Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
each job function is critical. Moreover, when supervisors are asked for
their input and advice in formulating safe work practices, they generally
buy into the overall safety program. Thus, these same supervisors often
become valuable allies of the safety person and strong supporters of the
organization's safety effort.
1.6 aCCidenT invesTigaTions
The plant safety person must have the authority to properly perform
other functions, such as accident investigations. Accident investiga-
tions can turn up causal factors that point to a disregard of established
safety rules or safe work practices or to disobedience of direct orders,
all of which are going to lay the finger of blame on someone. Caution
is advised here, and the safety person must tread a fine line. His or
her intention should be to determine the cause, recommend remedial
action, and follow up to ensure that corrective procedures have been put
in place.
The safety person should never perform investigations in a dic-
tatorial manner. The safety person must be professional, tactful, effi-
cient, observant, and thoughtful and should never target individuals for
blame.
dragnet's
Joe Friday said it best: “Just the facts, ma'am.” The
organizational safety person should stick to gathering and reporting
the facts only.
1.7 safeTy rules
After implementing an organizational safety policy, one of the first
items on the newly assigned safety person's agenda should be the gen-
eration and incorporation of the organization's safety rules. Before sub-
mitting a list of safety rules to higher authority for approval, the safety
person should think through what he or she is proposing. Rules are
everywhere. All through our lives we have functioned according to some
set of rules. Workers generally do not like rules. This is especially the
case when the rules are unclear and arbitrary. When putting the plant's
safety rules together, it is wise for the plant safety person to abide by the
old acronym KISS (“keep it simple, stupid!”).
Safety rules should be straightforward, easily understood, and lim-
ited to as few in number as possible. Concocting volumes of compli-
cated safety rules will result in much wasted effort and adding another
dust collector to the shelf. Employees will not read, follow, or abide by
rules that occupy voluminous manuals or any rule they deem stupid or
unnecessary. Additionally, supervisors will have difficulty in enforcing
too many rules.
The best safety rules are those that can be read and understood in
short order; for example, the organizational safety rules shown below
are short and to the point:
