How one company reduced injuries and illnesses by 80 percent
The following article is adapted from one written by Malcolm Dunbar, CSP By focusing on safety awareness, a Midwestern steel company improved its safety and health performance, reducing injury/illness frequencies by 80 percent over five years as well as drastically reducing its worker compensation costs. The company had been experiencing a rash of serious accidents and illnesses. The experience not only seriously damaged employee relations, but also spilled over into public relations. Every ambulance run, whistle blow or puff of steam had the potential to bring news helicopters as well as OSHA to the plant. It was evident things had to change fast. Under the leadership of executive management, a new safety team was brought in. After a short review, the team realized that a revision of the steelmakers' overall safety program was a must. In addition, it was clear that something more was needed. A real change in culture was required to incorporate safety as a value. The best safety program could work only if all employees (management and hourly workers) were properly motivated to follow the safety and health rules. The new team went about revising the safety program while FDRsafety was retained to train all employees on safety awareness. Safety awareness was developed after years of work and study in heavy industry and construction. It was designed with the premise that workers and managers know how to do their jobs safely: They know better, but sometimes they don't do better. Even though safety and health rules are designed to prevent accidents and illnesses, employees sometimes fail to follow them. Even though personal protective equipment protects them, sometimes employees don't wear it. At times, employees can be more interested saving time or being more comfortable than in following safety rules or wearing the proper equipment. Importance of values, family
The safety awareness program brought home to all employees the importance of values and family and the potential consequences of not following established safety rules. This program encouraged employees from the management suite to the shop floor to recognize the importance of safety and health in their lives and the impact of unsafe practices on their roles as providers, guardians, leaders and comforters to the ones they care for the most. It asked workers and managers to consider what would happen to those individuals if the worker or manager should become disabled or die because they pursued time-savings or comfort over safety. This was the ULTIMATE motivational tool. It laid the foundation for employees to have better attitudes towards accepting the rules and taking care of themselves both on and off the job. It set the tone: No matter what the task - safety, quality or production, on or off the job - you are the one most responsible and accountable for your actions. The FDRsafety safety awareness program brought clarity to the area of safety and set the foundation for future improvement. And improvement came, in all areas of the business. Injuries, illnesses down 80%
In the first 24 months, the total recordable injury/illness frequency rate dropped significantly. By the end of the fifth year, the improvement was well over 80 percent and continues to be world-class performance to this day. To complement the drop in total recordable frequency, the serious injury rate also dropped dramatically. Workers compensation costs were reduced significantly in the first five years, a trend that continues to the present time. So what improvements were directly attributable to the safety awareness effort? Many executives believed that the safety awareness program -- although not the only initiative -- set the foundation for all the implemented safety and health initiatives. The safety awareness program established the objectives of safety as a value as well as personal accountability. These two themes influenced production and quality issues as well. Employees realized that they were personally accountable for their own safety and health, and for following rules regarding quality and production. This steel company went from helicopters flying over to being recognized as a world leader in occupational safety and health. To learn more about the results delivered by safety awareness click here or contact us. | 
Dan Maser 
Ken Willemsen Ken has more than 16 years of experience in industrial hygiene, working in the insurance industry and as a consultant. He offers clients expertise in respiratory protection, employee exposure evaluation, indoor air quality, radon testing, heat stress evaluation and noise measurement as well as other industrial hygiene services. He is a Board Certified Safety Professional.
Doug Gilliam