Safety Programs
A safety program is composed of plans, policies, processes, procedures, and practices forming a plan of action to accomplish a safety objective. An effective safety program integrates safety-related decisions and precautions into them.
Construction contractors should design, develop, deploy, and duplicate CSMS programs throughout all worksites, not just to comply with OSHA, but to keep their employees and worksites safe, and to make the company or organization more successful.
Accountability
Accountability may be thought of as establishing the "obligation to fulfill a task to standard or else." When you are held accountable, your performance is measured against specific criteria and consequences are applied appropriately to the quality of performance. Here are some examples illustrating accountability:
- Example: If a builder has built a house for a man and his work is not strong, and if the house he has built falls in and kills the householder, that builder shall be slain. (King Hammurabi of Babylon, 18th Century B.C.)
- "The ancient Romans had a tradition: whenever one of their engineers constructed an arch, as the capstone was hoisted into place, the engineer assumed accountability for his work in the most profound way possible: he stood under the arch." (Michael Armstrong- Former CEO of AT&T, Hughes Electronics, and Comcast)
Management may impose safety policies, programs, written plans, directives, rules, training, etc., yet if the appropriate application of effective consequences do not occur, desired behaviors will not be sustained.
Any safety effort is ultimately doomed to fail if employees do not believe they are going to be held accountable for the decisions they make and the actions they take.
Six important elements should be present in an employer safety accountability program:
- formal standards of performance
- adequate resources and psychosocial support
- a system of performance measurement
- application of effective consequences
- appropriate application of consequences
- continuous evaluation of the accountability system
You can learn more about accountability systems in course 712 Safety Supervision and Leadership.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
1-8. Which of the following is TRUE concerning safety accountability?
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