1. Department of Defense Voluntary Protection Programs Center of Excellence Development, Validation, Implementation and Enhancement for a Voluntary Protection Programs Center of Excellence (VPP CX) Capability for the Department of Defense Department of Defense Voluntary Protection Programs Center of Excellence Employee Involvement VPPPA Conference Development, Validation, Implementation and Enhancement for a Voluntary Protection Programs Center of Excellence (VPP CX) Capability for the Department of Defense

2. What is Employee Involvement? Employee Involvement. Regular participation of employees in deciding how their work is done, making suggestions for improvement, goal setting, planning, and monitoring of their performance. Encouragement to employee involvement is based on the thinking that people involved in a process know it best, and on the observation that involved employees are more motivated to improve their performance. – BusinessDictionary.com

3. Why Does It Matter? Everyone has something to contribute…and will if the environment is right Most decisions can be significantly improved through collaboration The human element of performance is more important than the technical element. “The libraries are full of evidence relating to the relationship between motivation and work performance... but most of us already know it intuitively. Each of us has worked with or for someone who could excite and energize us, or, conversely, blow out our candle.” - Peter Grazier, Founder, TeamBuildingInc.com

4. What Does OSHA Say? OSHA CSP 03-01-003, VPP Policies/Procedures Manual “Employees must be involved in the safety and health management system in at least three meaningful, constructive ways in addition to their right to report a hazard. Avenues for employees to have input into safety and health decisions include participation in audits, accident/incident investigations, self-inspections, suggestion programs, planning, training, job hazard analyses, and appropriate safety and health committees and teams. Employees do not meet this requirement by participating in incentive programs or simply working in a safe manner.” “Employees must support participation in VPP.”

5. What Does OSHA Say? Federal Register Notice of July 24, 2000 “The site culture must enable and encourage effective employee involvement in the planning and operation of the safety and health program and in decisions that affect employees’ safety and health... employees (must) have at least three active and meaningful ways to participate in safety and health problem identification and resolution. Examples of acceptable employee involvement include: participating in ad hoc safety and health problem-solving groups; participating in audits and/or worksite inspections; participating in accident and incident investigations ; developing and/or participating in employee improvement suggestion programs; training other employees in safety and health; analyzing job/process hazards; acting as safety observers; serving on safety and health committees.” “Each employee, at any level, must be able to describe his/her responsibility for safety and health.”

6. What Does the VPP CX Say? CX Gap Analysis / Action Plan – Management Leadership and Employee Involvement ID# 67 – Personnel are actively and meaningfully involved in the installation's S&H program by participating in activities and decision making that impacts their S&H (at least 3ways) ID# 68 – S&H teams to achieve desired S&HMS outcomes have been established and there is broad and active participation on the teams ID# 69 – A S&H culture that makes personnel aware of the S&HMS encourages active participation and provides feedback on recommendations and suggestions has been established.

7. Deciding How to Involve Employees Consider establishing a VPP implementation committee with a subcommittee, chartered to work on establishing employee involvement activities – Involve Employees! Charter the subcommittee with some fanfare, so employees will know you are looking for new ways to involve them.

8. Deciding How to Involve Employees Generate ideas for involvement – potential sources include: –Review of the types activities already endorsed by OSHA –Research into how others have involved their employees –Committee/subcommittee brainstorming –Suggestions from employees at large –Areas where help is needed to implement VPP –Areas where improvement in S&H performance is needed.

9. Deciding How to Involve Employees Evaluate the ideas – for each idea, consider factors: –Would people see it as meaningful? –How many people would be involved? –Does it have the potential to make a real impact? Hazard prevention and control? Employee awareness/enthusiasm concerning Safety? Implementation of a needed program element? –How hard would it be to implement? Time demands? Materials/facilities needed? Likelihood of employee resistance? How will we collect metrics, maintain records, communicate progress/results?

10. Deciding How to Involve Employees Rate and rank – create preliminary priority list Discuss – apply judgment – finalize the list Subcommittee brief Leadership – include union(s) (after all, the topic is employee involvement!) –Subcommittee task/objectives –How ideas were generated –How ideas were evaluated –Final priority list –Recommended initiatives Make the briefing a team effort Leadership approves initiatives for implementation. Appreciate, Appreciate, Appreciate!

11. Implementing the Approved Initiatives Implementing an approved initiative is a project –Assign a responsible person/team for each approved initiative –Define desired outcome(s) and target date for completion –Allow time for project/team functions –Create/approve an implementation plan Steps, time frames, responsibilities –Execute the plan – step by step – on time! –Make regular progress reports to management along the way –Monitor results – report to management –Adjust as needed.

12. Employee Involvement Examples Examples of employee involvement include participating in: – S&H problem-solving teams – Routine assessments and worksite self inspections – Accident and near-miss investigations – Hazard analysis and abatement programs – Acting as safety observers – Various S&H committees.

13. S&H Problem-Solving Teams Establish teams of employees to participate in the S&H problem: –Identification –Evaluation –Resolution –Making any necessary process changes.

14. S&H Problem-Solving Teams “The human element of performance is more important than the technical element.”

15. Routine Workplace Inspections VPP requires monthly workplace inspections Inspections must cover the entire installation at least quarterly A written inspection program should be developed and include: –Inspection schedule –Members of self-inspection teams –Recording of findings/results –How responsibility for abatement will be assigned –Tracking of identified hazards through timely correction.

16. Employee Involvement in Workplace Inspections Involve employees in: –Deciding how to involve employees in the inspections –Developing/enhancing inspection checklists for their work areas –Conducting the inspections Train employees in the inspection process and hazard identification Focus on things it is reasonable to expect employees to spot – “You don’t have to be a safety specialist to spot hazards.”

17. Accident and Near-Miss Investigations The installation must have a written process for investigating all near misses, incidents, and injury accidents, illnesses and deaths All investigations should include: –Qualified team members to conduct the investigation –Determination of the root cause and contributing factors (include written report) –Established timetables for investigation and resolution –Assignment of responsibility –Appropriate follow-up, and dissemination of results to prevent occurrence at other locations.

18. Accident and Near-Miss Investigations Involve employees in the investigation process by: –Selecting and training employees in each work area to serve as a qualified team member –Communicating the purpose of the investigation process to dispel concerns about “finding blame” –Ensuring that employees who were directly involved, as well as witnesses, contribute to the investigation process (interview, re-enactment, etc.) –Encouraging other employees with expertise on the job to contribute to suggestions for corrective action –Communicating results of investigation process: share suggested corrective/preventive actions.

19. Encouraging Near-Miss Reporting

20. Hazard Analysis Program Involve employees in a program to identify hazards in jobs, tasks, or processes. Engage them to: –Help develop a job hazard analysis (JHA) –Identify needed changes/controls to make equipment or processes safer –Conduct periodic review of JHAs –Train other employees on job hazards Train all employees in the hazards identified and controls methods. Remember to document who was involved.

21. Safety and Health Observer Program Involve employees in a safety and health observer program Assign observers to conduct daily informal observations Gather data and identify critical safety and health behaviors Provide positive and negative feedback to encourage improvement Use data to identify and improve S&H management system weaknesses.

22. S&H Committees The purpose of the S&H committee is to: –Bring workers and management together in a non-adversarial, cooperative effort –Promote safety and health in the workplace –Assist the installation with recommendations for change/improvement in the S&HMS.

23. S&H Committee Members S&H committees should represent the organization: –Commander –Directors –Managers –Supervisors –Employees –Union representatives –Safety & health professionals –Industrial hygiene personnel.

24. Desirable Personalities for S&H Committee Content-oriented: –Likes to make decisions –Wants tasks to get completed –Organized –Plans, assignments, and due dates Process-oriented: –Information gatherers –Flexible – spontaneous –Want to understand – not control –Interested in exploring options.

25. S&H Committee – Getting Started Establish charter, key positions, responsibilities –Committee purpose/functions –Chair, Officers –Organizations represented –Management/employee mix –Quorum and voting rules –Membership term –Minimum meeting frequency Organize a kickoff meeting with some fanfare Set and publicize committee goals for the year Publicize committee activities.

26. S&H Committee – Getting Started

27. S&H Committee Activities Example safety committee roles or functions: –VPP Steering committee –Review self assessment results and employee hazard reports –Employee involvement programs / events –Participate in self inspections –Participate in mishap investigations –Evaluate safety suggestions –PPE evaluation & selection –Receiving and giving training –Safety/VPP awareness campaign.

28. Tips for S&H Committee Effectiveness Set clear expectations and goals Stick to the agenda at meetings Measure progress Encourage communication and dialogue Give members time for their duties. Assign actions and due dates Keep minutes - make them available to all Recognize Committee accomplishments Appreciate, appreciate, appreciate!

29. S&H Training Train S&H committee members on: –Purpose of the committee –Duties and functions –Activities they will be tasked to do –How to conduct an effective meeting.

30. Other Employee Involvement Ideas Employee Involvement - as diverse as the installation –Conduct monthly emergency equipment inspections –Participate as team members in Lean events –Create emergency “drill” scenarios and debriefings –Update emergency phone numbers and signs –Review/update emergency evacuation maps –Conduct preventive maintenance inventories –Maintain safety communication posters or bulletin boards –Host a VPP booth during a safety day or health fair –Use existing committees (shop, hearing, ergonomics, wellness). You can be Flexible – make it work for YOU!

31. VPP Passport

32. Resources for Sites DoD VPP CX Web Site http://vppcx.org This site provides numerous resources to support installations in implementing and sustaining VPP, such as VPP best practices, training, sample documents, etc.