Bloodborne pathogens are infectious microorganisms in human blood that can cause disease in humans. These pathogens include, but are not limited to, hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Workers in many occupations, including first responders, housekeeping personnel in some industries, nurses and other healthcare personnel, all may be at risk for exposure to bloodborne pathogens.

Bloodborne pathogens are capable of causing serious illness and death. The most common illnesses caused by bloodborne pathogens are hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV, and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) from HIV.

Check Out: BloodBorne Pathogen Exposure Control Plan

Who is covered by OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens Standard?

The standard applies to all employees who have occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM).

Employees who provide first aid as part of their job are required to have training on occupational exposure.

• Occupational exposure is defined as “reasonably anticipated skin, eye, mucous membrane, or parenteral contact with blood or OPIM that may result from the performance of the employee’s duties.”
• Blood is defined as “human blood, human blood components, and products made from human blood.”
• Other potentially infectious materials (OPIM) means:
  1. The following human body fluids: semen, vaginal secretions, cerebrospinal fluid, synovial fluid, pleural fluid, pericardial fluid, peritoneal fluid, amniotic fluid, saliva in dental procedures, any body fluid that is visibly contaminated with blood, and all body fluids in situations where it is difficult or impossible to differentiate between body fluids;
  2. Any unfixed tissue or organ (other than intact skin) from a human (living or dead); and
  3. HIV-containing cell or tissue cultures, organ cultures, and HIV- or HBV-containing culture medium or other solutions; and blood, organs, or other tissues from experimental animals infected with HIV or HBV.

You can find more information on recognizing workplace hazards associated with bloodborne pathogens on OSHA’s Hazard Recognition Page.

What is the purpose of OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens standard?

The purpose of the standard is to minimize or eliminate occupational exposure to disease-carrying microorganisms or “pathogens” that can be found in human blood and body fluids.

Who must be trained under OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens standard?

OSHA has mandated annual training is required for all employees with potential occupational exposure. This means if there is a reasonable possibility an employee might be exposed to blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM),other potentially infectious bodily fluids, they must receive training to minimize or eliminate their risk to potential exposure.

OSHA has determined employers can minimize or even eliminate occupational bloodborne hazards by developing and enforcing a combination of exposure control strategies which work for all bloodborne diseases. It is not enough for an employer to provide bloodborne pathogens training; they must also have a formal exposure control plan documented and implemented.

TRAINING IS NOT ENOUGH; an employer must implement a Formal Exposure Control Plan

What are the primary bloodborne pathogens?

The primary bloodborne pathogens are:

• Hepatitis B Virus (HBV)
• Hepatitis C Virus (HCV)
• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

Other commonly recognized pathogens transmitted by body fluids include:

• West Nile Virus
• Malaria
• Syphilis

Hepatitis B Virus (HBV)

The hepatitis B virus (HBV) is one of the primary causes of Hepatitis, an infection which causes inflammation of the liver. Complications of Hepatitis include cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver, liver cancer, and liver failure. There is no known cure for the hepatitis B virus. In the United States, approximately 15 to 25 percent of people infected with HBV will die because of the illness.

According to the Hepatitis B Foundation, thousands of people in the United States and 600,000 people worldwide die from hepatitis B-related liver disease annually.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reported 2,953 confirmed acute cases of hepatitis B in 2014. The CDC estimates 19,200 people were infected with the hepatitis B virus the same year.

Hepatitis B can be either acute or chronic:

• Acute hepatitis B virus infection is a short-term illness that occurs within the first 6 months after someone is exposed to the Hepatitis B virus. Acute infection can, but does not always, lead to chronic infection.
• Chronic hepatitis B virus infection is a long-term illness that occurs when the Hepatitis B virus remains in a person’s body. Chronic Hepatitis B is a serious disease that can result in long-term health problems, and even death.

An exposure that might place a worker at risk for HBV, HCV, or HIV infection is defined as:

1. A percutaneous injury (e.g., a needlestick or cut with a sharp object); or
2. Contact of mucous membrane or nonintact skin (e.g., exposed skin that is chapped, abraded, or afflicted with dermatitis) with blood, tissue, or other body fluids that are potentially infectious.
3. Indirect exposure from contaminated objects is a risk because hepatitis B virus can remain infectious on environmental surfaces for up to a week (7 days) in the form of dried blood.

This means you must always treat blood, wet or dry, as infectious!

A vaccination to prevent Hepatitis B virus infection is available. The Hepatitis B vaccine series is a sequence of three shots, typically given one month apart, that stimulate a person’s natural immune system to protect against the virus. After the vaccine is given, the body makes antibodies to protect a person against the virus. Antibodies are specialized proteins found in the blood that produce an immune response to a virus invading the body. These antibodies are stored in the body to guard against future infections. They will fight off an infection if a person is exposed to the Hepatitis B virus in the future.

Hepatitis C Virus (HCV)

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is also a significant cause of severe liver damage and death.

Hepatitis C kills more Americans than any other infectious disease. Deaths associated with hepatitis C reached 18,153 in 2016, according to surveillance data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

About 3.5 million Americans are currently living with hepatitis C and roughly half are unaware of their infection. Approximately 1 to 5% of people infected with hepatitis C virus die as a result of the long-term damage caused to the liver and body.

Approximately 70%-80% of people with acute hepatitis C do not have any symptoms. Some people, however, can have mild to severe symptoms soon after being infected, including:

• fever
• fatigue
• loss of appetite
• nausea
• vomiting
• abdominal pain
• dark urine
• grey-colored bowel movements
• joint pain
• jaundice (yellow color in the skin or eyes)

Click here to view the CDC fact sheet for Hepatitis C.

If symptoms do occur, the average incubation period is 45 days after exposure, but this can range from 14 to 180 days.

Many people infected with the hepatitis C virus do not develop symptoms.

Hepatitis C virus-infected individuals are infectious to other people, whether they show symptoms or not. Interestingly, Hepatitis C virus is strictly a human disease. It is not known to cause disease in any animals.

Blood testing for hepatitis C virus was not available until 1992. As a result, blood donation agencies did not screen for hepatitis C virus. Many hepatitis C virus infections occurred as a result of receiving blood products from infected individuals. Today, testing for hepatitis C is common place and should occur after any exposure to potential bloodborne pathogens.

There is no vaccine for Hepatitis C.

Treatment

According to the CDC, approximately 15% to 25% of people infected with acute Hepatitis C will naturally be able to clear the infection from their body without treatment.

There are several medications available to treat chronic hepatitis C, including newer, more effective drugs with fewer side effects.

Around the World

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1.75 million people are infected with the hepatitis C virus each year. Approximately 71 million people are chronically infected and at risk of developing liver cirrhosis and/or liver cancer. About 400,000 people worldwide die from hepatitis C-related liver diseases each year.

Decontamination for HCV

Any blood spills – including dried blood, which can still be infectious – should be cleaned using a 10% dilution (1 part household bleach to 9 parts water). Gloves should always be worn when cleaning up blood spills.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

The Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the virus responsible for causing acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The HIV virus was originally identified on December 1st, 1981.

Statistics on HIV

• 38,500 new cases of HIV/AIDS in adults, adolescents, and children were diagnosed in 2015.
• As of 2015, approximately 1.1 million people are living with HIV. The CDC estimates 15% of people living with HIV do not know they are infected.
• As of December 31, 2013, 58 confirmed occupational transmissions of HIV and 150 possible transmissions had been reported in the United States.
• As of 2016, there are about 36.7 million people living with HIV around the world, with only 53% receiving treatment.
• In 2016, about one million people died from AIDS-related illnesses around the world.

The Human immunodeficiency virus attacks and suppresses the immune system, reducing a person’s ability to fight infection. The virus specifically targets the cells crucial for fighting infection from pathogens. This allows diseases and infections to progress without resistance.

Within a few weeks of being infected with HIV, some people develop flu-like symptoms that last for a week or two, but others have no symptoms at all. People living with HIV may appear and feel healthy for several years. However, even if they feel healthy, HIV is still affecting their bodies. Untreated early HIV infection is also associated with many diseases including cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, liver disease, and cancer.

It can take many years before an HIV-infected person displays symptoms of the disease.

Symptoms include:

• enlarged lymph nodes
• fatigue
• frequent fevers
• persistent or frequent yeast infections of the mouth or vagina
• persistent or frequent skin rashes
• short-term memory loss
• weight loss
• enlarged liver and spleen

Presently, there is no known cure for HIV. Treatment for HIV is called antiretroviral therapy or ART. If people with HIV take ART as prescribed, their viral load (amount of HIV in their blood) can become undetectable. If it stays undetectable, they can live long, healthy lives. Today, someone diagnosed with HIV and treated before the disease is far advanced can live nearly as long as someone who does not have HIV.

HIV cannot reproduce outside the human body. It is not spread by:

• air or water
• insects, including mosquitoes: studies conducted by CDC researchers and others have shown no evidence of HIV transmission from insects
• saliva, tears, or sweat: there is no documented case of HIV being transmitted by spitting
• casual contact like shaking hands or sharing dishes
• closed-mouth or “social” kissing

All reported cases suggesting new or potentially unknown routes of transmission are thoroughly investigated by state and local health departments with assistance, guidance, and laboratory support from the CDC.

Disease Comparison

Of the three major bloodborne pathogens, hepatitis B virus is the most contagious. Approximately 33% of individuals exposed to hepatitis B virus will become infected. Of those individuals exposed to hepatitis C virus, only about 2% will become infected. Comparatively, human immunodeficiency virus is much less contagious than either form of hepatitis. About 0.33%, or 1 in 300, people exposed to HIV will become infected with the virus. Despite these statistics, every exposure has the potential to transmit bloodborne pathogens and must be considered significant.

Transmitting Bloodborne Pathogens

Fluids that Spread Bloodborne Pathogens

Non-occupational bloodborne pathogens are most commonly transmitted through:

• sexual contact; or
• sharing hypodermic needles.

Occupational bloodborne pathogens are most commonly transmitted through:

• puncture wounds from a sharp or contaminated object, such as broken glass; or
• from a splash of blood to the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, or mouth.

The transmission of bloodborne pathogens from one person to another occurs through the transfer of infected body fluids.

Common body fluids which can transmit pathogens include:

• blood
• cerebral spinal fluid
• semen
• vaginal secretions

Semen and vaginal secretions can transmit bloodborne pathogens, but only during sexual contact.

Wearing disposable gloves can help protect you from accidental exposure to bloodborne pathogens.

Fluids that Do Not Spread Bloodborne Pathogens

Some body fluids have no documented risk of transmitting pathogens, including:

• sweat
• saliva
• urine
• feces

Although the risk of contracting a pathogen from these bodily fluids might be low, you may not always be able to tell which fluids you are handling, or whether injury has mixed them with blood.

For example, a severe abdominal injury could cause blood to be present in urine or feces. Therefore, it is best to protect yourself from ALL bodily fluids.

An effective safety committee may not only help prevent employees’ from getting hurt or killed on the job, it may help decrease future direct and indirect accident costs. An effective safety committee is a profit center, not a cost center for the company.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), nearly 3 million non-fatal workplace injuries and illnesses were reported by private industry employers in 2016. According to the Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index, U.S. businesses spend more than one billion dollars a week on serious, nonfatal workplace injuries.

What do these statistics mean to you? Effective “profit center” safety committees have the potential to save not only lives and limbs, but lots of money. Many thousands of dollars each year can be saved in each company every time a safety committee uncovers and helps the employer eliminate hazardous conditions or unsafe work practices.

Every dollar invested in proactive safety, including safety committee activities, may return hundreds back. You’ve got to convince management that an effective safety committee not only saves lives, but saves money too.

To help the safety committee function better, each member must understand this basic principle:

What we do depends on who we think we are.

For example, if safety committee members:

• believe they are consultants, they will do and say things that send a message they can be trusted. Employees will seek their help and appreciate their work.
• believe they are cops, they will do and say things in a manner that is likely to result in mistrust. And, as we know, an effective safety culture can not exist in a climate of mistrust.

Benefits of a Safety Committee

• The safety committee performs the role of a internal consultant to the employer. If your employer hired an external consultant it would cost thousands of dollars for the same service the safety committee can provide in-house.
• The safety committee acts as a forum for management and labor to communicate safety related concerns. The benefits from improved communications may be hard to quantify, but they may be substantial.
• Every hazard the safety committee identifies and is directly involved in eliminating results in significant savings in potential accident costs. We’ll talk more about this later.
• The safety committee can serve as a valuable problem solving group that addresses workplace conditions, morale and quality. By developing solutions, the safety committee improves the company’s competitive advantage.
• The safety committee is an excellent opportunity for employees to improve their professional skills in communications, human relations, problem solving, meeting management, and analysis. Since supervisors and managers should be informed about occupational safety and health, the safety committee is a natural “school” of preparation for future company managers. In fact, some companies even make it a prerequisite.

The Safety Committee Vision Statement

To better understand and convey the role of your safety committee as an internal consultant team providing expert advice and assistance, think about creating a “vision statement.” The vision statement describes who you are. A good vision statement will help you determine what to do and make it more likely that you’ll realize that vision.

A committee with an appropriate vision is more likely to do the following to achieve their vision:

• survey and interview employees to find out what they are thinking and feeling;
• observe employees to analyze behaviors;
• inspect the workplace to uncover hazardous conditions;
• audit safety programs;
• uncover the surface and root causes of safety problems;
• develop and submit written recommendations;
• monitor the progress of corrective actions and system improvements; and
• evaluate the long-term quality of the safety culture.

Sample Vision Statement: “The safety committee helps management lead in creating a world-class safety culture through educating employees and consulting with management.”

Check out the safety committee books and meeting notes I have available on Amazon

The Safety Committee Mission Statement

A safety committee should write a mission statement that explains what they do to support their vision. The purpose of the safety committee might be viewed as its mission and describes the activities above to support its assigned role.

Sample Mission Statement: “It is the mission of the Safety Committee of XYZ Company to promote a safe working environment for all employees by assisting in the overall effort to minimize the frequency of accidents, and to identify corrective measures needed to eliminate or control recognized safety hazards.”

It is also good for your safety committee to have a slogan, something they can push out in their internal marketing efforts to raise awareness around safety. Check out this post on safety committee slogans.

As a safety committee member, you perform multiple roles. Let’s see how this affects your responsibilities:

• Safety committee member: When performing the role of a safety committee member you are basically performing the role of an internal consultant:
  • Warn employees, but do not report “names” to the supervisor.
  • Report unsafe behaviors to the committee chairperson so the safety committee can discuss how to fix the surface and root causes.
  • Help managers and supervisors gain the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) to better enforce, supervise, and manage safety by giving them useful information.
  • Listen to employee concerns and suggestions about safety and give that information to the safety committee.
  • Educate and assist employees, but do not try to enforce safety rules: that’s a line responsibility.
• Line employee: When performing the role of a line employee, you have a responsibility to warn the employee, but again, you’re not a cop. Report the behavior to your safety committee member, and if you are comfortable with it, to your supervisor without naming names.
• Supervisor/Manager: When performing the role of supervisor or manager, you are the agent of the employer and are legally the “cop” who should enforce safety.
  • If you catch someone misbehaving and you have properly trained them, they have the proper resources, time, support, etc., you’re probably justified in disciplining the employee.
  • Address behaviors with everyone in training and safety meetings. It resets employee accountability when the supervisor tells all employees they are not allowed to engage in a particular unsafe behavior.

Safety Committee Written Policy

It’s important to make sure the safety committee has a written policy statement to guide its actions.

The policy statement should include:

• the role and purpose(s) of the safety committee;
• reasons for establishing the safety committee;
• the need for management and employee participation;
• the need for support by all departments;
• responsibilities of the committee; and
• duties of committee members.

What kind of structure should the safety committee take? Typically, the committee will have a chairperson (some will also have a co-chair), a recorder, and of course a number of members. You don’t need a complicated bureaucratic structure.

Duties of the Chairperson

The chairperson’s job is, of course, one of the most important on the committee. He or she is the key coordinator ensuring the safety committee operates effectively. Below are some of the very important responsibilities of the chairperson.

• prepare an agenda for meetings
• arrange for meeting room
• notify members of meeting dates/times
• distribute agenda
• delegate responsibilities
• preside and conduct the meeting
• enforce committee ground rules
• communicate with the employer
• report the status of recommendations

Duties of the Safety Committee Recorder

Let’s not forget another very important responsibility: that of the recorder or secretary. This person assists the chairperson in making sure all communications are accurately recorded and distributed to committee members and others. Some duties of the recorder may include:

• assisting the chairperson with agenda;
• recording minutes of the meeting;
• distributing and posting the minutes; and
• assuming the chairperson’s duties if necessary.

Duties of the Safety Committee Member

For the safety committee to operate most effectively, everyone on the committee needs to be involved in some way. Safety committee members should do more than just report safety concerns from their departments. Below are some ideas for members.

• Receive suggestions, concerns, reports from employees.
• Report employee suggestions, concerns, reports to committee.
• Report back to employees on their suggestions, concerns, reports.
• Attend all safety committee meetings.
• Receive training on safety and health subjects.
• Review injury and illness reports.
• Monitor safety and health programs and system.
• Set example by taking action.
• Conduct safety inspections.
• Make recommendations for corrective action.
• Assist in communicating committee activities to all employees.

Check Out: Developing an Effective Internal Marketing Plan

Safety Committee Members

If one of the purposes of the safety committee is to bring management and labor together in a cooperative effort to improve the safety and health of workers, it just makes business sense to include representatives from management ranks as well as the work floor.

Management and labor can sit together and discuss their unique and common concerns regarding safety. The safety committee becomes a forum both management and labor may use, to ensure mutually acceptable solutions to problems can be reached.

It’s important the safety committee not be dominated by management in general, or any one individual, be it the safety director, chairperson, or member. To make sure this does not happen, establish ground rules, and techniques for decision-making that promotes group consensus.

Management representatives and the chairperson will be the primary conduits of communications between the safety committee and the employer. Committee members are the primary communicators with employees. It’s very important communication occurs in both directions.

The Safety Committee’s Purpose

Armed with insight into the role of the safety committee, let’s take a look at what the committee’s purpose and function might be. We’ll start by looking at the purpose of the safety committee. A quick review of our friendly dictionary once again defines “purpose” as “a desired or intended result or effect.”

For safety committees to be successful in fulfilling their role, they need to understand their purpose and how to go about achieving intended outcomes. If the safety committee does not understand it’s purpose, it may actually function to produce unintended outcomes.

Safety committees are created and developed to fulfill the following purposes:

• help to protect the employer by providing useful information;
• help to protect the employee by responding to safety concerns;
• bring labor and management together in a cooperative way to solve problems;
• help the employer educate and motivate all employees about the importance of safety; and
• help the employer educate and motivate all supervisors and managers to identify hazards and take corrective action.

All these purpose statements emphasize the safety committee’s responsibility to help the employer do (manage) safety, not to do safety for the employer. This important idea is why we encourage safety committees to think of themselves as internal consultant groups, but not as safety “cop squads.”

Enforcing Safety Rules is Not the Safety Committee’s Job

Remember, writing “tickets” for violating safety rules can be especially disastrous to the success of the safety committee’s effectiveness: Don’t do it. Enforcing safety is considered managing safety and is a line responsibility from the CEO down through first line supervisor.

The “Function” of the Safety Committee

Purpose and function are related terms, but differ significantly in meaning. “Function” is: Something closely related to another thing and dependent on it for its existence, value, or significance. This definition implies that “function” is dependent on the “purpose” of the safety committee.

Whereas a purpose statement describes the intended result or effect of a safety committee activity, “function” describes the actual unintended result or effect. The actual outcome depends on the success of the attempt to carry out the intended purpose. If the safety committee does not effectively carry out its intended purpose, it may unintentionally function to hurt the company’s safety and health effort.

The safety committee’s function is dependent upon the effectiveness of a group to follow through with its stated purpose. The safety committee may have the best intentions, but if it cannot follow through effectively with its plans, it may actually function to harm a safety program or activity rather than help it.

Without education and training, safety committee members may not have the basic knowledge, skills, and abilities (SKAs) to perform their responsibilities. Given proper education and training, the safety committee is more likely to function to carry out its intended purpose.

For instance, the safety committee may intend to increase interest in safety by implementing a safety incentive program, but if its members do not have the SKAs to accomplish this task, they may unintentionally develop a totally reactive incentive program that results in dismal failure.

A risk assessment is a systematic examination of a task, job or process that you carry out at work for the purpose of identifying the significant hazards, the risk of someone being harmed and deciding what further control measures you must take to reduce the risk to an acceptable level.

• Identifying the significant hazards that are present (a hazard is something that has the potential to cause someone harm or ill health).
• Deciding if what you have already done reduces the risk of someone being harmed to an acceptable level, and if not;
• Deciding what further control measures you must take to reduce the risk to an acceptable level.

Who should do risk assessments?

Risk assessments should be overseen by a person who is experienced and competent to do so, competence can be expressed as a combination of Knowledge, Awareness, Training, and Experience. As needed employees that work in the area should be consulted to help identify risks, as they are job experts in their area.

Remember competence does not mean you have to know everything about everything, competence also means knowing when you know enough or when you should call in further expert help.

8 steps to carrying out a risk assessment;

1. Identify the hazards
2. Identify those at risk
3. Identify existing control measures
4. Evaluate the risk
5. Decide/Implement control measures
6. Record assessment
7. Monitor and review
8. Inform

Look for the hazards that you could reasonably expect to result in significant harm, for example;

Slipping and tripping hazards from poorly maintained floors, Fire hazards from flammable materials etc.

Check Out: Fire Risk Assessment

Identify those at risk

Think about individuals or groups of people who may be affected e.g.

• Office staff
• Maintenance personnel
• Members of the public
• Machine operators

Particular attention must be paid to disabled staff, lone workers, temporary staff and young inexperienced workers.

Identify Existing Control Procedures

Examine how you already control the risks; it is unlikely that your workers are getting injured on a daily basis, so you must have some controls in place already. To decide if those existing control procedures are adequate, and to evaluate the risk, complete a risk ranking which will determine the residual risk.

Check Out: Risk Assessment Guidelines

Evaluate the risk

A risk is defined as the likelihood that a hazard will cause harm

I.e. Risk = Likelihood x Severity – below is an example of a simple 1-5 risk ranking system.

1. Rare
2. Unlikely
3. Possible
4. Likely
5. Almost Certain

If the hazard does result in harm, how severe would the injury be?

1. Scratch (trivial)
2. Cut (Minor injury)
3. Fracture (Major injury – Over 3 day injury)
4. Amputation (Major injury)
5. Death (Death)

Decide and Implement new control measures

If the risk is not adequately controlled decide which new control procedures are required and ensure these procedures are implemented. The control measures are the actions performed to reduce either the probability of the accident happening or the severity of the outcome, and where possible both. When considering what measures to put in place it is important to consider both severity and likelihood, in order to minimize the overall risk.

When deciding what new control measures will be required, it is helpful to work through the ‘hierarchy’ of controls. The hierarchy is as follows:

1. Elimination – get rid of the risk altogether
2. Substitution – exchange one risk for something less likely or severe
3. Physical Controls – separation/Isolation, eliminate contact with the hazard
4. Administrative controls – safe systems of work, rules in place to ensure safe use/contact with hazard
5. Information, instruction, training & supervision – warn people of hazard and tell/show/help them how to deal with it
6. Personal Protective Equipment – dress them appropriately to reduce severity of accident

Control measures should be practical and easy to understand (what to do and why they are doing it), applicable to the hazard, able to reduce the risk to acceptable levels, acceptable to the workforce and easy to operate.

Understanding the Hierarchy of Control will help you  better understand how best to mitigate risks

After you have implemented the new control procedures, then re–rank the risks as above to determine the new residual risk, you should aim to get the risk to as low as is reasonably practicable until it is at a tolerable level.

Record the assessment

Keep copies of the assessments for your records and for inspection by OSHA should they ever be requested. Retaining copies is also helpful in reviewing the risk assessment, at a minimum annually, or when it becomes imperative to add to it, such as when new equipment, or workplace layout changes.

Monitor and review

You must ensure that the control measures are achieving the desired level of control. You must review the assessment on a regular basis or if anything changes e.g. new staff, change in machinery or process.

Remember, even if you work in a seemingly low risk working environment, hazards exist and the risk management process is still an essential part of creating your safe work systems.

The challenge of managing the many aspects of workplace safety at times can feel overwhelming. There are many legal, moral and financial reasons for us to pay attention to our safety obligations. With all these challenges we need to ensure that we are not wasting our time, money and efforts doing things that simply don’t work.

Top Ten list of common errors in managing workplace safety issues

(1) Celebrate the lack of injury and not the existence of safety.

It is a significant mistake to gauge our safety efforts solely by the absence of injuries. Nearly everyone can recount instances where they took substantial risks with their well-being and emerged unscathed. While it is certainly positive when a period passes without any injuries, this absence alone does not equate to true safety. Safety is not merely defined by the lack of incidents; it is the result of proactive measures and diligent practices.

Unfortunately, many companies make the error of rewarding those who were simply “lucky” enough not to get hurt while engaging in unsafe behavior, as well as the “liars” who fail to report injuries to maintain an unbroken safety record. This approach creates a dangerous culture where the emphasis is placed on the outcome rather than the practices that ensure genuine safety.

To truly cultivate a safe work environment, we need to focus on the activities and behaviors that create safety. This involves consistently performing safety checks, following protocols, and encouraging transparent reporting of all incidents and near-misses. Celebrations and rewards should be directed towards those who actively contribute to a safer workplace through their adherence to safety measures and proactive attitudes.

Recognizing and honoring the efforts of individuals who prioritize and implement safety measures fosters a culture of accountability and continuous improvement. By doing so, we shift the focus from merely avoiding injuries to actively creating a safe working environment. Safety achievements should highlight and reward the behaviors and practices that prevent accidents, ensuring that safety is understood as a collective responsibility and a continuous process.

(2) Do safety to our employees and not with them.

Rules imposed by others often fail to achieve the necessary buy-in to effectively change behavior. For safety measures to be truly effective, it is crucial to involve employees in the process of establishing the behaviors and rules that apply to their workplaces. When employees are actively engaged in creating these guidelines, they are more likely to understand, accept, and comply with them.

Involving employees in safety initiatives transforms them from passive recipients of top-down directives to active participants in shaping their work environment. This participatory approach fosters a sense of ownership and responsibility among employees, making them more committed to adhering to safety standards. By engaging employees in the development of safety protocols, companies can harness the valuable insights and practical knowledge of those who are directly involved in day-to-day operations.

One effective strategy is to challenge groups of employees to set and review performance standards related to safety. This involvement can take various forms, such as safety committees, focus groups, or workshops where employees collectively identify potential hazards, suggest improvements, and establish safety procedures. Regularly reviewing these standards ensures they remain relevant and effective, and it encourages continuous improvement.

By integrating employees into the safety process, organizations can create a more dynamic and responsive safety culture. Employees who feel their voices are heard and their contributions valued are more likely to be vigilant and proactive in maintaining safe practices. This collaborative approach not only enhances compliance with safety rules but also promotes a culture of mutual respect and shared responsibility for workplace safety.

Furthermore, involving employees in safety decision-making can lead to more practical and workable solutions. Those who perform the tasks daily have firsthand experience with the risks involved and can offer realistic suggestions for mitigating those risks. This bottom-up approach ensures that safety measures are not only theoretically sound but also practically applicable.

In summary, the key to successful safety programs lies in the active participation of employees in establishing and reviewing safety behaviors and rules. This involvement fosters a sense of ownership, enhances compliance, and leads to more effective and practical safety solutions. By making safety a collective responsibility, organizations can build a robust and sustainable safety culture.

(3) Do safety for the government.

Companies in the early stages of developing their safety cultures often fall into the trap of being “reluctant compliers,” implementing safety measures solely because they are mandated by the government. This compliance-driven approach overlooks the true value that effective safety management brings to a company’s productivity and overall performance. Recognizing and embracing the intrinsic benefits of a robust safety culture can significantly enhance a company’s operational success and financial health.

Safety management is not just a regulatory obligation; it is a critical component of a company’s strategic performance. Companies that prioritize safety as a core value rather than a mere legal requirement experience numerous advantages, including reduced accident rates, lower insurance costs, and improved employee morale. When employees feel safe and valued, they are more productive and engaged, leading to higher quality work and better overall performance.

The transition from compliance-driven safety practices to value-driven safety initiatives marks a pivotal shift in a company’s culture. This shift involves understanding that safety is about more than meeting legal requirements—it’s about ensuring that every employee goes home safe and healthy at the end of each workday. While compliance with laws and regulations is essential, it should be viewed as the baseline, not the ultimate goal.

To truly thrive, companies need to integrate safety into every aspect of their operations. This means fostering an environment where safety is ingrained in the company’s ethos, from the boardroom to the shop floor. Leadership should demonstrate a genuine commitment to safety, setting the tone for the entire organization. Regular training, open communication, and continuous improvement processes should be implemented to maintain and enhance safety standards.

Moreover, involving employees in safety initiatives can yield significant dividends. When employees participate in safety planning and decision-making, they become more invested in the outcomes. Their on-the-ground perspectives can lead to more practical and effective safety solutions. This collaborative approach not only improves safety outcomes but also fosters a culture of mutual respect and accountability.

In essence, companies should not view safety as a checkbox to satisfy regulatory authorities but as a fundamental aspect of their operational strategy. By prioritizing safety for its own sake and recognizing its impact on performance and productivity, companies can achieve significant financial and operational benefits. A proactive and engaged safety culture ensures not only compliance but also positions a company for long-term success and sustainability.

In conclusion, companies must move beyond reluctant compliance and embrace safety as a core value that enhances their overall performance. Making work environments safe and compliant with the law is not only a moral imperative but also a smart business strategy that leads to thriving, productive, and financially successful companies.

(4) Ignore the importance of the proper tools, equipment, materials and work space.

The long-standing myth that unsafe behavior is responsible for 88% of workplace incidents is simply not true. While unsafe behaviors certainly play a role in all incidents, this perspective overlooks the crucial influence of unsafe conditions. Both factors—unsafe behaviors and unsafe conditions—contribute to workplace accidents, and focusing on one without addressing the other is a significant oversight.

Unsafe conditions, such as faulty tools, inadequate equipment, substandard materials, and poor work environments, are always present alongside unsafe behaviors. To enhance workplace safety effectively, it is essential to address both elements. If employees are provided with broken tools or outdated equipment, it is unsurprising that accidents occur. Similarly, if workers lack access to necessary aids, like lifting machines, injuries from overexertion are likely.

A comprehensive approach to safety involves ensuring that all conditions and behaviors in the workplace support safe practices. Supplying high-quality tools and equipment is fundamental. When workers have reliable, well-maintained tools, they are less likely to engage in risky behaviors out of necessity. For example, ergonomic equipment and proper lifting aids can prevent injuries associated with manual handling tasks.

Moreover, creating a safe work environment goes beyond just providing tools; it includes maintaining these tools, offering appropriate training, and fostering a culture where safety is prioritized. When employees are well-trained and confident in the use of their equipment, they are more likely to follow safe practices consistently. This combination of good tools, proper training, and a supportive safety culture significantly reduces the risk of accidents.

Good tools and equipment also enhance efficiency and productivity. Workers who can rely on their tools are able to perform their tasks more effectively, reducing downtime and errors. This reliability fosters a safer, more efficient workplace where unnecessary risks are minimized.

In conclusion, to improve workplace safety, we must dispel the myth that unsafe behavior alone causes incidents and recognize the critical role of unsafe conditions. By focusing on providing safe behaviors, high-quality tools, and a supportive work environment, we can create a comprehensive safety strategy. This holistic approach ensures that employees are equipped to perform their jobs safely and efficiently, ultimately reducing the incidence of workplace accidents and injuries.

(5) Ignore the culture of unsafe behavior.

Failing to make safe behavior personal and not holding each other accountable for maintaining a safe work environment is a significant mistake. Allowing our colleagues to engage in unsafe practices can have disastrous consequences. We are responsible for each other’s safety, akin to the camaraderie and accountability found in team sports. Just as we support and coach teammates to improve their performance, we must seize every opportunity to guide our fellow employees in adopting safe behaviors. By doing so, we ensure that everyone understands the importance of safety measures and practices them consistently, ultimately leading to a safer workplace where everyone can return home safely at the end of the day. This proactive approach to safety fosters a culture of mutual care and responsibility, reducing the likelihood of accidents and injuries.

Check Out: Behavior Based Safety Programs: A Comprehensive Guide

(6) Miscalculate the power of groups actively caring about each other.

Encouraging our co-workers to offer feedback and coaching when they notice us engaging in unsafe practices is a powerful way to strengthen our collective commitment to workplace safety. When we actively invite our peers to speak up, we remove the barriers that often prevent them from pointing out potentially dangerous behaviors—such as the fear of causing offense or provoking a negative response. By fostering a culture of open dialogue, we create an environment where everyone feels not only comfortable but also responsible for contributing to the safety of their colleagues.

This approach emphasizes the importance of teamwork in safety, recognizing that maintaining safe practices is not an individual task but a shared responsibility. It shifts the focus from personal criticism to collective improvement, where constructive feedback is seen as a vital tool for ensuring everyone’s well-being. As we embrace this collaborative mindset, we reinforce the idea that safety is a common goal, and that each of us plays a crucial role in protecting one another.

By nurturing an atmosphere where feedback is both welcomed and valued, we pave the way for a more supportive and cohesive work environment. This proactive strategy helps to build trust among team members, ensuring that safety becomes ingrained in our daily operations. Ultimately, by making safety a shared priority, we reinforce our commitment to ensuring that every team member returns home safely at the end of each day, fostering a culture where safety is truly a collective endeavor.

(7) Deliver Safety Programs to passive employees.

The misconception that workplace safety can be achieved as effortlessly as ordering a pizza is a pervasive one, yet its origins remain shrouded in mystery. This simplistic approach has proven to be ineffective in ensuring a safe working environment. True workplace safety demands a comprehensive, proactive commitment from everyone involved in production. Safety must be integrated into every aspect of the work process, not merely as an afterthought. A fundamental shift in mindset is required, prioritizing safe production over the mere addition of safety measures.

Empowering employees to take ownership of their safety and that of their colleagues is a proven strategy for enhancing workplace safety. By encouraging employees to develop their own methods for identifying and mitigating hazards, we foster a culture of continuous improvement and shared responsibility. This approach not only improves safety performance but also strengthens employee engagement and morale. It is imperative that we adopt this proactive and inclusive strategy to create safer and more productive workplaces.

Additional considerations:

• Specific examples: To strengthen the argument, consider providing specific examples of how empowering employees has led to improved safety outcomes in real-world scenarios.
• Data and statistics: Incorporate relevant data and statistics to support the claims made in the text. For instance, you could cite studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of employee involvement in safety initiatives.
• Ethical implications: Discuss the ethical implications of prioritizing safety in the workplace. This could include emphasizing the moral obligation of employers to provide a safe working environment for their employees.
• Cultural factors: Consider the cultural factors that may influence employee attitudes towards safety. Addressing these cultural nuances can help tailor safety initiatives to specific workplaces.

By incorporating these additional elements, you can create a more compelling and informative text that effectively advocates for a proactive and inclusive approach to workplace safety.

(8) Measure results and not the activities that create safety.

Companies that clearly define safety responsibilities for every employee, from entry-level staff to the CEO, often experience a markedly safer work environment than those that neglect to do so. When safety tasks are integrated into the performance expectations of all employees—whether it’s through conducting incident investigations, performing hazard assessments, carrying out regular inspections, or attending safety meetings—organizations ensure that these vital activities are not only prioritized but also executed with precision and diligence. This approach reinforces the understanding that performing one’s job well inherently includes a commitment to these critical safety duties.

By embedding safety responsibilities into the core functions of every role, companies signal that safety is not an add-on or an afterthought, but a fundamental component of job performance. This comprehensive strategy helps to establish a culture where safety is seen as an integral part of daily operations, rather than something that is separate or secondary to production goals. In contrast, organizations that fail to assign and enforce specific safety duties often find that safety activities are neglected in favor of meeting production targets, which can lead to unsafe work conditions, higher rates of accidents, and increased risk of injuries.

The key to maintaining a safe and productive work environment lies in a firm, organization-wide commitment to safety—one that is demonstrated through the clear assignment, execution, and measurement of safety responsibilities at every level. By embedding safety into the fabric of the company’s operations and holding every employee accountable for their role in maintaining it, companies can create a culture where safety protocols are consistently followed and upheld. This not only protects the well-being of employees but also reinforces the company’s dedication to creating a safe workplace where everyone can thrive.

Check Out: How to Measure Workplace Safety

(9) Manage safety differently than we manage the other parts of our businesses.

Why would a profitable successful company with a clear record of managing success implement a “safety program” that doesn’t EXACTLY replicate why they are successful in the first place? Manage safety exactly like you manage your business and you’ll get similar results. There are too many companies that manage safety differently than their business to the peril of their safety results.

If you know how your employees and management team are motivated to give you production, why would you settle for doing something different to get safety results?

Far too often companies take a very positive and proactive approach to motivating productivity activities yet do exactly the opposite when it comes to safety by providing only negative reinforcement for safety. Safety is a condition of employment is a commonly used threat. Of course, it is, and so is being on time and doing your job. Too many companies in their orientation focus on making negative consequences the key messages during orientation rather than to tell employee that we need their help to make it safe here and we are counting on you to help us with safe production. Of course, you cannot ignore unsafe behaviors any more than you would ignore behaviors that didn’t comply with your productivity systems. Stop making safety feel like a negative thing. There is nothing negative about doing our work with a focus on safe production.

(10) Hold safety meetings that no one wants to attend.

Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to speak with hundreds of employees about their experiences with the “safety meetings” they are required to attend. Time and time again, the feedback has been strikingly consistent: most employees express frustration and dissatisfaction with the content and structure of these meetings. This recurring sentiment naturally leads to an important question: “Why are we continuing to participate in meetings that we find unproductive and uninspiring?” The answer is clear—we need to take action and improve the situation.

The solution begins with each of us taking responsibility for the quality of these meetings. At your next safety meeting, consider standing up and initiating a discussion about how these sessions can be improved. Encourage your colleagues to speak openly about their experiences and to share ideas on how the meetings could be made more meaningful and relevant to their daily work. By fostering a dialogue about the effectiveness of these gatherings, we can collectively work towards creating a new standard—one where safety meetings are not just a mandatory obligation, but a valuable opportunity for learning and growth.

Let’s set a goal to no longer sit passively through meetings that do little to address our real concerns or contribute to our safety practices. Instead, we should actively reject the status quo of ineffective safety meetings and commit to making them engaging, informative, and genuinely beneficial. This means challenging ourselves and our peers to think critically about what we want to gain from these meetings and how they can better serve our needs.

By taking the initiative to improve the quality of our safety meetings, we can transform them into sessions that truly contribute to a safer workplace. These meetings should become forums for meaningful discussion, where ideas are exchanged, best practices are shared, and everyone leaves with a better understanding of how to work safely. When we all commit to this vision, we not only enhance the effectiveness of our safety meetings but also strengthen our overall safety culture, ensuring that everyone can benefit from these essential conversations.

Learn more about engaging your employees on safety committees.

Well there you have it. I hope you have some ideas to think about to make your safety culture better. Own the safety process, take part in creating it, stand up and be counted. We need to do this together and stop doing things that we know fail. Let’s be successful together… it matters a lot to you and the people that you work with!

This is part 2 of our series on EMR and how it is effecting the profitability of your company. For Part 1, click here.

Is your company looking for a way to increase profitability? Before you cut personnel, before you look for ways to cut expenses, before you try anything else, have you looked at your Worker’s Compensation insurance rate? This is called the experience modification rate, and is calculated based upon your risk rating. To learn more about how your EMR rate is calculated, check out part 1 of this series.

An above average experience modification rate (EMR), can be costing your company valuable profit, and if you’re not aware of it, this can be a hidden profit suck.

So, what can you do?

It isn’t as easy as lowering your car insurance by just switching companies, because the EMR follows your company from insurance company to insurance company. It is a multiple stage approach, which I will lay out for you.

Steps to Lower Experience Modification Rate

The first step is to do a claims review. Many companies request a claims review, then sit there and nod their heads as the company presents the information, which is honestly useless. Just being told about the information doesn’t help you. You need to understand the information and how it can impact your company.

• Was this person or are they currently an employee?
  • It occasionally happens where an employee is assigned to the wrong company, so ensure all listed people are properly assigned.
• When was last claim payout? Is it an opportune time to settle the case?
  • Why would you settle a claim? Settlement of a claim can lower the impact it has to a claim. If a case was assigned a reserve of $100,000, and has paid out $3,000, there is a reserve of $97,000 which is reflecting on the claim as a high claim case. A settlement of $10,000 would close the case at a value of $13,000, bringing back $87,000 and lowering the impact to the EMR.
• Review of class codes.
  • Every employee has a class code under which they are assigned, and ensuring they are properly accounted for in payroll records for hours worked is important for a proper EMR calculation. Why is this so important? If you run an auto repair business, a mechanic has a naturally higher risk classification than an accounts receivable clerk, if someone in your business covers both positions, classifying them under the higher risk code could lower the XMOD calculation simply by having less injuries for a higher risk classification code.

If you have made any corrections or adjustments during this process, have the EMR recalculated, and this could save your company thousands.

With the claims review completed, it is time to conduct a trend analysis.

When just starting in this process, the information will be basic. It will come from your worker’s compensation auditor, during the claims review. What you’re looking for, are accidents increasing or decreasing? Any identifiable patterns to claims/injuries; such as 40% are lifting improperly or such?

As your program matures, you can include items like Near Miss reports, location first aide only incidents, safety committee findings, or anything else your company builds up.

Once you have conducted a thorough tend analysis, the next step is to design a Return to Work (RTW) Program

A Return to Work Program is invaluable to lowering an Experience Modification Rating. It decreases associated costs to provide employees with light duty work, because wages are paid directly to the employee vs paying them from insurance. This decreases the costs paid out by insurance, which is a factor in calculating the EMR.

When implementing a RTW program, it is important that the employee serves a valuable job function, so as to add value to your company, but you also have to take into consideration that the job is within the person’s skill set, and the job is not seen as punitive. What? Yes, some tasks can be seen as punitive, like if the worker is reassigned to a task that provides no value to the company. Companies have done things like having workers sort nuts & bolts, then at the end of the day they mix everything together again. A task like this could be seen as punitive towards the employee, and could have your company under scrutiny for punitive or vindictive actions towards an injured employee.

Keep this in mind while managing a Return to Work Program, and design a program that aids the employer and employee.

Next step in this process is establishing a strong safety program.

When establishing a safety program this is a multi-faceted approach, allow me to lay this out for you:

• Audit for risks in the workplace–
  • Hazards can’t be addressed in the workplace without understanding the risks present. This would include conducting a job hazard analysis so risks can be addressed via the hierarchy of control principle.
• Write safety policies, and related training–
  • Once you have identified the workplace hazards, this is an opportune time to write policies and develop appropriate training to address the risks identified. On top of that, this is an opportune time to ensure you have the common written policies required by OSHA:
    • Hazard Communication Plan
    • Lockout/Tagout Program
    • Respiratory Protection Program
    • Personal Protection Equipment Plan
    • Bloodborne Pathogens & Post Exposure Plan
    • Emergency Action Plan
    • Confined Space Program
    • Electrical Safety Plan
    • Fire Prevention Plan
    • Hearing Conservation Plan
    • Crane/Hoist/Sling Inspection Program
    • Fall Prevention Program
    • First Aide Policy
    • Hot Work Program
    • Spill Response Plan
    • Machine Guarding Policy
• Work on building a safety culture-
  • A safety culture is built from the top down, executives need to embrace workplace safety first, this will show importance to all people in the company. In order for safety to be built into the culture of a company, every operational policy and training will incorporate safety, To learn more about safety culture in the workplace, check out this post.
  • Another part of a strong safety culture is a quality safety team. This means the members are committed to safety, and can provide influence in their work areas. To learn some more about safety committees, check out this post.
• Evaluate–
  • Reviewing and evaluating the company safety program, at least annually, is important. This ensures the programs are still relevant to any changes in operational procedures, or changes in regulations. The evaluation also provides the opportunity to check the effectiveness of the policy, has it lowered risk, has it decreased injuries?

Following these steps, your company will be able to lower your company’s Experience Modification Rate, which translates into increased profits, and a safer workplace for all employees.

Keep in mind, besides fixing errors, making a change to an EMR is not an instantaneous process, and it will take at least a year to see the impact, while it can take 2 years to see marked improvement, due to getting information to the field employees and building a full and proper safety culture.

How is the Experience Modification Rating calculated?

So, what can you do to improve your Experience Modification Rate (EMR)?

Check out our suggestions here for how to lower your EMR.