SAFETY CULTURE ASSESSMENT

CSAM has included the safety culture assessment as part of the COR®/SECOR® Certification program in order to be in compliance with the requirements set by the Province of Manitoba. The safety culture assessment is not a determining factor in Certification — its purpose is to assist companies in tracking safety culture, to use the results to identify contributing factors for safety performance, and develop effective corrective action measures for continuous improvement. The results of the safety culture assessment should be included when developing the audit corrective action plan.

INSTRUCTIONS: Using the percentage scale provided, determine how effectively each objective is met or adhered to within your organization.

Question Guideline: An audit can be defined as a formal, comprehensive, and thorough process for evaluating and reporting how an organization manages health and safety in accordance with a recognized standard. At minimum, an organization should be auditing their health and safety management system annually. A high performing company may audit two or three times a year and spot check components of the program monthly.

Question Guideline: A positive safety culture will include the uniform support and encouragement of ongoing safety improvement by all levels of the organization. Supervisors will correct hazards immediately and assist in developing control methods that prevent repeat hazards and reoccurring incidents. Workers will adapt to and adopt new safety initiatives quickly with no resistance and provide feedback for improvement of their health and safety and that of their coworkers.

Question Guideline: A positive and proactive safety culture will include the basic and uniform understanding that health and safety will be given equal consideration when discussing production, quality, and profitability of the organization. Senior management will be heavily involved in proactive, preventative safety management practices by including health and safety in discussions involving purchases, new projects, and the future of the organization. New equipment does not enter the workplace without being inspected for safety concerns and having procedures developed for safe use. Job planning assesses the hazards involved and includes them when tendering a job.

Question Guideline: Education and training is an essential component in improving the attitudes and safety behaviors of workers. Encouraging “common training” rather than “common sense” will confirm the workers’ ability to perform work safely and demonstrate a commitment to providing a safe and healthy workplace. No worker enters a workplace without a proper orientation and task specific training being conducted first. There is a clear plan for safety training that includes performance evaluations. Worker training is assessed during hazard identification and is included in the development of control methods.

Question Guideline: A worker’s involvement in the decision making process will foster a community regarding safety issues that supports a positive attitude towards health and safety in the workplace. Support for workers who speak up regarding safety concerns is evident and an encouraged practice throughout all levels of the organization. Prior to finalizing new safety initiatives such as procedures, training requirements, or new equipment, workers are consulted to ensure information is clear, understood, and accurately reflects a “real world” environment.

Question Guideline: Those in charge of safety must be equipped with the knowledge, training, and authority to act. Those responsible for researching and developing safety initiatives should be given the time and resources to do so effectively. Supervisors tasked with maintaining a safe and healthy workplace must have the authority to act as an authority for the environment in which they are responsible. Successful companies support and empower their staff to make decisions and implement positive change independently of a singular person of authority.

Question Guideline: Rewarding processes that lead to safe outcomes is a far more effective and sustainable method of maintaining health and safety compliance. Processes are repeatable for various positive outcomes and support the effort required to achieve the desired outcome, rather than the outcome alone. Those involved in improving the health and safety of the organization should receive recognition for their contribution and encourage others to do the same. Successful companies make safety a necessary component of their workers’ success and advancement within the organization, rather than an obstacle.

Question Guideline: Maintaining tools and equipment helps demonstrate management’s commitment to their workers and supports a positive attitude towards work. A safe and functional environment increases the likelihood of workers working safely and enjoying what they do. Successful companies have developed a preventative maintenance system that mitigates the risk of injury due to defective equipment and ensures the correct tools are being provided to perform work safely and efficiently for every task. This will include paying special attention to MSI and functional issues that will not only increase the risk of injury, but affect the attitudes and behaviors of workers when performing ‘undesirable tasks’.

Question Guideline: Continuous improvement regarding safety culture means that, when concerns are raised or incidents occur, appropriate action by persons responsible for safety are taken to prevent an incident, or in the case of an incident already occurring, to prevent reoccurrence. Successful companies have a clear and outlined process for managing risk and injury in the workplace, roles are communicated and verified with every level of employment, and steps are taken to ensure all preventative methods are followed and implemented regularly.

Question Guideline: Support of the health and safety program must be demonstrated through action and, most importantly, by management to foster a positive safety culture. The behaviors of leaders in an organization greatly affect the attitudes, and therefore the  ehaviors, of workers. Successful companies implement and maintain the health and safety program through all levels of the organization. Management can clearly be seen following company rules, PPE requirements, attending safety training, and maintaining a positive attitude towards health and safety. Management should be the embodiment of what health and safety compliance looks like in order to instill that in others.

Question Guideline: Communication of concerns and suggestions for improvement must be freely communicated by those most affected by the hazards and those who have the power to make positive changes to health and safety in the workplace. No worker should ever feel persecuted for bringing to light safety concerns that affect them or that of their peers. A successful company requires communication training for supervisors and top management to ensure they are adequately equipped with the skills necessary to handle safety concerns raised by workers, with positivity and encouragement. All members of the company are on the same “playing field” when safety and health is a topic of conversation.

Question Guideline: A positive safety culture is fully realized when the relationship between employee and employer harbors no reservation of discipline or negative repercussions regarding safety concerns. Trusting that your leaders have their workers’ best interests in mind will open up a dialogue where organizations can collectively improve the attitudes and behaviors regarding safety in the workplace.