The 5A-Way to Safety
(Management’s Role in Safety)
12, 23, and 25 January 2007
Professor N. Krishnamurthy
Safety Consultant and Trainer
Website: www.profkrishna.com
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“The 5A-Way ... The Safe way”
This is a template I devised
for my own use in various
situations.
It was suggested that it
might have application to
the safety culture that is
being currently promoted in
Singapore.
It is my pleasure and
privilege to share my
thoughts on management’s
role in safety through this
5A-Way template.
- N. Krishnamurthy
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The 5A-Way ... The Safe Way
Prof Krishna’s 5A-Way, inspired by many all-time greats! 3
The 5A-Way ... The Safe Way
Attitude is everything.
It is the beginning, the
foundation for all we want to do.
In safety, it means that
we want all the workers who come in the morning
to return home in the evening, safe and sound.
That we wish to share information and knowledge
about incidents and accidents with our cohorts
And so we can proudly tell ourselves, and others:
“I accept workplace safety as a core value!”
Prof Krishna’s 5A-Way, inspired by many all-time greats! 4
Why should management be
concerned with safety?
Three imperatives to consider safety:
1. The legal imperative
2. The fiscal imperative
3. The social imperative
1. The legal imperative
Primary goal is to fulfil the obligation to
comply with rules.
To stay out of trouble.
Do only what has to be done to meet
minimum requirements.
Safety is not a priority or value.
Main reference for some further slides:
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2. The fiscal imperative
¾ Management understands the financial benefits derived
from effective application of safety systems.
¾ The primary reason for "doing safety“ shifts to
maximizing profits.
¾ The goal is to fulfil the obligation to stakeholders to
operate the business in a fiscally prudent manner.
¾ The management will do whatever needs to be done
reactively and proactively to save on direct and indirect
costs of accidents.
¾ The management will likely go beyond
minimum legal requirements if needed.
¾ Safety is most likely a high priority...
¾ However, it may be subject to rapid change when the
going gets tough. 6
3. The social imperative : “Core value”
¾ Management realizes that long-term corporate survival
depends on more than maximizing short-term profits.
¾ It will value and tap into the incredible creative potential
of each employee, from janitor to president.
¾ Management appreciates the inherent value of each
employee, not just as a worker, but as a corporate
"family“ member.
¾ It also realizes and values the roles its employees fulfil
away from work, in the community, as mothers, fathers,
coaches, helpers, etc.
¾ It strives to fulfil its obligation to each employee, local
community, and general society to support and protect
the welfare of all employees.
¾ Safety is perceived as a core corporate value that
does not change when the going gets tough. 7
Leadership
¾ Management must recognise the many opportunities to
communicate and act so as to prove safety leadership.
¾ The inability to perceive leadership opportunities as they
arise limits the company's potential to succeed.
¾ Employees at all levels may be taken to be good people
trying to do the best they can with what they have got.
¾ But they may not have physical resources and psycho-
social support to achieve the results expected of them.
¾ Why? Ultimately, the workplace culture may not support
effective safety management and leadership.
Three kinds of leadership models:
1. Tough-coercive
2. Tough-controlling
3. Tough-caring
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1. Tough-coercive leadership model
¾ Management is tough on safety to protect themselves,
by controlling performance with the threat of punishment.
¾ Culture of compliance to imperatives is fear-driven,
encourages selfishness.
¾ Accountability system emphasizes negative impacts.
¾ Communicates negative messages to employees
¾ Employees (and managers) behave only to avoid
negative consequences.
¾ Culture is not healthful to employees at all levels
of the organization.
¾ It may be successful in achieving compliance
...but that's it.
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2. Tough-controlling leadership model
¾ Management is tough on safety to control losses. This is
often the "traditional" management model.
¾ Sets high standards for behaviour and performance, and
it controls all aspects of work to ensure compliance.
¾ Gradually attitudes and strategies to fulfil its legal and
fiscal imperatives improve.
¾ Safety systems become more effective, reducing injuries
and illnesses, thereby cutting production costs.
¾ Tight control is necessary to achieve numerical goals.
¾ Relies less on negative reinforcement,
more on positive reinforcement.
¾ Communication is typically top-down
and information is used to control.
¾ A safety "director" is usually appointed to
act as a cop...controlling the safety function. 10
3. Tough-caring leadership model
¾ Has high expectations, cares about employee success.
This is a selfless leadership approach.
¾ Complying with law, controlling losses, and improving
production assured if employee is motivated and safe.
¾ Commitment to external customers achieved by fulfilling
their obligation to employees ...their internal customers.
¾ Communication is typically all the way across and down;
information is used to share so that everyone succeeds.
¾ Safety coordinator appointed to help in safety functions.
¾ Positive changes in corporate culture, success-driven.
¾ Before disciplining employees, managers will evaluate
the fulfilment of their own accountabilities first.
¾ Trust between management and labour promoted thru
mutual respect, involvement in and ownership of safety.
¾ Excellence is promoted, but safety system is designed
to produce compliance behaviours. 11
The 5A-Way ... The Safe Way
Awareness is knowing.
Knowing what is going on around us
In safety, it means we must learn
what can cause harm, to whom, with what impact.
It means that we must see the potential dangers,
hear, smell, taste, feel them ... and identify
them, so that we can avoid or control them.
To save employees from injury or death, to save
our property from damage, our environment and
reputation from harm
Prof Krishna’s 5A-Way, inspired by many all-time greats! 12
It all boils down to dollars and cents?
¾ When management merely communicates their interest
in safety, but does not follow-through with action, they
are expressing just moral support, not commitment.
¾ The real test for commitment is the degree to which
management seriously invests time and money.
¾ Real commitment is leadership by example ... by
providing a safe, healthful workplace for all employees.
¾ Employees will demonstrate the important attributes of
integrity, character, and discipline when (and only when)
. ..
they see management exhibiting these values first.
BU T
Value for money: Employees (and risk managers) too
must address the question of what management will get in
return for the money it is being asked to spend. Safety
committees must discuss risk levels of accidents in terms
of money, to enable management to take logical decisions.13
Safety pays
Wall Street Journal (Jan. 29, 1991) “A growing number of
companies find safety and productivity, once viewed as
antagonistic, have become bedfellows. Companies say
better safety practices improve morale, boost output, trim
worker-compensation costs and strengthen public
relations.”
“Safety fits in nicely with the quality leadership process,”
says Eastman Kodak safety director James Mitchell.
“DuPont executives open all meetings with safety reports.
The company has redesigned its machines for safety, and
it fires managers with poor safety records. “
“Alcoa tells workers to hold onto stair rails and don't enter
taxis if the cabbies aren't wearing seat belts.”
Workers at a Monsanto factory watch for work habits that
could cause accidents, costing the company a lot. 14
The 5A-Way ... The Safe Way
Acceptance is understanding the
need and taking ownership.
Being proactive, taking initiative, leading the way
In safety, it means being responsible for the
welfare and safety of all the stakeholders.
It means treating all stakeholders as partners.
It means we should make RM part of our mission
and our vision ... not only say the words but also
arrange for funds and personnel to achieve them.
Prof Krishna’s 5A-Way, inspired by many all-time greats! 15
Fix the system ... not the blame!
¾ It is all about system design.
¾ If management is not
presently demonstrating
commitment through action,
then it should grab the first
opportunity to change the
system firmly and fast.
¾ Management must not hesitate to "educate up" to gain
the all-important vision and understanding needed to
positively affect attitudes and subsequent behaviours
that give workplace safety the emphasis it deserves.
¾ Communication: Never use blue-collar language with
managers or white-collar talks with labourers. Learn to
speak and write in the language of audience or readers.
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Include safety in vision and mission
Vision statement :
¾ Lets employee and customer know what your company
does, defining the role it and what its basic values are.
¾ The vision statement reflects the corporate culture, its
unique "personality" setting it apart from all others.
Mission statement:
¾ Tells the world what the company does – why it exists,
stating its intended purposes.
¾ The mission statement lets everyone know what your
company's products or services are; who its customers
are; what its service territory is.
¾ If your company doesn't have a mission statement, try
to develop one and demonstrate the benefits that will
result from a written mission statement. 17
The 5A-Way ... The Safe Way
Analysis is the bridge leading from
concept to implementation.
Applying the
right theories,
using the right tools
In safety, it means identifying the hazards,
estimating if and when accidents may happen,
evaluating how bad they may be when they do, and
what their combined risk level would become.
It means we decide which risks are acceptable,
which are unacceptable, and which are manageable.
And also what and who can control them, and when
Prof Krishna’s 5A-Way, inspired by many all-time greats! 18
Reactive vs. proactive safety strategy
Reactive approach:
¾ Assumes that accidents just happen, cannot be avoided.
¾ Company only reacts to accidents after they occur, and
usually only to minimize the costs associated.
¾ Reactive safety programs cost more than proactive ones.
¾ Reactive programs say in effect: “(1) We don't care about
you,” and (2) “It is all about money, not your safety.”
Proactive approach:
¾ Doing whatever it takes to ensure accidents never happen.
¾ By emphasizing accident prevention, management sends
a message of caring to all employees.
¾ Proactive strategies are always less expensive.
¾ Remember to work with the safety committee to share
the goals and objectives with everyone in the company. 19
Risk assessment – The New Imperative
Now, according to the new WSH Act, management must
take the initiative, and support all the way down along the
chain of command, risk assessment (RA) and risk
management (RM) for all existing and proposed projects.
What does it involve?
1. Form a RA team with continuing responsibility
2. Evaluate and accept team’s findings, recommendations
3. Set policies to reflect the RA and risk controls (RC)
4. Assign, distribute, and transfer risk by clear contracts
5. Support the RA team consistently and continuously
6. Administrative control component of risk management
7. Delegate not just responsibility but also authority
8. Encourage and require incident and violation reporting
9. Maintain proper records on long-term basis
10. Provide adequate funds for safety on a priority basis 20
The 5A-Way ... The Safe Way
Action is achievement.
Putting our money and our
effort where our mouth is
In safety, it means
getting all stakeholders
to participate.
It means documenting background and facts,
implementing our decisions, re-doing our
assessment as required ... getting on with the
business of safety, the safety of our business.
Communicating with all concerned, reviewing
progress, continuing to advocate and promote
safety first and safety last
Prof Krishna’s 5A-Way, inspired by many all-time greats! 21
Effective management leadership
¾ Ideally, concern for every aspect of the safety and health
of all workers must be demonstrated.:
¾ Visible management involvement,
Getting out where you can be seen, informally or
through formal inspections.
Being accessible.
Being an example, by knowing and following the
rules employees are expected to follow.
Being involved by participating on the workplace
Safety and Health Committee.
¾ Assigning and communicating responsibility, authority
and resources to responsible parties and holding those
parties accountable,
¾ Encouraging workers to report hazards, symptoms,
injuries and illnesses, and avoid discouraging policies.
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Management of safety in practice
The fourth item in the hierarchy of risk controls – but
the first in terms of policy and funding – is “Administrative
Controls”. These include, but are not limited to:
¾ Broad policy covering all aspects of safety
¾ Adequate funding for credible worst case scenarios
¾ Cooperation with and coordination of RA team
¾ Prompt and fair evaluation of RA recommendations
¾ Prompt implementation and follow-up of decisions
¾ Detailed contractual allocation/transfer of risk
¾ Delegation of responsibility to competent staff
¾ Delegation of proper authority to stop work, to suspend
dangerous worker, to rotate tough tasks, etc.
¾ Contingency funds for emergencies, for minor repairs
and replacements, PPE, small rewards, etc. 23
Management of safety in practice
(Contd.)
“We are already doing tunnelling work. Now our RA shows
the risk to be high. According to rules (= proper procedure),
we should stop! What do we do?”
Of course you stop immediately! It is unwise (= foolish)
to continue when your RA shows risk to be high.
Then gather a team to decide what to do to bring down
the risk from high to medium.
Get a consultant, if no in-house expertise is available.
Check with the designer and contractor if some risky
process can be eliminated or substituted.
Get better equipment, more skilled operators.
Add extra and stronger supports.
Install more warning devices.
Insist on more frequent checking, more stringent follow up.
Now re-assess severity and likelihood.
Hopefully, risk would have come down to medium!
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http://www.msha.gov/Accident_Prevention/ideas/suspension.asp
Fall rescue – A simple life-saving trick!
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Not The End but :
The beginning of a
new safety culture!
