Get with the program

By Wendy Huber-Wichelt

It might look good on paper, but a work-site safety program won't stick unless it's practical.

Without implementing policies in the field, the safety program is meaningless. And without a periodic review of safety programs that are in place, companies can outgrow their safeguards.

"Companies should start with a real evaluation of where they're at," Bob Emmerich, safety consultant and trainer for Safe-Con L.L.C., said. "Most contractors have safety programs. The question is, at what level? Is it a good enough level?"

After closely evaluating their current safety programs, Emmerich said, contractors can identify where they can improve.

"People can also go buy safety programs off the shelf," Emmerich said, "but still, it comes down to how well [the program] moves in the field."

Some companies may have in-house personnel to train and reinforce safety procedures and maintain the balance between productivity and care. But, Emmerich noted, other companies do not have the resources or the people to do the training, adding that a lot of companies rely on independent safety consultants or companies that specialize in safety to create a good program and train employees.

The bottom line

A comprehensive safety program saves money when it comes to insurance premiums. The number of workers' compensation claims remains lower in companies that enforce safety protocols.

"Number one, it takes the owner's commitment to the program," Paul Seitz, an independent agent at R&R Insurance Services, said. He also stressed the importance of putting the safety program into play throughout a company's work force.

Seitz remains in contact with his clients' workers. Often, contractors contact Seitz and give him site locations and foremen's names so he can make spot visits and ensure that lead people stress safety.

"You meet these people one on one," he said. "To make it happen, my philosophy as an agent is that you have to be face to face with these people to make it effective and make it last. I can't tell you how many people have tried (a safety program) for three to six months, but then, because the program was not built into the grand scheme of the company, the effort ceased to exist, and we're back to where we started," Seitz said.

When re-evaluating or creating a safety program, companies should start with hazard communication, as every program builds around it, said Debra Redell, safety compliance director of Construction & Industrial Safety Consulting Services.

Redell recommended OSHA's Web site as a good source for information and also referred to OSHA's Program Evaluation Profile (PEP) as a helpful tool in specifically identifying what should be addressed in a safety program. The PEP is the form OSHA uses when evaluating work sites.

Bring in the cavalry

For some companies, Redell explained, it is simply not practical to hire an in-house safety director to create and maintain a safety program. Consulting firms are designed for those companies that do not have safety directors and need to build an effective program.said she works with companies whose staffs range from 50 to 250 employees.

Most consulting companies can help formulate a safety program and will also handle site analysis, hazardous materials inventory, company profiles, job site survey and job hazard assessments. These companies can also identify how to eliminate safety violations on the site and spell out how much training each employee will need. Redell said it usually takes six months to a year to implement a safety program and train employees.

"What companies end up with is a written report that lists everything including recommendations," Redell said.

Companies can then take the report and try to implement a program on their own based on recommendations, or they can hire a consultant to put the program in place.

"You have to have a plan of action telling you where to go," Redell said. "Then, when you have a safety program, you need to put it in place or find someone to do it."

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