leadership

Assessing the key components of

Leadership, Participation, and Line Accountability

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 work site 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?

If there is a written goal for safety and health program, is it updated annually?
If there are written objectives, such as an annual plan to reach that goal, are they clearly stated?
If managers and supervisors have written objectives, do these documents include objectives for the safety and health program?
Do managers and supervisors have a clear idea of their objectives for worker safety and health?
Do hourly employees understand the current objectives of the safety and health program?

Are there one or more written programs which involve top-level management in safety and health activities? For example, top management can receive and sign off on inspection reports either after each inspection or in a quarterly summary. These reports can then be posted for employees to see. Top management can provide and "open door" times each week or each month for employees to come in to discuss safety and health concerns. Top management can reward the best safety suggestions each month or at other specified intervals.
Can hourly employees describe how management officials are involved in safety and health activities?
Do hourly employees describe how managers and supervisors follow safety and health rules and work practices, such as wearing PPE?
When employees are found not wearing PPE or not following safe work practices, have any of them said that managers or supervisors also did not follow these rules?

Are there one or more written programs that provide for employee participation in decisions affecting their safety and health?
Is there documentation of these activities; for example, employee inspection reports, minutes of joint employee management or employee committee meetings?
Is there written documentation of any management response to employee safety and health program activities?
Does the documentation indicate that employee safety and health activities are meaningful and substantive?
Are there written guarantees of employee protection from harassment resulting from safety and health program involvement?
Are employees aware of ways they can participate in decisions affecting their safety and health?
Do employees appear to take pride in the achievements of the work site safety and health program?
Are employees comfortable answering questions about safety and health programs and conditions at the site?
Do employees feel they have the support of management for their safety and health activities?

Are responsibilities written out so that they can be clearly understood?
Do employees understand their own responsibilities and those of others?
Are hazards caused in part because no one was assigned the responsibility to control or prevent them?
Are hazards allowed to exist in part because someone in management did not have the clear responsibility to hold a lower-level manager or supervisor accountable for carrying out assigned responsibilities?

Do safety staff members or any other personnel with responsibilities for ensuring safe operation of production equipment have the authority to shut down that equipment or to order maintenance or parts?
Do employees talk about not being able to get safety or health improvements because of cost?
Do employees mention the need for more safety and health personnel or expert consutants?
Do recognized hazards go uncorrected because of lack of authority or resources?
Do hazards go unrecognized because greater expertise is needed to diagnose them?

Do performance evaluations for all line managers and supervisors include specific criteria relating to safety and health protection?
Is there documented evidence of employees at all levels being held accountable for safety and health responsibilities, including safe work practices? Is accountability accomplished through either performance evaluations affecting pay and/or promotions or disciplinary actions?
When you ask employees what happens to people who violate safety and health rules or safe work practices, do they indicate that rule breakers are clearly and consistently held accountable?
Do hourly employees indicate that supervisors and managers genuinely care about meeting safety and health responsibilities?
When asked what happens when rules are broken, do hourly employees complain that supervisors and managers do not follow rules and never are disciplined for infractions?
Are hazards occurring because employees, supervisors, and/or managers are not being held accountable for their safety and health responsibilities?
Are identified hazards not being corrected because those persons assigned the responsibility are not being held accountable?

This information is provided to you as

An EHS Network of Central Kansas "Safety Training Article"

Updated September 11, 2005