Changes in logging injury rates associated with use of feller-bunchers in West Virginia

Problem: It is well documented that logging is one of the most dangerous occupations and industries in which to work, and trees fellers are at greatest risk of injury. The objective of this study was to determine whether West Virginia (WV) logging companies experienced a reduction in injuries after beginning to use feller-bunchers (tree cutting machines, which replace some of the work done with a chainsaw) during harvesting operations. Methods: WV workers compensation claims and employment data from 1995 to 2000 were used to calculate injury rates. Injury trends in the rest of the WV logging industry, not using feller-bunchers, were also assessed. Results: For 11 companies, the pre-feller-buncher injury claims rate was 19.4 per 100 workers and the post-feller-buncher rate was 5.2 per 100 workers. This was a significant difference, with an adjusted rate ratio of 2.8 (95% CI: 1.8–4.5) of pre to post claims. Struck by injuries also showed significant decline, with the pre-feller-buncher injury rate being 3.8 (95% CI: 1.8–8.2) times as great as post-feller-buncher rate. During the time of the study, the injury rate rose in the rest of the WV logging industry. The average cost of a workers compensation claim in the WV logging industry during the time of the study was approximately $10,400. Impact on industry: As mechanization of logging tasks becomes more widespread, the WV logging industry as a whole may see substantial injury declines and a reduction in the total cost of injury claims. Struck by injuries, the most common and potentially fatal of logging injury types, appear to be particularly affected. However, logging operations in areas of very steep terrain where it is not possible to use these machines may need to rely on strategies other than feller-bunchers to reduce injuries.     

A framework for evaluating OSH program effectiveness using leading and trailing metrics

Introduction

Many employers and regulators today rely primarily on a few past injury/ illness metrics as criteria for rating the effectiveness of occupational safety and health (OSH) programs. Although such trailing data are necessary to assess program success, they may not be sufficient for developing proactive safety, ergonomic, and medical management plans.

Methods

The goals of this pilot study were to create leading metrics (company self-assessment ratings) and trailing metrics (past loss data) that could be used to evaluate the effectiveness of OSH program elements that range from primary to tertiary prevention. The main hypothesis was that the new metrics would be explanatory variables for three standard future workers compensation (WC) outcomes in 2003 (rates of total cases, lost time cases, and costs) and that the framework for evaluating OSH programs could be justifiably expanded. For leading metrics, surveys were developed to allow respondents to assess OSH exposures and program prevention elements (management leadership/ commitment, employee participation, hazard identification, hazard control, medical management, training, and program evaluation). After pre-testing, surveys were sent to companies covered by the same WC insurer in early 2003. A total of 33 completed surveys were used for final analysis. A series of trailing metrics were developed from 1999-2001 WC data for the surveyed companies. Data were analyzed using a method where each main 2003 WC outcome was dichotomized into high and low loss groups based on the median value of the variable. The mean and standard deviations of survey questions and 1999-2001 WC variables were compared between the dichotomized groups. Hypothesis testing was performed using F-test with a significance level 0.10.

Results/Discussion

Companies that exhibited higher musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) WC case rates from 1999-2001 had higher total WC case rates in 2003. Higher levels of several self-reported OSH program elements (tracking progress in controlling workplace safety hazards, identifying ergonomic hazards, using health promotion programs) were associated with lower rates of WC lost time cases in 2003. Higher reported exposures to noise and projectiles were also associated with higher rates of WC cases and costs in 2003.

Impact on Industry

This research adds to a growing body of preliminary evidence that valid leading and trailing metrics can be developed to evaluate OSH effectiveness. Both the rating of OSH efforts and the regular trending of past loss outcomes are likely useful in developing data-driven improvement plans that are reactive to past exposures and proactive in identifying system deficiencies that drive future losses.     

Critical Success Factors for Behavior-Based Safety: A Study of Twenty Industry-wide Applications

One-on-one interviews and focus-group meetings were held at 20 organizations that had implemented a behavior-based safety (BBS) process in order to find reasons for program success/failures. A total of 31 focus groups gave 629 answers to six different questions. A content analysis of these responses uncovered critical information for understanding what employees are looking for in a BBS program. A perception survey administered to individual employees (n = 701) at these organizations measured a variety of variables identified in prior research to influence success in safety efforts. The survey data showed five variables to be significantly predictive of employee involvement in a BBS process: 1) perceptions that BBS training was effective; 2) trust in management abilities; 3) accountability for BBS through performance appraisals; 4) whether or not one had received education in BBS; and 5) tenure with the organization. Also, employees in organizations mandating employee participation in a BBS process (n=8 companies) reported significantly higher levels of: (a) involvement; (b) trust in management; (c) trust in coworkers; and (d) satisfaction with BBS training than did employees whose process was completely voluntary (n = 12 companies). In addition, employees in mandatory processes reported significantly greater frequency of giving and receiving positive behavior-based feedback.     

Presence of drug screening and employee assistance programs: Exclusive and inclusive human resource management practices

Drug screening and employee assistance programs (EAPs) are human resource management practices for addressing substance abuse among employees. The two practices reflect different human resource management strategies and lead to different outcomes for employees and applicants. Drug screening is designed to exclude drug users from the workplace whereas EAPs offer them ‘rehabilitation’. Characteristics of worksites and their surrounding labor market may influence the presence or absence of these personnel practices. The results suggest that, when controlling for number of employees, economic sector, industry, and union presence, worksites with low turnover and in areas with high unemployment rates are more likely to engage in pre-employment drug screening, while worksites with low turnover more often provide an EAP.     

Project safety as a sustainable competitive advantage

Introduction: To be consistently profitable, a construction company must complete projects in scope, on schedule, and on budget. At the same time, the nature of the often high-risk work performed by construction companies can result in high accident rates. Clients and other stakeholders are placing increasing pressure on companies to decrease those accident rates. Clients routinely demand copies of safety plans and evidence of past results at the “pre-qualification” or “request for proposal” stages of the procurement process. Are high accident rates and the associated costs just a part of business? Findings: Companies that deliver on scope, schedule, and budget have a competitive advantage. Is it possible for projects with low accident rates to use it as a competitive advantage? Is the value added by safety just a temporary or parity issue, or does a successful safety program offer significant advantage to the company and the client? Impact on Industry: This article concludes that in the case of a high-risk industry, such as the construction industry, an organization with a successful safety program can promote safety performance as a sustainable competitive advantage. It is a choice the company can make.     

Evaluation of a safety training program in three food service companies

Problem: Outcome measures for safety training effectiveness research often do not include measures such as occupational injury experience. Effectiveness mediators also receive sparse attention. Method: A new safety training curriculum was delivered to workers in a stratified random sample of food service facilities across three companies. A similar group of facilities received usual training. We collected post-test measures of demographic variables, safety knowledge, perceptions of transfer of training climate, and workers' compensation claim data for one year after the initial training activities. Results: Knowledge test scores were apparently higher in the new-training units than in the usual-training units. Some demographic variables were inconsistently associated with these differences. Evidence for reduction of the injury rate associated with the new training was observed from two companies but only approached significance for one company. A second company revealed a similar but non-significant trend. Knowledge scores were not significantly associated with lower injury rates. Discussion: We found evidence that safety training increases knowledge and reduces injuries. We found almost no evidence of effects of training effectiveness mediators, including no relationship between safety knowledge and injury experience. Methodological issues related to conducting a large study may have influenced these results. Impact on Industry: Although safety training leads to greater knowledge and, in some cases, reduced occupational injuries, the influence of mediating variables remains to be fully explained.     

Effect of loss control service on reported injury incidence

INTRODUCTION: A retrospective analysis evaluated the effectiveness of an insurance carrier's flexible loss control service strategy in reducing workers' compensation policyholders' reported injury and illness claims. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of a loss control service strategy on workers' compensation claim frequency rates, on medical-only claim rates, on severity-claim rates, and on claim cost among a group of California employers. METHODS: Eighty-two small- and medium-sized companies with workers' compensation policies expiring in 1999 were randomly selected from a population of policyholders assigned to loss control consultants for two or more years. Claim performance data were obtained for each company's first expired in-force policy year and its 1999 expired policy year. The retrospective design was combined with a control component based on a randomly selected comparison group of 45 companies whose first policy year with the insurer expired in 1999 and who received safety services from the loss control staff. RESULTS: The flexible loss control consultation service strategy was associated with lower average claim rates and costs. Companies assigned to a loss control consultant for two or more years (the "outcome group") had an average claim rate of 1.24 per $10,000 premium, compared with a rate of 1.62 in the "initial group" and a rate of 1.60 in the "comparison group." The average severity-claim rate of the outcome group was 0.32, compared with the initial-year and comparison-group means of 0.48 and 0.46, respectively. The average medical-only claim rate was 0.92, compared with the initial- and comparison-group means of 1.14 and 1.14. The outcome group's average loss ratio was over 10% lower than that of the initial and comparison groups. Statistical analysis indicated that differences among the groups' claim rates and severity-claim rates were [F=(2,206) 4.938, P=0.008] and [F=(2,206) 8.208, P<0.001], respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A loss control service strategy that provides service flexibility and develops partnership between employer and consultant can help reduce the frequency and severity of workers' compensation claims. Barriers to consultation service flexibility, both internal and external, should be identified and removed to enhance service efficacy.     

The unfolding of Bhopal disaster

As an employee of Union Carbide India at the Bhopal plant, I know how the disaster happened. The merciless cost-cutting severely affecting materials of construction, maintenance, training, manpower and morale resulted in the disaster that was waiting to happen. Significant differences between the West Virginia, USA plant and the Bhopal, India plant show the callous disregard of the corporation for the people of the developing countries. The narrative below, if given a proper thought by the management and governments, should help in significantly reducing industrial accidents.     

An investigation of lifting operations on UK construction sites

Lifting operations and associated equipment have become commonplace within the UK construction industry. However, recent high profile accidents involving lifting equipment have shown that the result of its misuse can have serious cost and health implications.The main aim of the research was to investigate lifting operations on construction sites exploring different options, their effectiveness, and their effect on safety. This research looked into the processes in place; the factors that have to be taken into consideration when placing and using lifting equipment; and the competent persons required when operating equipment. With these aims, literature review was conducted. This was followed by investigation on three construction sites. These case studies were enhanced through interviews with general site staff, managerial staff, and appointed persons.The findings revealed six main points to improve safety in lifting operations. These are: through planning; training; equipment selection, use and inspection; feedback/communication; appointed person’s role; and database. Thorough planning of lifting operations has positive effects on safety. There is need for tighter accreditation of all qualifications in the lifting operations field. The charter of major lifting equipment from specialist contractors should be considered as industry best practise. Companies should avoid authoritarian working culture to facilitate efficient feedback to improve safety. The appointed person should have site based role. Site inspections and maintenance should be monitored on a national database form.Practitioners can benefit from this paper as it provides information on experiences from three construction sites. Furthermore, researchers can use the findings for their future studies.     

The relationship between employees' perceptions of safety and organizational culture

PROBLEM: With limited resources to help reduce occupational injuries, companies struggle with how to best focus these resources to achieve the greatest reduction in injuries for the optimal cost. Safety culture has been identified as a critical factor that sets the tone for importance of safety within an organization. METHOD: An employee safety perception survey was conducted, and injury data were collected over a 45-month period from a large ready-mix concrete producer located in the southwest region of the United States. RESULTS: The results of this preliminary study suggest that the reductions in injuries experienced at the company locations was strongly impacted by the positive employee perceptions on several key factors. Management's commitment to safety was the factor with the greatest positive perception by employees taking the survey. DISCUSSION: This study was set up as a pilot project and did not unitize an experimental design. That weakness reduces the strength of these findings but adds to the importance of expanding the pilot project with an appropriate experimental design. SUMMARY: Management leadership has been identified, along with several other factors, to influence employee perceptions of the safety management system. Those perceptions, in turn, appear to influence employee decisions that relate to at-risk behaviors and decisions on the job. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: The results suggest that employee perceptions of the safety system are related to management's commitment to safety, which, in turn, appear to be related to injury rates. Management should focus on how to best leverage these key factors to more positively impact injury rates within their companies.     

基于系统动力学个体安全经验研究

安全经验作为约束员工不安全行为的非正式手段越来越受到安全管理人员的重视,该文主要围绕员工个体安全经验,运用复杂系统知识,利用系统动力学Vensim软件,建立了员工个体安全经验系统的因果关系,通过设计4组方案对比分析了员工接受安全培训的次数和员工适应岗位的时间这两个因素对员工个体安全经验和企业总安全经验的影响效果及程度,得出在员工刚入厂时不宜变换其工作岗位,一定时期后应以加强安全培训为主来提高员工的个体安全经验。预测与分析员工个体安全经验发展趋势,有助于企业安全监管部门对员工个体安全经验的提升进行规划指导,制定有关政策以保证员工个体安全经验的增长,从而达到提高员工自身防御风险的能力。     

Leader–member exchange and job performance: The effects of taking charge and organizational tenure

We theorized and tested the mechanisms by which leader–member exchange (LMX) quality is associated with job performance. The results obtained using 212 employee–supervisor pairs from eight Chinese companies indicated that LMX quality had an indirect and positive relationship with taking charge via psychological empowerment and had an indirect and positive relationship with job performance via taking charge. In addition, organizational tenure significantly moderated the relationship between taking charge and job performance, such that the positive effect of taking charge on job performance became weaker as organizational tenure increased. Furthermore, organizational tenure significantly moderated the indirect positive relationship between LMX quality and job performance via taking charge; the indirect effect became weaker as organizational tenure increased. These results suggest that organizations should encourage managers to develop high‐quality LMX with their subordinates, which may make them feel more empowered and engage in more taking charge, and result in better job performance. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Understanding adolescent development: implications for driving safety

PROBLEM: The implementation of Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) programs has significantly improved the crash and fatality rates of novice teen drivers, but these rates remain unacceptably high. METHOD: A review of adolescent development research was undertaken to identify potential areas of improvement. RESULTS: Research support for GDL was found to be strong, particularly regarding early acquisition of expertise in driving safety (beyond driving skill), and to limitations that reduce opportunities for distraction. GDL regimes are highly variable, and no US jurisdictions have implemented optimal regimes. SUMMARY: Expanding and improving GDL to enhance acquisition of expertise and self-regulation are indicated for implementation and for applied research. Driver training that effectively incorporates safety goals along with driving skill is another target. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: The insurance industry will benefit from further GDL enhancements. Benefits may accrue to improved driver training, improved simulation devices during training, and automated safety feedback instrumentation.     

Organizational safety: which management practices are most effective in reducing employee injury rates?

PROBLEM: While several management practices have been cited as important components of safety programs, how much does each incrementally contribute to injury reduction? This study examined the degree to which six management practices frequently included in safety programs (management commitment, rewards, communication and feedback, selection, training, and participation) contributed to a safe work environment for hospital employees. METHOD: Participants were solicited via telephone to participate in a research study concerning hospital risk management. Sixty-two hospitals provided data concerning management practices and employee injuries. RESULTS: Overall, the management practices reliably predicted injury rates. A factor analysis performed on the management practices scale resulted in the development of six factor scales. A multiple regression performed on these factor scales found that proactive practices reliably predicted injury rates. Remedial measures acted as a suppressor variable. DISCUSSION: While most of the participating hospitals implemented reactive practices (fixing problems once they have occurred), what differentiated the hospitals with low injury rates was that they also employed proactive measures to prevent accidents. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: The most effective step that hospitals can take is in the front-end hiring and training of new personnel. They should also ensure that the risk management position has a management-level classification. This study also demonstrated that training in itself is not adequate.     

Enhancing corporate compliance with worksite safety and health legislation

Introduction: A 2-year prospective study evaluated the effectiveness of a managerial training program to enhance corporate compliance with statewide worksite safety and health regulations. The program offered participants information about regulatory requirements and emphasized organizational and environmental strategies for reducing occupational injuries and illnesses. Objectives: To assess the effects of a train-the-trainer program on business managers' knowledge of statewide occupational safety and health legislation and on levels of corporate compliance with regulatory requirements. Methods: Forty-eight small- and medium-sized companies participated in the training sessions during the first year of the study. These firms were compared with 46 control companies that did not receive the training until the conclusion of the study. Results: Participation in the program was associated with higher levels of corporate regulatory compliance 12 months after the training sessions were held (controlling for baseline levels of corporate compliance with the regulations). Program effects on compliance levels were mediated by posttraining changes in managers' knowledge of regulatory requirements. Conclusions: The REACH OUT training program raised managers' awareness of and corporate compliance with statewide worksite safety and health regulations. Impact on Industry: Smaller companies face greater challenges than larger ones in developing and maintaining worksite safety and health programs. Barriers to regulatory compliance, especially in small- and medium-size companies, should be identified and removed to enhance the efficacy of these programs.     

Organizational Factors Affecting Safety Implementation in Food Companies in Thailand

Thai food industry employs a massive number of skilled and unskilled workers. This may result in an industry with high incidences and accident rates. To improve safety and reduce the accident figures, this paper investigates factors influencing safety implementation in small, medium, and large food companies in Thailand. Five factors, i.e., management commitment, stakeholders’ role, safety information and communication, supportive environment, and risk, are found important in helping to improve safety implementation. The statistical analyses also reveal that small, medium, and large food companies hold similar opinions on the risk factor, but bear different perceptions on the other 4 factors. It is also found that to improve safety implementation, the perceptions of safety goals, communication, feedback, safety resources, and supervision should be aligned in small, medium, and large companies.     

Safety climate in university and college laboratories: impact of organizational and individual factors

INTRODUCTION: Universities and colleges serve to be institutions of education excellence; however, problems in the areas of occupational safety may undermine such goals. Occupational safety must be the concern of every employee in the organization, regardless of job position. Safety climate surveys have been suggested as important tools for measuring the effectiveness and improvement direction of safety programs. Thus, this study aims to investigate the influence of organizational and individual factors on safety climate in university and college laboratories. METHOD: Employees at 100 universities and colleges in Taiwan were mailed a self-administered questionnaire survey; the response rate was 78%. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis of variance revealed that organizational category of ownership, the presence of a safety manager and safety committee, gender, age, title, accident experience, and safety training significantly affected the climate. Among them, accident experience and safety training affected the climate with practical significance. RECOMMENDATIONS: The authors recommend that managers should address important factors affecting safety issues and then create a positive climate by enforcing continuous improvements.     

The concept of degraded images applied to hazard recognition training in mining for reduction of lost-time injuries

Introduction: This paper discusses the application of a training intervention that uses degraded images for improving the hazard recognition skills of miners. Method: NIOSH researchers, in an extensive literature review, identified fundamental psychological principles on perception that may be employed to enhance the ability of miners to recognize and respond to hazards in their dangerous work environment. Three studies were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the degraded image training intervention. A model of hazard recognition was developed to guide the study. Results: In the first study, miners from Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Alabama, who were taught with the aid of degraded images, scored significantly better on follow-up hazard recognition performance measures than those trained using traditional instructional methodologies. The second and third studies investigated the effectiveness of the training intervention at two mining companies. Data collected over a 3-year period showed that lost-time injuries at mines in Alabama and Illinois declined soon after the training intervention was instituted. Impact on Industry: Further exploration of the hazard recognition model and the development of other interventions based on the model could support the validity of the steps in the hazard recognition model.     

Voluntary employee turnover: combining variables from the ‘traditional’ turnover literature with the theory of planned behavior

In this study we tried to answer the question of whether the three predictors from the theory of planned behavior provide a satisfactory explanation for intentions and behaviors in the context of voluntary employee turnover. We examined whether variables which have traditionally played a prominent role in the study of turnover, i.e., job satisfaction, organizational commitment, age, and tenure, were capable of explaining additional variance in turnover intentions and voluntary turnover. We conducted a longitudinal study in which 296 respondents serving as professionals in the Royal Netherlands Navy completed a questionnaire. Half a year later they were asked to answer a second identical questionnaire; data were obtained from 202 participants who answered all relevant questions in both questionnaires. Their actual behavior (staying versus leaving) was registered during a 2‐year period following the completion of the first questionnaire. Behavioral intentions proved to be the best predictor of turnover in which the effects of all other variables were accounted for. Job satisfaction and tenure explained a significant proportion of the variance in intentions after the effects of the predictors from the theory of planned behavior had been taken into account. The results are discussed in relation to theoretical, methodological, and practical issues. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Change in frontline supervisors’ safety leadership practices after participating in a leadership training program: Does company size matter?

Introduction: The majority of construction companies are small businesses and small business often lack the resources needed to ensure that their supervisors have the safety leadership skills to build and maintain a strong jobsite safety climate. The Foundations for Safety Leadership (FSL) training program was designed to provide frontline leaders in all sized companies with safety leadership skills. This paper examines the impact of the FSL training by size of business. Methods: Leaders, defined as foremen or other frontline supervisors, from small, medium, and large construction companies were recruited to participate in a study to evaluate the degree to which the FSL changed their understanding and use of the leadership skills, safety practices and crew reporting of safety-related conditions. We used linear mixed modeling methods to analyze pre-post training survey data. Results: Prior to the training, leaders from small and medium sized companies reported using safety leadership skills less frequently than those from large ones. After the training, regardless of business size, we observed that the FSL training improved leaders understanding of safety leadership skills from immediately before to immediately after the training. Additionally, leaders reported greater use of safety leadership skills, safety practices, and crew reporting of safety-related conditions from before to two-weeks after the training. However, those from small and medium sized companies reported the greatest improvement in their use of safety leadership skills. Conclusions: The FSL training improves safety leadership outcomes regardless of the size company for which the leader worked. However, the FSL may be even more effective at improving the safety leadership skills of leaders working for smaller sized construction companies or those with lower baseline levels of safety leadership skills. Practical applications: The majority of construction companies employ a small number of employees and therefore may not have the resources to provide their frontline leaders with the leadership training they need to be effective leaders who can create a strong jobsite safety climate. The Foundations for Safety Leadership (FSL) training can help fill this gap.