandbusinessimpactsthatoccupationalhealthandsafetymanagementcanhaveonanorganization,andhighlighttheefficacyofboththecomprehensiveapproachULadvocatesandourinnovativeworkplacehealthandsafetysolutions.14


The UL learning platform was a catalyst for improving working conditions, increasing employee involvement and creating a sharedpurpose for the well-being of employees.

21

SOURCES

WORKPLACE HEALTH & SAFETY/SOURCES


SCORECARD

1 “Your Health and Safety at Work,” International Labour Organization. Web: 8 Apr. 2014. http://actrav.itcilo.org/actrav-english/telearn/osh/intro/introduc.htm.

2 Ibid.

3 Hohn, T., “Safety and Health, Part 2: Responding to New Challenges, Delivering Meaningful Business Benefits,” UL, July 2010. Document: 6 Feb. 2014.

4 Heidkamp, M., PhD, et al., “The Public Workforce System: Serving Older Job Seekers and the Disability Implications of an Aging Workforce,” The NTAR Leadership Center, May 2012. Web: 20 Feb. 2014. http://www.dol.gov/odep/pdf/NTAR_Public_Workforce_System_Report_Final.pdf.

1 “Occupational Health & Safety,” Pax World Investments, 2014. Web: 28 Feb. 2014. http://www.paxworld.com/advisors/approach/sustainability-research/key-issues-briefs/occupational-health-safety.

2 “Workplace Health and Safety Doesn’t Cost – It Pays,” UL, 2012. Document: 6 Feb. 2014.

3 “UL Workplace Health & Safety,” UL, 13 Feb. 2014. Document: 18 Feb. 2014.


5 Ibid.

BUILDINGASTRONGSAFETYCULTURE1 “Safety and Health Add Value…,” Occupational Health

and Safety Administration, 2013. Web: 4 March 2014. https://www.osha.gov/Publications/safety-health-addvalue.html.

2 “Injury and Illness Prevention Programs,” Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Jan. 2012. Web: 9 Feb. 2014. https://www.osha.gov/dsg/InjuryIllnessPreventionProgramsWhitePaper.html.

3 “Safety and Health Add Value…,” Occupational Health and Safety Administration, 2013. Web: 4 March 2014. https://www.osha.gov/Publications/safety-health-addvalue.html.

ASAFETYTURNAROUND1 Hohn, T., “Safety and Health: Fertile Ground for Applying

Quality Principles and Uniting Efforts,” UL, March 2010. Document: 6 Feb. 2014.


3 “An Award-Winning Environment, Health and Safety Culture: The McWane Story,” UL, Oct. 2013. Document: 6 Feb. 2013.

4 Ibid.

5 “Nonfatal Occupational Injuries and Illnesses Requiring Days Away from Work, 2012,” Bureau of Labor Statistics, 26 Nov. 2013. Web: 28 Feb. 2014. http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/osh2.pdf.

6 Ibid.

7 “Injury and Illness Prevention Programs,” Occupational Health and Safety Administration, Jan. 2012. Web: 21 Feb. 2014. https://www.osha.gov/dsg/InjuryIllnessPreventionProgramsWhitePaper.html.

8 “U.S. Health in International Perspective: Shorter Lives, Poorer Health,” The National Academies Press, 2013. Web: 10 March 2014. http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13497.

6 Hohn, T., “Safety Analytics: The Future of Workforce Safety and Health Programs,” UL, Apr. 2010. Document: 6 Feb. 2014.

7 Ibid.


9 Williams, B., Personal Interview, UL, 3 Apr. 2014.

10 Hohn, T., Personal Interview, UL, 4 Apr. 2014.


4 Leigh, J. Paul, “Economic Burden of Occupational Injury and Illness in the United States,” Milbank Quarterly, 89, No. 4, 22 Dec. 2011. Web: 10 March 2014. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1468-0009.2011.00648.x/abstract.

5 “Occupational Health & Safety,” Pax World Investments, 2014. Web: 28 Feb. 2014. http://www.paxworld.com/advisors/approach/sustainability-research/key-issues-briefs/occupational-health-safety.

6 “Leveraging Quality Management Principles and Technology to Achieve a Culture of Health and Safety Excellence,” UL, 2013. Document: 6 Feb. 2014.


10 Ibid.

11 Hohn, T., “Safety and Health: Fertile Ground for Applying Quality Principles and Uniting Efforts,” UL, March 2010. Document: 6 Feb. 2014.

12 Ibid.


14 Ibid.


12 Hohn, T., “Safety Analytics: The Future of Workforce Safety and Health Programs,” UL, Apr. 2010. Document: 6 Feb. 2014.





17 Ibid.

7 Ibid.

8 Ibid.

9 Hohn, T., “Engaging Gears to Support Safety Culture, Continuous Improvement,” UL, 1 July 2013. Document: 6 Feb. 2014.

10 Ibid.

11 Ibid.

12 Ibid.

5 Ibid.



8 “PureSafety,” UL, 2014. Web: 8 Apr. 2014. http://services.ul.com/service/puresafety/?ind=Workplace+Health+%26amp%3B+Safety.

9 Ibid.


11 Hohn, T., Personal Interview, UL, 26 Feb. 2014.

12 “An Award-Winning Environment, Health and Safety Culture: The McWane Story,” UL, Oct. 2013. Document: 6 Feb. 2013.

13 Ibid.

14 Ibid.

[email protected]+1 847.664.2040

WANT TO LEARN MORE? DOWNLOAD THE OTHER JOURNALS IN OUR NEW SCIENCE SERIES AT UL.COM/NEWSCIENCE

New Science Workplace Health & Safety cannot be copied, reproduced, distributed or displayed without UL’s express written permission. V.16.

UL and New Science are registered trademarks of UL LLC.

NEW CHALLENGES. NEW RISKS. NEW SCIENCE.

new science issue workplace health safety - ul · pdf fileworkplace health &...

Documents