Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
for.enforcing.safety.and.health.rules.and.safe.work.practices.is.inconsistent.or.con-
fusing,.you.will.know.that.the.system.needs.improvement.
Interviews.should.not.be.limited.to.hourly.employees..Much.can.be.learned.from.
talking.with.irst-line.supervisors..It.is.also.helpful.to.query.line.managers.about.their.
understanding.of.the.safety.and.health.responsibilities.for.which.they.are.responsible.
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Examining.the.conditions.of.the.workplace.can.reveal.existing.hazards;.it.can.also.
provide.information.about.the.breakdown.of.management.systems.meant.to.prevent.
or.control.hazards.
Looking.at.conditions.and.practices.is.a.well-established.technique.for.assessing.
the.effectiveness.or.implementation.of.safety.and.health.programs..For.example,.let.
us.say.that.in.areas.where.PPE.is.required,.you.see.large.and.understandable.signs.
communicating.this.requirement.and.all.employees,.with.no.exceptions,.must.wear.
equipment.properly..You.have.obtained.valuable.visual.evidence.that.the.PPE.pro-
gram.is.working.
Another.way.to.obtain.information.about.safety.and.health.program.management.
is.through.root.analysis.of.observed.hazards..This.approach.is.much.like.the.most.
sophisticated.accident.investigation.techniques,.in.which.many.contributing.factors.
are.located.and.corrected.or.controlled.
When.evaluating.each.part.of.a.worksite's.safety.and.health.program,.use.one.or.
more.of.the.above.methods.as.appropriate..The.remainder.of.this.discussion.identi-
ies.the.components.found.in.each.element.of.a.quality.safety.and.health.program.
and.describes.useful.ways.to.assess.these.components.
AssessIng the key comPonents oF leAdershIP,
PArtIcIPAtIon, And lIne AccountABIlIty
Is. there. a. worksite. policy. on. safe. and. healthful. working. conditions?. If. there. is. a.
written.policy,.does.it.clearly.declare.the.priority.of.worker.safety.and.health.over.
other. organizational. values,. such. as. production?. When. asked,. can. employees. at.
all.levels.express.the.worksite.policy.on.worker.safety.and.health?.If.the.policy.is.
written,.can.hourly.employees.tell.you.where.they.have.seen.it?.Can.employees.at.
all.levels.explain.the.priority.of.worker.safety.and.health.over.other.organizational.
values,.as.the.policy.intends?
Have.injuries.occurred.because.employees.at.any.level.did.not.understand.the.
importance. of. safety. precautions. in. relation. to. other. organizational. values,. such.
as.production?
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If.there.is.a.written.goal.for.the.safety.and.health.program,.is.it.updated..annually?.
If there. are. written. objectives,. such. as. an. annual. plan. to. reach. that. goal,. are. they.
