(Course Name, Instructor Name, University, Date of Submission)
The issue of safety in any industry has always been a priority of the management especially in refineries which is described as an accident and injury prone industry. Yet accidents and injuries in the workplace have not been completely eliminated in spite of claims of Management about its unquestionable commitment towards prevention of accidents on the shop floor. Some common steps towards safety commitment have been outlined by Medina, Et al., (2009) as pinpointing work practices that affect safety; defining and reliably measuring such practices; implementing measurement systems; setting reasonable goals; and providing performance feedback and reinforcing progress.. Experts have observed that a state of total accident free workplace can be obtained only if safety is treated as an organizational value rather than a management priority. Accidents and safety aberrations on the work shop not only victimizes the worker but also have a traumatic effect on the family members of the victim. It is therefore imperative that industrial health and safety issues be taken seriously. There can be a considerable reduction in the number of casualties if the entire work force is committed towards following safety rules as well as ensure that others also have the same attitude towards safety. This can be achieved by conveying the management’s dedication to the issue, training the supervising staff and the workers to follow safety rules and the potential hazards of neglecting them and formulating rules to minimize accidents and its devastating effects.
Even if the work force is trained to practice and promote safety measures sincerely, management is also concerned about the sustainability of safety measures in future also. It has been observed that although safety initiatives are undertaken with a lot of commitment, it slowly loses attention with time and accidents are bound to occur because of negligence. The management of the refinery wants to frame some guidelines to ascertain that safety regulations be followed with the same dedication by newcomers as it was in its initial implementation stage. Therefore the case study intends to address two objectives simultaneously, making safety a part of organizational value so that its significance is understood by every employee and ascertaining that safety concerns are foremost in the mind of the workforce in future also.
Executive Summary-
The case discussed below is of a Refinery that undertook safety evaluation program using the DuPont Program. It was observed that although the unit followed many safety measures and had succeeded in lowering its accident rates, there were still some safety norms that were being neglected and needed attention. In an attempt to upgrade its safety status, the management employed the Moody safety training program, which not only trained the work force about formulating safety rules and the significance of following those rules sincerely but also trained some staff of the refinery to follow up the training outcomes and maintain the continuity of the process through monitoring, control and regular upgrades. There was a substantial reduction in the incidents and injuries by the end of March 2012 because of personal involvement of the refinery work force. However the Management wants to ensure that the concern towards safety and the implementation of the rules are followed with equal zeal and enthusiasm in the future. This case study is an attempt to discuss the dimensions associated with effective implementation of safety today as well as in the future.
Discussion
Problems after safety initiatives have incorporated and subsequent steps with respect to safety
It is evident from the case study that considerable efforts have been made by the Management and the work force to bring the refinery to an accident free status. There have been consistent initiatives to show the Management’s commitment towards workplace safety and the work force’s cooperation in the whole attempt is commendable. However there are problems foreseen once the initial novelty of the safety program wears out. Lark, J. (1991) has stated that interest of people in safety management cannot be retained unless the organization displays a strong leadership who can influence employees to make it a part of organization culture. The problems that can be predicted after safety initiatives are incorporated are
Work Force taking the safety regulations for granted- After the initial enthusiasm and sense of involvement wears out, management and safety experts foresee a complacent attitude of the work force towards the safety regulations. There will be tendency to take for granted that the specified safety measures have been taken care of, instead of assuring oneself personally and others that the safety precautions are being observed.
Safety taking a second position in Management objectives – In the present competitive environment, external pressure of staying in business is considerable and the issue of safety may be pushed back in the favor of more urgent issues (Geller, E. S. 1994). Management’s failure to reinforce the issue may have a negative effect on the workforce morale. There have been many instances in industrial accident history where continuous production deadline pressures resulted in failure of maintenance of plant and machinery causing accidents.
Impressing the significance of safety regulations upon new comers –Any organization witnesses a continuous influx of employees at all positions, who may not have the same commitment towards safety issues as the existing work force. Hence it becomes a challenge for the HR managers to impress the importance of the issue on the new recruits.
Monitoring adherence to the safety measures – After the initial interest wears off; the work force may not exhibit active participation in enforcing the regulations and accidents may occur due to negligence. It becomes necessary after a while to check at regular intervals whether the measures are being followed stringently.
Review of human resource considerations to ensure sustainability of safety strategy
Adoption of new safety techniques necessitates it that all functions of human resource management be reviewed and redefined incorporating new dimensions associated with safety. Standards and procedures, safety training, incident reporting and investigation, and safety culture have been taken as examples by Grote, G. (2012) to illustrate why and how different aspects of organizational functioning should be taken into account when designing and evaluating safety management systems or elements thereof. The various functions of HRM that have to be redesigned to accommodate safety specifications and their sustainability are as follows
Job description- The description of all features associated with a job is known as job description. It includes all aspects of a job such as the skills, qualifications and experience, degree of autonomy and the significance with respect to the final product or service. After adopting safety measures, the specific safety precautions related to a job has to be identified and mentioned in a job description.
Selection and Recruitment – Selection and Recruitment processes need to be revised to implement the strategy of safety as an organizational value. Every position in an organization which needs to be filled with a new recruit must be defined with respect to key safety considerations associated with it. The human resource personnel to conduct the selection and recruitment process must ascertain that the person selected for the position is aware of the safety aspects of the job and capable of executing his responsibility successfully in ensuring adherence to safety regulations. Specific questions included in interviews may enable the interviewer to assess the knowledge and awareness of safety systems and its significance in an organization.
Training and Development – It is essential that both newcomers and existing employees be trained appropriately to stress the importance of implementing safety measures while performing a job as well as following the safety regulations on the shop floor. Use of specific safety accessories like masks, goggles, gloves and shoes must be taught. Some processes that need specialized safety gadgets like alarms, electric ropes and evacuation equipments necessitate training on how and when to use them.
Safety training can be imparted through apprenticeship and mentoring. In these processes existing operators who are familiar with the measures or safety experts take the newcomer as an apprentice or protégé and helps him to learn the measures through observation and regular inputs.
Motivation – Motivation is a Human Resource Management function that has great relevance to implementing safety regulations in any industry. Motivation to follow safety measures can be initiated by discussing the impact of accidents and injuries on the victim and his family. Awareness of the consequences and the instinct to protect ones family from traumatic experiences may act as an incentive to follow safety rules. Monetary incentives and rewards to encourage active participation in designing and enforcing safety rules or equipments and detecting hazards in processes and suggesting solutions act as a motivating factor in implementing safety systems in an organization.
Human resource Management tactics during 24 month period to ensure sustainability of safety first strategy
Rewards and incentives – The management can organize annual events where those members of the work force will be rewarded who have actively participated in the safety measures implementation strategy. This participation may be in the form of offering suggestions for implementing any safety measure, designing a system that helps in implementing safety, detecting any fault that jeopardizes the safety of the workers etc. This event if held every year will motivate the workforce to follow the safety norms thus ensuring sustainability of the system.
Modifying organization structure to accommodate safety circles – Committees or teams may be formed from within the organization, with a member from every department and level which will check and monitor environmental safety issues like pollution, littering etc., Repair and Maintenance of plant, machines and equipments, adherence to safety precautions in a process and report them to the authorities for prevention of incidents and injuries will ensure that the safety process is followed in future also. A new position can also be added in the structure; that of a safety officer whose specialized function is to plan, implement and monitor safety policies in the unit.
Strategic Measures for sustainability of safety – It is the responsibility of the corporate managers to administer an organizational culture that reflects its commitment to safety. The Management should arrange a safety audit every year by external experts to ensure that the safety specifications of the equipments and processes are being strictly followed. More recently, a short audit process has been developed to reveal the important sources of loss and the state of affairs in the company's loss control systems due to mismanagement of safety issues (Häkkinen, K. 1995). It should also keep abreast of the new technologies for controlling fire or other hazards effectively and install such systems in the refinery. Training programs must be arranged every year to show management’s consistency in its efforts to promote the culture of safety adherence.
Arranging training workshops for building safety awareness – Training workshops using visuals and presentations highlighting safety systems build awareness among the employees about effects of injuries and accidents on the victim and his family apart from providing them with inputs on the safety measures that should be followed to maintain a safe and healthy environment. Simulation of evacuation exercises during incidents of fire, poisonous gas leakage or explosions may be carried out in the workshops to train the employees about the rescue initiatives that are to be taken in such cases. In refineries onsite training can be provided. (Träskbäack, M., & Haller, M. 2004) have discussed mixed reality training for refineries though they describes it as a costly process and can be conducted only when it is closed. Repeated inputs about safety and its importance in the organization keeps the employees focused on the issue and ascertain continuity.
Establishing safety awareness among potential employees – An organization that treats safety is as an organizational value and not as a priority has to confirm that the candidates hired by it are equally dedicated to the issue. He should be aware of the implications of incidents and injuries on the person affected by it as well as the family. (Forcier, Et al, 2001) describes a safety conscious employee as one who: has an internal locus of control in matters related to workplace safety, has a high tolerance for work‐related stress, and avoids engaging in high‐risk, sensation‐seeking activities. Therefore a safety conscious employee can be perceived as a person whose attitude towards safety must be serious and he must know the risks associated with a negligent attitude. His knowledge about basic safety measures concerning his job must be adequate to handle any crisis. This can be accomplished by posing interview questions to assess candidate’s attitude towards his safety and that of his colleagues.
Conclusion
References
Forcier, B. H., Walters, A. E., Brasher, E. E., & Jones, J. W. (2001). Creating a safer working environment through psychological assessment: A review of a measure of safety consciousness Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community, 22(1), 53-65
Geller, E. S. (1994), Ten principles for achieving a total safety culture Professional Safety, 39(9), 18.
Grote, G. (2012). Safety management in different high-risk domains–All the same?. Safety Science, 50(10), 1983-1992.
Häkkinen, K. (1995). A learning-by-doing strategy to improve top management involvement in safety, Safety Science, 20(2), 299-304
Lark, J. (1991); Leadership in safety, Professional Safety, 36(3), 33
Medina, R. E., McSween, T. E., Rost, K., & Alvero, A. M. (2009) Behavioral safety in a refinery Professional Safety, 54(8), 36
Träskbäack, M., & Haller, M. (2004, June) Mixed reality training application for an oil refinery: user requirements, In Proceedings of the 2004 ACM SIGGRAPH international conference on Virtual Reality continuum and its applications in industry (pp. 324-327) ACM
