Engaging People (The Cultural Change Phase) |

Safety System

Safety System | A PDCA Cycle

If you’ve read David’s blog on The OE Safety System Versus OSHA Safety Compliance Audit: you already know that the OE Safety System is a PDCA cycle.  This PDCA cycle also consists of even smaller PDCA cycles.  Here’s a graphic to help understand:

Safety System, PDCA Cycle

End of Shift Restoration | Daily PDCA of the Safety System

At the frontline team leader level, the OE Safety System introduces a daily end of shift safety restoration to-do list.  The purpose of this checklist / to-do list is to restore the working area back to safe working conditions.  (Enforcing a behavior of daily restorations, changes attitudes toward safety first, which resonates with an existing value of safety).

The end of shift restoration should be completed (no surprise) at the end of every shift.  For many of those involved with the safety system – this is their first exposure to a daily PDCA cycle.  The example below shows many “To-Do Items” on the end of shift restoration list.

Phase 1 | Safety System | Daily Restoration Checklist Example

Safety Restoration for PDCA’s sake!

When introducing the daily restoration, remember your organization is in the Cultural Change Phase. Therefore, the reason for the restoration is to begin Engaging People. You will see operational benefits (a cleaner, safer work area), but the point is to introduce a check in the PDCA cycle.  Don’t get discouraged that the checklist isn’t perfect or doesn’t include everything – let the folks involved use the system to improve.

After performing the end of shift restoration checklist several times, some may start asking the questions: What is the standard for a safe working condition?  There may be some conflict from shift to shift and differences from person to person as to what defines words such as “safe,” “clean,” “clear of trip hazards,” etcetera.  As these problems arise around standards – coach those performing the daily restoration lists to agree to what the standard is and and stick to it.  One of the easiest ways to do this is to take a picture of the standard area and post it.  The person performing the restoration’s duty is to restore the area back to the standard, rather than an open ended statement.  Visual management of standards also makes performing the weekly audit much more efficient and effective.

Supervisor Audit | Weekly PDCA of the Safety System

At the supervisor level, the OE Safety System introduces a weekly audit to be performed before or after a shift.  Some operational purposes of the safety audit include:

• Closing the PDCA cycle of the daily restoration checklist (if the restorations are performed daily, this should reflect positive audit scores)
• Generates problem solving from safety “hits” (when there is a problem, i.e. a “hit” on the audit form – start a problem solving sheet)
• Reports a score to the next layer of management (the group leaders’ visual management and check that the audit is being performed and a snapshot of the safety condition of the area).  Again, a missed target on the audit score generates a problem solving sheet.

Here’s an example of a weekly safety audit (in the cultural change phase of the safety system) performed in a warehouse:

Phase 1 | Safety System | Weekly Audit Example

After different people perform or review the audit, questions such as what do the words “clean, not posing a trip hazard, leaning paper” all mean?  Coach your team to develop standards so that the audit becomes more and more clear.  Don’t get frustrated that the audit isn’t perfect – the first objective is to change behaviors by introducing a daily and weekly PDCA cycle.  You can improve the content of the cycles later with your team.

Safety Audit Results on BSC | Group Leader Monthly PDCA of the Safety System

At the group leader or manager level (depending on your organizational structure), the OE Safety System introduces a tracking mechanism, via the balanced scorecard, safety column, support area (see below).

Safety System Audit Support Location on BSC

When introducing the Safety System during OE implementation, there should already be at least 2 PDCA cycles that the steering committee / leadership teams are involved in: the daily meeting and the monthly balanced scorecard meeting.

During this monthly balanced scorecard meeting, the R (responsible) person for safety should compile the safety audit results for the previous month, and report out on the results.

Safety System FAQ’s

What is the responsibility of the safety manager in the OE safety system?

The responsibility of the safety manager is to own, maintain, and improve the OE safety system.  The safety manager should ensure that daily checks are happening (providing support to supervisors), ensure that weekly audits are being performed (supporting group leaders), and also see that the necessary information is making it to the balanced scorecard and cascaded further up if need be.  The safety manager ensures the system is working and provides and implements improvements to the safety system.

Who is checking that employees are performing jobs safely and why may it not appear on the audit or checklists?

This should be done by any team leader, supervisor, group leader, or manager who is in the area and should happen frequently. This does not necessarily appear on any “checklist” or “audit” quite yet, because the safety system is just begining to be developed.  These checks may or may not be happening – right now in the cultural phase of the safety system there is no visual management, or formal/standardized PDCA cycles around performing jobs safely.

Who is the responsible person for problem solving sheets?

When a there is a “hit” on the safety audit – a problem solving sheet should be generated by the person performing the audit (supervisor).  The supervisor then contains the problem, and begins a problem solving sheet.  The responsible person for the specific problem solving sheet should be determined by the leader depending on a few factors.  The team leader should ask, “How can I use this to coach the team below me?”, “Should I do this problem solving sheet?”, “Should I forward this problem solving sheet to another team?”, and “Is this a big enough problem that solving it is more important than the learning that may come from it?”  These types of questions will help you decide who should own the problem solving sheet.

If there is a missed target in regard to the audit scores (i.e. a 20% under target), the supervisor or manager above owns the problem solving sheet.  The individual audit misses, however, can be cascaded to team leaders and eventually team members.

Why is the audit not performed during the shift in Phase 1: Safety System?

The audit is to be performed before or after shifts so the operators / team members have a chance to restore the area.  For example (taken from the audit and checklist above) it would be great if hoses were rolled up each and every time they are used, however the safety culture isn’t fully developed.

Shouldn’t team leaders be performing safety checks all the time or at least more frequently than daily?

Yes.  Later in the implementation and daily living phases of the KCOE System, The Safety System will call for PDCA and visual management of these responsibilities of team leaders, supervisors, group leaders, and managers.

Shouldn’t supervisors be performing safety checks more frequently than weekly?

Yes.  Later in the implementation and daily living phases of the KCOE System, The Safety System will call for PDCA and visual management of these responsibilities of team leaders, supervisors, group leaders, and managers.

Shouldn’t the steering committee and manager be checking on safety more often than monthly?

Yes.  Later in the implementation and daily living phases of the KCOE System, the Safety System will call for PDCA and visual management of these responsibilities by team leaders, supervisors, group leaders, and managers.