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H&S Strategy - turning around a failing safety system
Rank: Forum user 
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Hi All,
i'm trying to drive a change at my site in 2012. We have mgt procedures in place at the site however they are basic, non specific and provide no real responsibilities. I have drawn up a plan to phase implementation of revised and new procedures but i'm worried about overloading the site with new procedures. Has anyone else got experience of this? Would 2 new procedures per quarter be excessive? We have such major works to complete to get things back and running again. From my reviews of the systems and performance we need to revise and implement the management procedures for business and complete RA's for practically all depts again. The existing procedures and RAs appear to have been completed by copying NEBOSH notes and RAs completed to say we have RAs. Every incident investigation this year has identified lack of suitable and sufficent RAs as a contributing cause. We are a large site (200 staff) and sister plant in food manufacturing business and it is nearly impossible for me to complete this turn around on my own. I have requested assistance to the H&S dept to help tackle this but have been rejected 2 years in a row now. The dept managers have been NEBOSH trained & supervisors IOSH 4 day trained in the last 1.5 years but the level of quailty of RA that comes back when asked to complete assessments are poor. We do 5 steps to risk assessment e-learning modules, have a well developed risk management procedure including flow chart easy guidance for assessment process but it does not help.
I need a strategy to get a phased plan at turning the site around from fundamentals (Mgt Procedures & RAs) in place as soon as possible but i'll be honest i'm getting slightly overwhelmed when i think about the amount of work required and only me to complete it. Has anyone gone through a process of revising or implementing a new mgt system & risk mgt programme at their workplace who could give me any pointers or advice on strategy. Thanks guys
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Rank: Super forum user
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Safetyman. Don't despair! At least it sounds as if your company cares enough to get the people trained so that's a start at least.
In order for whatever strategy you choose to actually work, you have to get buy-in from your managers and supervisors. Do you have the support of your site management / operations team? Start with them. tell them exactly what you are trying to do and how much easier it will make their lives! I bet you have at least one person with Project Management experience in the team? Pick his or her brains on how best to introduce this - management of change is something any industrial manager should know all about!
Why do your trained people produce poor risk assessments? What's poor about them - not enough detail, poor knowledge of legislation. simple lack of confidence from the assessors? You need to get to the bottom of this one early on and get the standard of RAs from your managers back up again. As you rightly say you can't (and shouldn't!) be doing everything on your own here. It sounds like a situation where a team approach to RA might be good for a bit? Mentoring others can be a really fun aspect of H&S - I know it's one I enjoy.
As for procedures. Get the practice right first and the procedure follows naturally. By all means rewrite and relaunch your policy statement, your written "organisation and responsibilities" and a few other key ones (RA for example!), but don't get too stressed about the paperwork until you have the cultural changes under way.
Good luck and let us know how it goes!
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Rank: Forum user
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Safetyman,
Before starting read HSG 65 to provide a focus on what you are intending to do. Next, review your workplace manufacturing processes to determine the most hazardous. In this way you will prioritise your work which will enable you to formulate an improvement plan; by phasing-in changes and identifying activities. If you have the use of a planner, he could add implementation activities to a programme with completion dates. Experience has shown me that senior management relate to programmes when you need support for funding any changes (delivery against cost). I suppose this is especially relevant in the present commercial conditions. When considering your manufacturing process risk assess each stage of the operation. It maybe practicable to implement 'operating instructions' which incorporate the output of your risk assessments into a method of work. To end, management of change is vital, so discuss a communication plan with your HR department and importantly, involve relevant personnel at all levels in your organisation. After all they have the practical knowledge and might unearth some gems ! Good challenge.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Just one simple but very far-reaching issue to iron out, before addressing the useful observations of the others posting.
A 'failing system' doesn't simply happen: it's the outcome of a set of values, more often than not of an ad hoc kind that have grown 'like topsy' to creating a particular culture that's regarded as 'the natural' way of doing things, and beyond real control - more like an individual's height than his weight.
If you want to give yourself a realistic chance of making and MAINTAINING improvements, it's worth investing in a value-based workshop to lead managers, especially at senior level, to agree on the values they associate with your work. Even if it requires investing in outside help to make this essential change, it's arguably the only way of moving on from 'failure' towards its opposite and of sticking with the climb when it's painful.
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Rank: Super forum user
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What does this line mean?
"I have requested assistance to the H&S dept to help tackle this but have been rejected 2 years in a row now"
And what is your role and duties? As if U have H&S dept it must be up to them to chase such things up?
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Rank: Super forum user
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bob youel wrote:What does this line mean?
"I have requested assistance to the H&S dept to help tackle this but have been rejected 2 years in a row now"
And what is your role and duties? As if U have H&S dept it must be up to them to chase such things up? [/
I read this as safetyman being the HD Dept and has requested suport but been rejected.
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Rank: Super forum user
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May I dare suggest the reason for the poor standard of RA is due to the training on IOSH MS?
It is (or was) set so simplistic using cartoon like examples - and as a trainer -I was amazed to find it impossible to fail the risk assessment part of the exam. I even failed some efforts and sent them to IOSH who over ruled the decision. I found the CIEH course better.
But one step at a time and 2 new procedures quarterly seems a bit much if you are not having serious incidents IMHO.
Get the line management onto a decent RA traing course - set an improvement plan with dedicated people responsible for implemetation - review quarterly and post on the notice board for all to see.
Ensure you have management back up to supply the requirements identified in the RAs.
Good luck
David
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Rank: Super forum user
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'Safetyman..'
Your description:
"The dept managers have been NEBOSH trained & supervisors IOSH 4 day trained in the last 1.5 years but the level of quailty of RA that comes back when asked to complete assessments are poor. We do 5 steps to risk assessment e-learning modules, have a well developed risk management procedure including flow chart easy guidance for assessment process but it does not help"
can be interpreted as an interesting analysis of training needs.
To find a fresh perspective on reasonable grounds for this situation, read the report by Loftstedt on 'Reclaiming safety and health for all......' While strongly supporting the principle of controlling risks 'SFARP', he also explains very incisively reasons why this is much more difficult than meets the eye.
For example, he explains that in his own native language, Swedish', there is no word for 'risk'. And that 80% of German business people recently surveyed confused the concepts of risk and hazard.
There are observable cultural differences for this confusion - but to desribe them as 'poor' simply fails to take such cultural differences (common between different 'levels' of education and social class) in British firms.
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