Kevin Ian Schmidt

Harness and Lanyard Inspection

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As part of a personal fall protection program, employees must be trained on how to inspect the harness and lanyard for safety.

This form can be used to train employees for both important inspections performed on all personal fall protection:

  • The “before use” inspection – in which each wearer of fall protection equipment should inspect it before use, to ensure it is operating properly and not damaged.
  • The annual inspection – once a year, each piece of fall protection must be inspected and certified for continued use. This inspection must be documented.

Knowing how to inspect the equipment for hazards is important for safety.

Down below there is a log to document the training completion of how to inspect the harness and lanyard, along with a log for the annual hazard inspection.

If during any inspection, a piece of equipment is found to be damaged or unsuitable for service, it should be removed from service and it’s removal should be documented on the fall protection inspection log. Do not just place a harness or lanyad into the trash, as an employee may think it was placed there by accident and put it back into service, instead damage and/or deface the equipment, so it will not be able to be placed back into service.

If your company needs more components of a fall protection program, check out my published powered equipment books and all posts on my website concerning powered equipment

Download the Harness and Lanyard Inspection Training below:

View the Harness and Lanyard Inspection Training below:

Harness-Lanyard InspectionReport

 

Download the Personal Fall Protection Training Certification below:

View the Personal Fall Protection Training Certification below:

Fall_Protection_Certificate_of_Training

 

Download the Fall Protection Annual Inspection Log below:

View the Fall Protection Annual Inspection Log below:

Fall protection Inspection Log

 

What Is the Hierarchy of Control?

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Workplace safety, like many other specialty area (even yours) develops its own set of jargon and the hierarchy of controls is one of the more useful bits of safety jargon particularly for safety management systems structured around hazard management. So what is it?

A hierarchy is… ?

A hierarchy is just a fancy name for a list. Usually a list of things that have something in common and usually in some sort of order – big to small, good to bad, useful to useless – you get the idea, right? So a hierarchy of controls is just a list of types of controls from really good to less useful. Oh, did I hear you ask what the blazes is a control? Even if I didn’t I’ll explain it anyway.

And Controls, what are they?

A control is some type of action that reduces the chance that a risk will happen. So, using a seat-belt when you’re driving a car reduces the chance that your head will smack into the windscreen if you’re unfortunate enough to have a ding. So a seatbelt’s a type of control but it’s not as effective as an air bag in protecting your head because you don’t have to do anything for the airbag to do its job but you actually have to remember to put your seat belt on and if you forget then it doesn’t work. So some types of controls are better than others and the hierarchy of controls just lists the better types of risk controls at the top and the not so good ones at the bottom.

 

Types of Controls in the Safety Hierarchy of Control

Elimination of Hazard

If you stop and think about it you can probably figure out yourself what the best type of control is – avoiding the risk by eliminating it. If there’s no risk there’s no damage and that’s why it’s at the top of the hierarchy of controls.

So the best way of avoiding smacking your head against your windscreen is not to have an accident while driving your car and the best way of avoiding an accident is to not drive the car. Problem solved, right? Wrong.

It’s not really practical in our society to not drive a car or at least be a passenger in one. So elimination, while the best type of risk control, is not always the most practical. So what other options are there?

Substitution

If you can’t stop getting around in a car what other options do you have if you don’t want your head getting up close and personal with your windscreen? You could substitute riding in the front seat to riding in the rear seat but then you couldn’t drive. That’s the balancing act involved when we’re talking about controlling risk… sometimes the alternative, while safer, is not always something we want. The other thing to think about is that substitution doesn’t get rid of the risk; it just reduces it and it sometimes introduces different risks. So rather than smacking against the windscreen you now smack into the back of the front seats. Is that better or worse? Probably a bit better but still not really something you want to go through.

Sometimes, though, substitution is a great idea. In the construction industry, for example, they substituted dry cement deliveries to either real small (5 kg) packages or really big ones (250 kg) to reduce manual handling injuries (the small ones are less likely to cause injury while people won’t try to lift the big ones without help). Often really dangerous chemicals can be replaced with safer ones that do the same job just as effectively.

So substitution reduces the risk to people without them having to do anything which it’s the second choice in the hierarchy of controls.

Isolation

OK, back to the car. Elimination isn’t a real option and being a back seat driver doesn’t sound too appealing either. What if we put a barrier between your head and the windscreen? That would be great if you could see through it. But what if the barrier was only there if you were in an accident – I hope this ringing some bells because it sounds a lot like an air bag.

If you’re in an accident while driving your car the air bag pops out and cushions your noggin preventing it from smacking into the steering wheel or the windscreen. Sounds great doesn’t it? But for every silver lining there’s gonna be a cloud and in this case it’s the airbag. These things fully inflate in less than 60 milliseconds (there’s a thousand milliseconds in a second) at a speed of about 250 kph so any part of your body that’s in its way is going to get hurt. And the powder, have you ever seen the inside of a car after the airbags have gone off… it’s like a talcum powder factory.

So again, isolation isn’t a perfect solution and you have to consider if new and different risks are introduced into the process due to the method of isolation.

In the real world of work, such things as guards around rotating shafts, splash screens where liquids are churned up, cages around auto-operating equipment such as robotic assemblers and acoustic enclosures around noisy plant and equipment are examples of isolation.

When in place and working properly, isolation works great. But if the machine guard isn’t put on properly, if the door on the acoustic enclosure is closed properly they don’t work as intended. So some human intervention is necessary which is why it comes behind substitution in the hierarchy of controls.

Engineering

Isolation used to be thought of as a type of engineering control but times change and so do the definitions. If we return to the car, the engineering controls would be things like the airbag not going off unless the impact speed is more than a pre-set limit. The change from windscreen’s being made of safety glass to laminated glass prevents you getting sprayed with high speed glass particles in a collision or when a stone hits your windscreen. The head restraint on the back of the seat reduces the chance of whiplash injury by restricting head’s movement. Crush zones built into the car absorb much of the impact which would otherwise be transferred directly into the bodies of people in the car.

Engineering controls are those that you can’t necessarily see but which work to reduce the chance of an injury happening when an unwanted event happens. Limit switches that prevent mechanical plant from moving beyond pre-set limits or key capture systems that switch off power to equipment when a key is removed from a lock are examples of engineering controls that are found in workplaces.

Engineering controls are subject to failure if not looked after properly. The limit switch might stick or corrode, the laminated windscreen may prevent bits of glass flying around at high-speed but if you hit one with your head you’ll bounce rather than go through it. Don’t know what’s worse really. So these types of controls aren’t as good as those that preceded them in the hierarchy of controls but they’re better than those that follow.

Check Out: Machine Guarding Basics

Administrative

Now we’re getting into the really dodgy options in the hierarchy of controls. These are things like defensive driver training (or any form of training) or telling people to drive more carefully. Those ads you see on the TV telling you not to speed or not to drive when drunk or high on drugs or tired. That annoying beeper that goes off when you go a little too fast or signs on the side of the road telling you how fast you’re supposed to drive or even those cops hiding behind billboards with their speed cameras. These are all attempts to persuade you to behave differently and so avoid an accident and by avoiding an accident you prevent your head coming into contact with the windscreen.

But how often do hear or see these things and ignore them? How often do you think, “I’m not that tired” or “I’m not that drunk… I’m OK to drive”? How often do people curse the cops when they’re caught speeding? Exactly! While these things have a benefit, would you rather rely on these to protect your head or on the air bag? Me, I’ll go with the airbag because even if I’m doing everything right there’s no guarantee that some other fool (and there’s always another person to blame and they’re always a fool) is doing the same.

If you’ve been at work for any length of time you’ll have seen examples of these types of controls. Warning signs telling you the surface is hot or cold or that the tank has dangerous chemicals. Safety posters on the walls, safety training courses, policies and procedures and so the lists go on. Sure they’re useful but certainly nowhere near as good as the other options from the hierarchy of controls that we’ve talked about.

Personal Protective Equipment

Now for the last and probably the most unreliable option in the hierarchy of controls – personal protective equipment (PPE ).

Continuing with our car, PPE is the seat belt. You have to consciously use it, wrap it around you, click the end into the buckle, make sure it’s located properly and re-tension the belt. Then it’ll work and, if you do have an accident, at least your head and the windscreen aren’t going to get acquainted. But, if you forget or just decide not to use it then it does nothing and you are going to get an up close view of that gunk you’ve been meaning to clean off your windscreen – just before you bounce off it. If you have an airbag – as that’s inflating in one direction you’ll be flying into it from the other at a great rate of knots. Probably not as bad as hitting the windscreen but certainly not something you’d want to repeat too often.

At work, you’ve probably got safety glasses, safety helmet, safety boots, gloves, ear muffs or plugs, overalls and so on. All are PPE and all are only effective if used and used properly as well as being maintained properly. Safety glasses pushed to the top of your head or ear muffs strung around your neck aren’t going to do the job they’re supposed to.

Does your company need more information on PPE to help minimize workplace hazards? Check out my PPE Guide

That’s The Safety Hierarchy of Controls

So that’s the Hierarchy of Controls, sorry it took so long.

Starting at the top is Elimination followed by Substitution, Isolation, Engineering, Administrative and lastly PPE. The ones at the top are there because they don’t need you to do anything for them to work. As you move down the hierarchy of controls there is a greater reliance on people doing the right thing. So only select lower order controls (those further down the list) when higher order controls (those further up the list) can’t be implemented.

As with the example of the car, often the best solution is to combine a several types of risk control from throughout the hierarchy of controls.

Develop Hazard Prevention and Control Methods

Identify control options. Collect, organize, and review information with workers to determine what types of hazards may be present and which workers may be exposed or potentially exposed. Information available in the workplace may include:

  • Review OSHA standards and guidance, industry consensus standards, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) publications, manufacturers’ literature, and engineering reports to identify potential control measures.
  • Get input from workers who can suggest and evaluate solutions based on their knowledge.
  • For complex hazards, consult with OSHA’s On-site Consultants and workers’ compensation insurers. (Note: Every state has their own workers’ compensation insurers.)

Select controls. Select the controls that are the most feasible, effective, and permanent.

  • Select controls using the Hierarchy of Controls that emphasize elimination, substitution, and engineering solutions.
  • Eliminate or control all serious hazards immediately.
  • Use interim controls while you develop and implement longer-term solutions.
  • Avoid selecting controls that may directly or indirectly introduce new hazards.
  • Review and discuss control options with workers to ensure that controls are feasible and effective.
  • Use a combination of control options when no single control option fully protects workers.
  • Select controls to protect workers during non-routine operations and emergencies.

Implement selected controls in the workplace. Once hazard prevention and control measures have been identified, implement them per priorities in the written hazard control plan.

  • When resources are limited, implement measures on a “worst-first” basis. Regardless of limited resources, employers have an obligation to protect workers from recognized serious hazards.
  • Promptly implement any measures that are easy and inexpensive.
  • Follow up to confirm that controls are effective. Inspect and track progress and results.

Management Statement – Accident Investigation

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As part of every incident investigation, the employee’s supervisor or manager should provide a statement. This is important for the validity of every claim.

When taking the statement, ensure to have the manager to include anything relevant from before the accident, a knowledge of near misses, past incidents with this employee, any behavior by the employee before the incident(example: they came into work limping then file a claim for hurting leg at work that day), and anything else relevant. Don’t allow the statement to be just a dead-end statement such as: “I didn’t see it and know nothing.” Have the manager include in their statement any training on relevant safety processes, procedures, or even just on operational processes. All of this can be factored into the investigation of the incident and considered in the root cause.

The management statement should attempt to answer the 5W1H’s with any relevant facts;

  • Who? – Who was involved in the accident / incident?
  • What? – What was being undertaken at the time?
  • Where? – Where, precisely did the event take place?
  • When? – When did it take place?
  • Why? – Why did it happen?
  • How? How can it be prevented from happening again?

This management statement is a small component of a comprehensive incident investigation program.

If you need more components of an incident investigation program, we have them here.

As to the role of the supervisor in an investigation, this statement will address all issues of in-depth employee and job process knowledge, while removing the supervisor from the direct investigation. This is an important consideration because:

  • The immediate supervisor/manager of the injured may be part of the reason why the accident happened. The supervision may, therefore, be unwilling to identify deficiencies in training, supervision, discipline, etc., for which he or she is responsible.
  • Due to lack of training, a supervisor may not have the necessary knowledge to do a good in-depth accident analysis.
  • Even if training is provided, supervisors may not do investigations frequently enough to develop the necessary skills to do good investigations.
  • Supervisors may not be sufficiently discreet with potentially sensitive information.

Don’t overlook my book on Root Cause Analysis available for sale on Amazon

Download & view the Accident Investigation Management Statement below

Incident Analysis management statement

The Road Map to Build a Positive Safety Culture

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When beginning a journey, the two most important things to know are: where are you now and where do you want to go. Next, you need a map to see how to get from here to there.

When building a positive safety culture in the workplace, you must begin by assessing where you are right now in respect to workplace safety. Total Case Incident Rate or TCIR is a good indicator. Take the total cases of workplace injury and illness and divide by the number of man hours. Then, multiply the result by 200,000. This number allows you to compare your safety ratings with other facilities while adjusting for the number of employees.

Compare your TCIR rate to other facilities in your industry and with other types of work. If your number is higher, then you know you are not doing as well as others in similar conditions. See what you can learn from them. If your number is already lower, then you may have to look at more advanced safety management systems to lower your score.

Next, take some time to creatively visualize what a safe workplace looks like. Do you see safe work practices as interfering with production? Or, do you see employees working efficiently and safely making quality products at minimal cost? You need a clear vision of where you want to go before you can map out how you plan to get there.

When building a safety culture into the work environment, you need to establish safe work practices. Often, safety procedures are made separate from the work instructions. In facilities with a strong safety culture, the work instructions include the steps to do the job safely and efficiently to produce quality product.

Check Out: Successfully Persuade People That Workplace Injuries Are Preventable

One of the most important steps you will take along the journey to building a safety culture is to establish the safest and most efficient procedures for all work practices. After these procedures are in place, it becomes the job of supervision and audit teams to ensure that the procedures are followed. If the work practices change, then the procedures are rewritten to reflect the changes. Separate safety inspections will no longer be needed as the safest way to do the job has already been established.

When mapping out a course to create a safe work environment, it is very tempting to make a detour through accident avoidance. However, if you want to take the most direct path to building a safe work culture, you will want to go directly to creating safe work practices and not get bogged down at trying to avoid accidents. Most experienced safety professionals will tell you that anytime you implement an accident avoidance plan, you will end up with more accidents before you get your plan in place. So, my advice is to head directly to creating safe work practices and steer clear of all types of accident avoidance systems.

Focus your energy into visualizing a safe work environment. Most often, this place is a clean, bright, well organized facility. It is always a facility where workers are well trained and know how to perform their jobs. These workers take pride in producing quality product and enjoy coming to work each day. They also enjoy leaving each day with all their body parts intact, so they can enjoy their off time. When a positive work environment is created, then there is no need for a separate safety program. A strong safety culture will evolve as the rest of the work experience becomes more positive.

Emergency Response Plan Explained – Training

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Knowing how to handle an emergency in the workplace is important for optimal employee safety, for many workplaces it is also an OSHA requirement under CFR 29.1910.38.

As part of a quality emergency response plan, you need to train your employees on the basics of the plan and the basics of safe evacuation.

This training Emergency Response Plan Explained is a template for your company to provide this training. This can be administered in a classroom training or as part of a self learning exercise.

 

 

OSHA specifically spells out the training requirements for emergency action plans for all employees:

1910.38(f)

Review of emergency action plan. An employer must review the emergency action plan with each employee covered by the plan:

1910.38(f)(1)

When the plan is developed or the employee is assigned initially to a job;

1910.38(f)(2)

When the employee’s responsibilities under the plan change; and

1910.38(f)(3)

When the plan is changed.

– Source

Be aware that this does not meet every training requirement under the plan, and no training will, as OSHA has one other training requirement:

1910.38(e)

Training. An employer must designate and train employees to assist in a safe and orderly evacuation of other employees.

–Source

This is a simple training that you can do in-house, by explaining and practicing evacuations with anyone identified in your emergency action plan as assisting with evacuation.

Check Out: How to Put Together a Workplace Safety Training Workshop
Use this training in conjunction with an emergency action plan template from here.

Why training is an important part of an emergency response program

Training Improves Responder Knowledge and Confidence
This emergency action plan training ppt teaches employees what is expected of them in an emergency. Conducting practice evacuation drills trains responders to be able to respond to workplace emergencies quickly and competently, training empowers emergency responders to meet dangerous challenges with greater confidence. When responders have received proper emergency response training, they feel more confident and assured of their capabilities and roles.

Quality Training Helps Responders Follow Emergency Plans
Emergency plans are designed to reduce workplace injuries and fatalities, reduce damage to buildings, property and the environment, and help to resume work activities as quickly as possible.

Download & View the Emergency Action Plan training below

Emergency Response Plan Explained

7 Problems Interviewing Witnesses to Workplace Accidents and Incidents

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There are many problems associated with investigating accidents in the workplace.

Seven common problems that you may encounter while investigating accidents:

  • Accuracy. Accuracy is a real problem when you are trying to get to the bottom of an incident or an accident. The people that you interview have not been trained to be observant or to be a witness. This means that they are often unprepared to answer questions that require them to be accurate in their recollection. Because their memories will fade with time, its important to interview them as soon as possible after the event..
  • What did they actually see? Many people claim to be witnesses to accidents when they have only seen the results but not the events leading up to the accident itself. For example, if there is a collision between two forklifts, the witness will claim to have seen the accident and then make an assumption regarding the cause when they have seen the result. If they are a witness to an impact accident, ask them where they were standing at the time of the impact. This will reveal whether or not they saw the events leading up to the incident.
  • Protecting a workmate. Regrettably, in tight knit working communities, a witness will often try and minimize the actions of a workmate. They do this with the best of intentions but provide a considerable barrier to discovering the root cause of the accident. Their loyalty is misplaced but understandable. Often, with shrewd questioning you will be able to get to the truth of the matter.
Need more components for your incident investigation program? Check out what else I have to offer here
  • Conflicting statements. When you go over your notes, you will notice that some of the statements are in direct conflict with each other. At this stage you have to remember that they are relying on their memory and interpretation of the events. This is not deliberate misinformation but the way we humans perceive events. Your only recourse is to go back and re-interview those people who have given you conflicting information.
  • Interpretation of questions and answers. This can be a difficult situation which occurs when your questioning is a little bit too open. Sometimes it’s necessary to make sure that your witness understands your question clearly. By the same token, it is very easy to misinterpret their answers. With practice, your questioning technique and your listening technique will improve and become much more accurate.
Learn 9 tricks for interviewing witnesses to workplace accidents
  • Changing their story. Some witnesses will answer a question and then immediately change their answer because they are thinking about the consequences of that particular answer. This is irritating because it prolongs the questioning process. These witnesses have to be treated gently so that they have sufficient confidence in their answers. You may have to encourage them and give them positive reinforcement when they stick to their original answer.
  • Vague on details. Many people have speech patterns that are vague. As witnesses they are of limited value because they are so hard to pin down on any usable fact. My advice is to be patient, help them to become more accurate and factual until you have information which is usable.

Is Your Company Prepared for an Emergency?

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In case of a fire or other emergency situation, there ought to be an emergency action plan in place to kick in and help employees get to safety. A good emergency action plan which explains what the employees have to do in emergency situations will ensure their safety and well-being, resulting in fewer fatalities and less structural harm to the premises during emergencies. Establishing procedures is not a difficult task and only requires that employees react in a certain manner during emergencies, bearing in mind the type of worksite plan, structural features and emergency systems that the company has.

Based on the company’s plans, a good plan should contain the following features:

* Procedures that include dialing 911 to report emergencies, or dialing an internal number or pulling a fire alarm bell

* Describe the alarm system that employees will need to use in order to evacuate or take other appropriate measures

* Evacuation policies, procedures as well as escape routes

* Shelter-in places and procedures to follow in case of emergency

* Procedures governing employees who will remain on the site after the evacuation alarm has been sounded

* Procedures that will enable accounting for all employees having been evacuated

* Rescue and medical task – names of those who are responsible for giving medical relief as well as rescuing employees in case of emergencies

* A safe on or off-site location for storing backup copies of vital documents such as accounting records, legal documents and other crucial records.

In case of small shops, offices, small retailer shops and small manufacturing units that do not contain many dangerous resources or processes, there is no need to have any complex emergency action plans since employees can easily evacuate the premises on hearing the alarm bell sound or through other means such as public address systems. But, where there exist dangerous resources or processes, a more elaborate emergency action plan is needed. This involves detailed study of the site’s emergency conditions, evacuation policy and procedures, alarm systems and emergency reporting methods. It is of vital importance that employees are involved in planning the emergency action plan and that they are made aware of what to do in case of emergency situations. A well-organized emergency action plan will help eliminate unnecessary confusion, injuries and damage to properties.

Does your company need more components of an Emergency Action Plan, I have them here

When setting out an emergency action plan it is essential to keep in mind the following points:

* What are the conditions under which evacuation will be required

* What are the conditions when it may be better to have shelter-in places

* What is the pecking order and designation of the person who will be in charge in case of an emergency or shutdown

* There should be specific guidelines for employees and employers

* What are the procedures during an emergency to help visitors or persons not speaking English or having a disability of some sort

* What special equipment is needed in case of emergencies

* Respirators for use in case of emergencies

Some of the conditions which may necessitate emergencies are floods, fire, explosions, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes or release into the air of toxic materials, radiological accidents, biological accidents, civil turmoil as well as workplace fighting.

 

The North Carolina Department of Labor offers a model emergency response plan guide that will help your company develop a plan to keep your employee’s safe.

Download the NC DOL Model Emergency Response Plan below:

View the NC DOL Model Emergency Response Plan below:

NCDOL Model Emergency Response Plan

How to Set Goals for Safety Performance

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The first steps are to establish what are you going to measure. What are the measures that you can apply that will indicate the level of safety performance? Firstly, we must eliminate the measurement of injuries and the severity of injuries because they are a byproduct of safety performance. Although they are very popular measures, eventually they will reinforce the wrong behavior because of under reporting, minimizing the effects, or just not reporting the accident and allocating the injuries to out of work situations. This means that we have to measure other things that are indicators of workplace safety. We would suggest that the presence of safe conditions and the demonstration of safe behavior would be reasonable criteria for measurements.

Once this has been established as the basis for measuring safety, then it’s necessary to include the people in the workplace to set a series of goals. This can be quite a challenging task because sometimes some people have difficulty in grasping the concept of safety after years of focus on accidents. We have found it best to engage staff members in conversation about safety and gently put forward the proposition of safety.

Most of the time it is accepted but occasionally there are people who have accepted the historical emphasis on accidents as a prime indicator of safety. One of the ways of strengthening your case is to ask this thought-provoking question, “Is it possible to work unsafely without having an accident?” You will generally find that the answer may create some discussion but eventually you will get agreement. You can then gently point out that unsafe behavior does not always result in an accident and therefore the accidents are not a good measure, but the unsafe behavior is.

Once you’ve got agreement from the majority of people, it’s worthwhile having a meeting to set some goals and standards with them. The most effective way is to ask the group what they believe the end goal should be and what are the milestones on the way to the goal. When this is been established, it is wise to review what needs to be achieved and how it is going to be achieved.

Beware of setting goals that are too difficult and ambitious. The reason is that the goal will not be positively reinforcing because it is too difficult. This will have the effect of demotivating the people which is the opposite of your objective. Make the goals achievable and then spend some time discussing what the recognition will be, how frequently will it be applied and at what point do you have a celebration.

Plan all this in advance so that there will be a degree of anticipation generated. Make sure that you put in opportunities for discussion and review during the process.

Setting Standards With Staff is a Key Leadership Responsibility

An area that troubles many people in leadership positions is the standards that they should set for performance. It is true, if you expect the worst from people you generally get their worst. If you don’t expect the best performance from your people, it’s unlikely that they will give you their best performance. The dilemma for the leader is that just expecting the best performance will not automatically produce it. The leader has to do other things as well. However, in not expecting the best usually produces a negative result. Expecting the best from people means that you have to explain what you expect and discuss how it is going to be achieved.

Check Out: S.M.A.R.T. Goals Guide

In the process of discussing the accountabilities of the individual, you also work with them to establish mutually acceptable standards of performance. You can use this opportunity to subtly motivate these people by involving them and letting them tell you what they think they can achieve. In many pieces of research and study, it has been stated that staff members complained their supervisors don’t expect enough from them. These studies have shown that the staff members tend to expect more and set higher standards for themselves than their managers or supervisors.

Often when leaders discuss setting goals and standards with their staff, they have to persuade them not to set their standards and their goals too high and make them achievable. Experienced leaders always follow this path of setting standards and goals with their staff because they know that people are more likely to commit themselves to decisions that they make them to decisions which are made for them or prescribed them.

Because experienced employees usually know what to do and how to do it and they normally take pride in their work, letting them set their own standards will boost their motivation.

One of the most effective ways of getting the best from people is to let them reach for increasingly higher standards, to compete against the standard rather than other people. However, restraint may be required to ensure that people do not set themselves unrealistic standards and goals because that is the way that disappointment occurs and the motivation vanishes.

As soon as the target is too difficult, people’s will to achieve it diminishes dramatically. It’s important to not only set targets but also set milestones on the way. Each milestone reached is an opportunity to celebrate. When you celebrate reaching the milestone your motivation increases. If the milestone is reached and nothing happens, your motivation will diminish rapidly.

It is very important to help your staff to emphasize that you need flexible, objective and realistic performance standards. One of the ways of achieving this is to set a range rather than a fixed point for achievement.

Check Out: Making Behavior Change Stick Through Effective Change Leadership

Leadership Influence in the Workplace is the Driver for Managing Performance

Performance management teaches managers and leaders how to influence behavior. When you think about it, the behavior of people is the only way anything gets done in business.

If leaders don’t understand behavior management methods and can’t apply them consciously and correctly they are almost certainly decreasing some behaviors, they want and increasing some behaviors they don’t want.

Every single accomplishment that takes place in any organization is dependent on behavior. Consequently, the one thing that executives, managers and supervisors should know the most about is human behavior. No business or organization can survive and grow without knowing the conditions under which people do their best.

Every management system ever devised to bring out the best in people will fail if it violates the basic laws of human behavior.

Most of us look at the behavior of other people and wonder why they do certain things. We look for the answer in what happened directly before the behavior in question. In other words, we think that the behavior was caused. It was motivated by some sort of internal or external force driving need or desire.

When you understand behavior analysis you will realize that a person does things because of what happens to them when they do it. In other words, because of the behavior is not because of the conditions prior to the behavior but what happens and immediately after the behavior.

Now, it might seem that scientific methods to change behavior are not practical for front-line leaders. But it is actually the most practical way to manage people.

Everybody knows that people don’t do what we tell them to do. Yet we run our businesses as though all the performance and productivity problems are caused by people who don’t know what to do, don’t want to do or simply don’t care. So, we try and find better ways of telling them what to do. A good example of this is training courses. We put people on training courses and tell them what to do. Then when they don’t do it, we blame the training course or the unwilling course members. We don’t understand how people learn.

When our behavior changes the environment in some way that we like, we repeat it. And when we do something that changes in the environment that we don’t like, we stop it. Every single thing we do produces a consequence for us.

If a company has got productivity problems, quality problems, cost problems then the behaviors associated with those undesirable outcomes are being reinforced. This is not theory, this is reality.

People don’t resist change provided the change delivers an immediate positive consequence for them.

Check out my Project Management Planner on Amazon

We know that the best reinforcement is positive immediate and certain. Peers are the most effective source of reinforcement at work and the most underutilized. They are in the best position to deliver positive and immediate reinforcement. They can observe performance more closely and more often than managers or supervisors. The whole concept of teams has missed the concept of peer reinforcement and as a result has met with little success in improving overall organizational performance.

When peers recognize that they can and should be a major source of reinforcement for each other, improvements occur more frequently, much faster and last much longer.

PPE Selection Training

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Many know about PPE, or Personal Protective Equipment but don’t know why it’s so important in the workplace. This gear, including respiratory protective equipment among others shouldn’t be optional. According to recent studies PPE is the number one defense against safety and health risks at work.

Types of PPE

There are many types of PPE that can lend to workplace safety. They include:

  • Safety boots and other footwear
  • Helmets
  • Goggles and eye protection
  • High-visibility clothing
  • Safety harnesses
  • RPE – Respiratory Protective Equipment

Industries in Need

PPE is used in a wide range of industries and specific jobs. Building, healthcare, catering, agricultural and even lifeguards use PPE often. Which types are used depends wholly on the work environment and the various regulations set forth. Industries such as building, agricultural, medical, catering and even lifeguarding use respiratory protective equipment on a daily basis in some cases. The type of PPE changes according to the user’s working conditions and regulations, including those put in place by organizations like OSHA.

Why is PPE important?

Wearing PPE encourages workers to stay safe. However, even when applied measures exist, hazards still happen in work settings. The main function of PPE is to reduce injuries to lungs by using respiratory protective equipment, to the head and feet with helmets and proper footwear, to the skin via proper clothing, and the eyes by providing goggles or protective eyewear.

For more information on Personal Protection Equipment, check out what else I have here

Information on the Types of PPE

Being educated more deeply on the types of PPE and how they work for the individual is proven to make them more appealing and encourage workers to actually put them on.

Eyewear

Protect the eyes from metal and chemical splashes, gas, dust, radiation and vapors. The choice of protection for the eyes should be in accordance with the requirements of the task at hand. They should also fit perfectly in order to keep the eyes safe. Some common types of eyewear for safety are:

  • Spectacles
  • Goggles
  • Face shields and screens
  • Visors

Ears

Many don’t even think of the ears when it comes to protection, but loud noises can do irreversible damage to the ear drums. Therefore earmuffs, plugs and other “caps” are important for certain work environments.

Check Out: Budgeting for Training

Head and Neck Protection

The human neck and head need PPE in order to shield them from falling or flying objects, as well as keeping them safe from dangerous machinery that could easily kill them if they get tangled up in or fall into it. It also works with the eyewear to protect from chemical splashes. The following items should all be handy and checked regularly for damage, then replaced or repaired as necessary.

  • Helmets
  • Bump caps
  • Hairnets
  • Scarves

Hand and Arm PPE

Extremely high and low temperatures, abrasions, impact, lengthy water exposure, chemicals and electricity are all things that arms, and hands need to be protected from. There are various types of gloves and sleeves that can be worn to keep them safe in risky conditions.

Feet and legs

There’s no substitute for strong work boots or shoes that have metal toecaps for protection. They easily resist penetration. Wellies, or rain boots are another type of foot gear that are used for safety in very wet environments. Once risk is assessed in a workplace, the proper footwear can be determined.

Lungs

Respiratory protective equipment is necessary to protect the lungs. Any work environment that has airborne particles of any kind can be a risk to the lungs.

These items along with those that protect the entire body head to toe like hazmat suits or clothing with high visibility, and flame-resistant wear are all part of the PPE that should be considered in the workplace.

The below training is for safety professionals, to learn how to select the best PPE for their workplace.

Download the PPE Selection Training below:

View the PPE Selection Training below:

PPE-guidance for the selection and use of ppe

Slip, Trip, and Fall Training

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Certain universal truths in the safety world remain; one of which is that slips and trips tend to be one of the largest causes of accidents in the modern workplace leading to lost time and in some cases broken bones or worse.

Whilst some injuries by their very nature will be more prone to slips and trips – catering, construction, agriculture – slips and trips can occur in the most benign working environments if adequate care is not taken to prevent them.

The simple truth is modern safety has a common methodology no matter what the nature of the hazards involved are; if we follow that path then we can most effectively manage the risks from slips and trips.

Step 1: Identify the Hazards and Undertake Risk Assessments

Undertaking risk assessments on your workplace and the activities you undertake is the key step. A risk assessment merely looks at the possibility of harm occurring; in this case from slips and trips; and attempts to give the danger a value. This in turn allows you to identify where you can improve safety and help prevent accidents going forward.

The hazard here is slips and trips; they can be caused by:

  • Poor working environments – inadequate lighting, uneven working surfaces, mud in outdoor environments, steps/stairs, poor flooring, badly positioned cables, poor housekeeping etc.
  • The people involved – unlikely to be a major issue in most workplaces – however you should consider visitors or customers and remember they have not the training your staff may have – plus especially in retail environments it may include more vulnerable groups. Pregnant staff should also be considered – later stages of pregnancy can leave a person more vulnerable to slips and trips and the consequences can be more severe.
  • The Work – the more people carry loads, especially large or bulky loads that obscure their vision; the more likely slips and trips are. Equally distracted people don’t pay attention to their surroundings so poor housekeeping combined with a busy workplace can lead to many accidents.

Examine the workplace properly and make sure that whilst carrying out risk assessments you fully consider the risks from slips and trips taking into account the factors above. Make sure you look at what’s done correctly – not just the areas of concern and record those risk assessments.

This should allow you to write down existing controls; eg: adequate storage, level flooring, well lit workplaces, good levels of housekeeping – the controls may also include practices such as supervisor safety walk rounds.

It is useful to look at past accidents to see where most accidents occur – also remember a trip in a carpeted corridor is generally less severe than a slip near a staircase or workshop (equipment, supplies etc. can be sharp and dangerous to fall into).

Need more components of a Slip, Trip, and Fall Program? Check out my Walking and Working Surfaces Basics Book on Amazon

Step 2: Identify Improvements:

Within the risk assessment process it’s essential you identify ways of reducing accidents with regards to slips and trips – now the possible list is endless but typical examples may include:

Poor Housekeeping:

  • More or better storage
  • Staff training and awareness
  • Better Supervision
  • Frequent safety inspections
  • More cleaning equipment

Cables:

Electric cables or air hoses are one of the most common causes of slips and trips in the workplace.

Cables and hoses should never cross walkways or areas of people movements. This can be prevented by:

  • Ensuring that all work areas have adequate power points to reduce the need for extension leads and trailing cables
  • In industrial settings look at “pods” that drop down to the work area keeping power and air supplies away from the floor so far as practical

Spills:

  • Better spill prevention – some processes and work activities have equipment designed to reduce spills in the workplace.
  • Good procedures
  • Access to cleaning equipment, warning signs
  • Suitable floors if spills cannot be eliminated – eg: kitchens

Carrying:

  • Can the manual handling be removed or replaced by equipment – especially over uneven surfaces or where things need to be carried up stairs or ladders.

Poor Repair:

Worn and frayed carpets, poorly maintained floors or unsuitable surfaces (high polish surfaces near entrances where rain can lead to slips and trips) are common causes of accidents – the more people, the greater the age range, the greater exposure of the public all affect the risks here.

Suitable Footwear:

Industrial mesh floors are very good at preventing slips – providing you’re wearing industrial footwear – they can be highly hazardous to heels. Equally whilst walkways can be built around construction sites there will always be wet and muddy areas – suitable safety boots help reduce the number and severity of accidents. Remember boots with ankle support not only help reduce slips but also minimise the risk of ankle injuries.

Step 3: Undertake Improvements:

Ensure you make the physical improvements in terms of better lighting, new carpet, floor repairs and changes to work activities where possible in light of your risk assessments.

Ensure that where greater staff training will help reduce the risks through awareness or where supervisors should be more proactive make sure the training or awareness raising is undertaken and recorded.

Step 4: Inspections:

Housekeeping and general repair of the workplace should be checked regularly. This should involve frequent walk rounds by managers and supervisors of their area – this should be done on an on-going basis throughout the working day.

In addition formal inspections should be undertaken weekly – these should be recorded.

Want to improve your workplace safety around Slips, Trips, and Falls? Consider doing a Walking and Working Surface Audit

Step 5: Review Accident Records:

Look at where issues remain and re assess those areas – are the controls working, is the issue one where new controls are required or are the accidents occurring because housekeeping and supervision remain poor?

Accident records should show not just broad trends but repeated slips and trips in an area will tell you where to re assess and look again at the safety measures in place.

Members view the Slip, Trip, and Fall Training below:

slips trips falls training