Pointing Finger VS. Helping Hand

Spring 2002 News
Message from the President
AASCIF Conference in New York
President's Reception Aboard USS Intrepid
NY Plans More Than Insurance Seminars
NY Insurance Superintendent to Address AASCIF
AASCIF Speaker Knows a Thing or Two
$1000 Scholarship
Dim Sum
Pointing Fingers VS Helping Hands
Loss Prevention Shift in Focus
Around AASCIF
Internal Auditor's Role in Disaster Recovery
2002 AASCIF Standing Committee Goals

Loss Prevention has Evolved over the Last Decade

By Stacey Kurash, State Fund Mutual Companies of Minnesota

As the industry changed, the workplace changed and the nature of work changed. Consequently, the role of a safety professional changed too. The focus has evolved from a compliance focus to a consulting focus.

It used to be "good enough" to simply recommend formal controls such as conducting safety inspections and developing OSHA-required programs. Although necessary, this approach is thought to be incomplete.

Now the level of formal controls and safety awareness has elevated to a new high. Safety professionals are recognizing the value in their consultation as well as the importance of the organization's involvement in everyday safety and the presence of a safety culture.

Safety professionals have had to abandon the typical "inspection mentality," in which they concentrated on identifying workplace hazards without considering the behavioral and psychological factors that contribute to occupational injuries.

With a hardening market and costs going up, employers are becoming more cost-conscious and are forced to focus on enhanced loss prevention and risk management programs.

True, some employers still think safety is all about avoiding OSHA fines, but this is not the focus for today's safety professionals. These employers think a safety professional will come out, walk around the facility and give them a laundry list of what needs to be fixed.

This is not effective when 90 percent of injuries are related to what people do versus the conditions of the workplace.

That is why safety professionals must now work in partnership with employers to identify unsafe acts and behaviors in order to reduce workplace injuries. Safety professionals will continue to complement and promote employers' efforts to meet OSHA requirements, but will work even harder to foster a safety culture that influences every employee.

A safety professional's involvement with an employer touches virtually every facet of the business—from management meetings to on-the-floor operations. This total integration into the employer's business fosters open communication and information sharing that often leads to innovative solutions.

A meeting with a safety professional looks much different today. Safety professionals are sitting down with upper level management to "sell" safety by brainstorming and setting safety goals for the upcoming year. These safety goals often tie directly to the organization's bottom line. The safety professional reviews previous losses, identifies trends and makes recommendations for safety improvements such as suggestions for additional employee training.

It is clear that upper management must buy into the safety focus to make it effective. Commitment from the highest levels of the organization is needed to make necessary environmental and behavioral changes. This commitment empowers supervisors to take the necessary steps to ensure a safe workplace and sends a message to all employees that safety is an important part of the workplace culture.

There is no doubt that the involvement of supervisors is vital to the safety success of the organization. That is why safety professionals are spending more time working directly with supervisors, training them to be more involved in the safety process. After all, supervisors are responsible for the physical work environment, employees' unsafe acts and behaviors and the work processes that can lead to injuries and illnesses. Supervisors play a key role in dealing with an accident once it occurs, too. Usually the supervisor who was there when it happened, is accountable for the people and equipment involved, understands the hazards of the job and will most likely be involved in the corrective action process—all making them key in preventing similar accidents from happening in the future.

And finally, safety professionals are providing training sessions for all employees that address issues like safe lifting techniques, enhanced safety committee activities and office ergonomics—none of which meet OSHA requirements, but rather address real issues in their workplace.

Continuing on this safety progression of teaching and consulting will help decrease incidents and accidents, and loss costs. The change may be difficult for some employers, but continuing to "sell" safety and focusing on changing behaviors and changing the way people think about safety to reduce unsafe acts will make the process that much smoother.