ISM Best Practices Workshop

1
Voluntary Protection Program-Continuous
Improvement Process

• ISM Best Practices Workshop
• September 12, 2006
• David Smith
• Office of Corporate Safety Analysis

2
VPPs Continuous Improvement Process A Measure
of ISMS Effectiveness

• Measures the effectiveness of DOEs ISMS
  requirement at 26 locations each day
• DOE-VPP used as a measure and to sustain high
  quality performance for ISM program
• VPP requirement for annual self-evaluations of
  entire worksite is a continuous improvement
  process
• Improvement process includes involvement of
  management and labor
• Improvement Process includes formal reporting and
  feedback loop

3
VPPs Continuous Improvement Process A Measure
of ISMS Effectiveness (contd.)

• For continuous improvement, VPP has separate
  elements, or tenets which also involve
• Measurement or assessment
• Improvement or adjustment
• Training and feedback
• Ideally suited to verify effectiveness of a
  sites ISMS due to
• Meeting intent of feedback and improvement
  portion of ISM
• Any areas where VPP performance is weak , ISMS
  performance is also losing effectiveness

4
VPP Structure and Strengths

• Designed as a quality-measuring program to be
  self sustaining
• Certification of quality is achieved through a
  defined, criteria based, and physical onsite
  audit
• Based on a culture that continues to operate as a
  peer-ownership discipline
• Requires sustaining qualifications and competence
• Exercised by broad participation visible
  management commitment and aggressive employee
  ownership

5
VPP Structure and Strengths (contd.)

• Requires formal self-assessment and annual formal
  performance report
• Requires three-year re-certifications by onsite
  audit
• Builds strong partnerships between DOE HQ and
  field staff
• Open to external participation and scrutiny
  (OSHA, DoD, etc.)

6
Key VPP Effectiveness Measures

• Manner in which ambiguous safety situations are
  addressed (near misses, new hazards, new
  equipment, etc.)
• Manner in which the safety of new employees,
  unqualified employees, subcontractors, and other
  ambiguous people issues are handled
• The comprehensiveness and continuity of training
  and qualification the closed loop from actual
  work/hazard requirements, near misses, lessons
  learned, accidents, etc., to adjustments in
  training programs and communications systems

7
Key VPP Effectiveness Measures (contd.)

• Engineering walk-down effectiveness how often,
  how comprehensive, tracking and follow-up, etc.
• Routine space inspections effectiveness
  frequency, participation, issues management,
  follow-up, impact, adjustment and refocus
• Landlord interfaces safety coordination issues
• Safety issues management communication,
  feedback, and grievances

8
VPP Measurement Tools

• Hanford
• Automated Job Hazard Analysis Program
• Union Safety Representative
• General Employee Training VPP Survey
• Idaho
• DO It (Define, Observe, Intervene and Test)
• Safety Observations Achieve Results (SOAR)
  process
• Savannah River
• Safe-T Construction Safety Program

9
Key Points for Measurement Effectiveness

• Need for constant and consistent measurement of
  safety and health performance
• Application of the measures
• Who utilizes the measures
• How will the measures be utilized

10
Key Points for Measurement Effectiveness (contd.)

• Direct measures within individual tasks should be
  used by first-line supervisors and their
  immediate managers
• Proper use of these direct measures prevents
  over management of every task at worksite
• No business or operation can be effective with
  micromanagement of every task
• Senior managers must never assume first-line
  managements responsibility as it defeats
  responsibility and weakens accountability

11
Key Points for All Safety and Health
Effectiveness Measurement (contd.)

• Senior management should confine themselves to
  managing the big picture for the long-term
  result
• Over management damages an employee involvement
  and empowerment it kills a safety culture
• A damaged safety culture, results in a loss of
  employee involvement which leads to risky
  behavior
• Misuse and micromanagement of performance
  measures will result in everyone misusing the
  measures

12
Conclusion

• To be effective, performance in safety and health
  must be measured by acceptable standards to
  ensure performance at the highest possible level
• To achieve that level, ensure that measures are
  utilized in the most effective manner, ensuring
  accountability
• Empower the workforce to plan, execute and
  measure their safety and health programs
• Empowerment brings cultural change
• Properly planned and executed, safety always
  contributes to productivity