HSE Corner - May/June 2009

By Chip Dawson
Rochester Business Alliance Safety Consultant

Change is constant in the workplace. Something happens - or fails to happen - and the response may be "let's try this." Unfortunately, the "this" may be well-meaning, but fail to fit with the culture of the organization, be based on unsound assumptions, or present a serious conflict with other elements of operations.

So what's the solution? Do nothing may be the right choice, but taking well researched and sensible action is most often the outcome of choice. Too often, however, the solution is implemented and the problem is crossed off the "to do" list and no one really knows if it works. This is where NIOSH comes in. The federal research agency has done some work on evaluating safety and health change and here's what they suggest you do to ensure you've spent time and money appropriately.

1. Form A Team - gather those affected by the change, those responsible for implementation and maintenance and those involved in future decisions. Be certain those who must make the change process work - the workers - are well represented. Once the team is formed, define the problem to be resolved, brainstorm and research solutions, and determine how success will be measured.
2. Collect Relevant Data - include precondition data, information on how the change was made and post-change results. Included might be information about injuries the change is expected to prevent (or that have been prevented), employee opinions and perceptions, employee knowledge level post-change and even study and control groups. Be sure to examine outcomes beyond safety such as productivity, morale and/or quality. Techniques that can be used to collect data can include records, surveys, interviews, focus groups, observation and environmental measures.
3. Analyze The Data - compare outcomes with the goals set by the team to gauge success.
4. Share Results - start by meeting with those affected by the change. In work group meetings, just present the data and let people draw their conclusions. They will sell themselves on the merits of the change if the data support it. For others, post the results or communicate them via in-house e-mail. Be certain all supervisors have results that will allow them to answer questions and translate findings into other parts of the operation.

For a booklet from NIOSH on this process, click here.

If you have HSE questions or column suggestions, or would like to be added to the e-mail HSE Update list, contact Chip Dawson at (585) 461-1549.