My Partner For Learning Solutions

Supervisor’s Role and Responsibilities

Best Practices

Presented by:

Bob Pierce

Safety & Health Manager

ESD 113, Workers’ Compensation

Objectives

Identify the duties and responsibilities of effective supervisors before, during & after an injury takes place Understand why the supervisor's role is critical in achieving best practices Successful best practice programs require supervisory involvement

To make immediate impact.

– Use the Near Miss Reports Effectively

– Use Checklists to Conduct Building Safety Walkthrough Assessments

– Identify Safety Hazards, Remove Hazards, Implement Awareness Training

– USE SAFESCHOOLS

Three Things You Can Do

My Partner For Learning Solutions

So what should a supervisor do BEFORE an injury or illness occurs?

Ensure that all safety policies are UNDERSTOOD and procedures are being followed

Identify workplace hazards and implement effective solutions

Provide appropriate personal protective equipment & adequate TRAINING

Create and maintain a safe work environment

Provide the claim reporting policy and procedure

You are self-insured ESD 113, WCT

Provide RTW information

Safety is everyone’s responsibility it IS NOT an option

Educate employees about their rights and responsibilities

On the job training to include physical requirements in all job descriptions Continually observe employees’ activities Periodically reassess employees’ physical ability to perform their job Make any needed changes in staffing, tools, or procedure

Ensure staff are prepared to safely perform their assigned duties

Meet with employees on a periodic basis to solicit recommendations on employee safety

Include employees in policy development, decision-making and implementation of safety procedures and programs

Consistently convey an attitude of caring

Develop a positive understanding with employees, creating a culture of trust

Ensure all employees understand their job duties as well as their physical requirements

– At orientation – At annual reviews – Anytime a job reassignment is made – When a job is modified

Furnish employees with information on any known job hazard Coordinate and monitor required safety training – USE SAFESCHOOLS Continually access and identify training needs - USE SAFESCHOOLS

Provide access to job-related information and training

Reward safe behaviors – (HOW)?

Is working safely optional?

Provide safety policies and procedures – Begin process in a non-punitive manner but

have steps in place for progressive disciplinary action if necessary – Working Safely Must Be Taken Seriously.

Establish safe work guidelines

Eliminate hazards or hazardous tasks

Use engineering controls – Physically change a machine or work

environment

Perform job safety analysis – Break job tasks down into steps and identify

where hazards are present

– Address, remove if possible, hazardous steps

Implement loss prevention processes to avert and reduce work injuries and illnesses

Exercise administrative controls – Change the way a job is done

Provide personal protective equipment Participate in safety committee Analyze claim data to determine what type of injuries are occurring, and where

– Develop procedures/programs to address most frequent and

most severe injuries – Set goals for improvement – Measure progress and results

Implement loss prevention processes to avert and reduce work injuries and illnesses

Document Camera Overhead

Employee Incident Form

Investigate every accident report

– Supervisor

– Safety Committee

– Special Task Force

There are a number of ways to accomplish investigating and follow up of accident reports. BUTCH SWEET

Accident/Incident Reporting

After analyzing job tasks, determine how jobs can be modified Determine alternate jobs that can be created Our WCT Claims Staff can/will help with this process

Develop a bank of modified/ transitional duty

jobs

Now What?

Supervisor responsibilities once an

injury occurs

If warranted, call 911

If you have an employee health department or an on-staff nurse, accompany injured worker to be triaged by nurse and referred for care

Ensure employees receive prompt and appropriate medical care

If immediate medical care is not necessary, provide injured worker with an Employee Incident Report and ensure completion within 24 hours

If immediate medical care is required, provide employee with Employee Incident Report as soon as feasible and request back within 24 hours

Have injured worker complete an Employee Incident Report

Secure the accident scene

Interview injured employee to determine who, what, where, when, why, how

Interview any possible witnesses and obtain their written statement

Uncover as many FACTS as possible

Perform accident investigation

• Re-enact a timeline of the accident.

• Talk with Injured worker and any witnesses.

Accident Investigation Process

Hazard Condition - Remedy

Safety Assessments

Provides an additional perspective on how the injury occurred and what can be done to prevent recurrence

This is an important, almost always neglected step

Follow up is a must for success

Supervisor Follow Up Is a Must

Hazard Condition - Remedy

Provide support and encouragement – People need to know you care

– Explain the work comp process including

employee responsibilities

– Help employee stay “connected” to the workplace • Know what’s going on in department

• Reduce feeling of isolation

Maintain frequent, meaningful contact with the injured worker

Discuss the RTW program

– Informal discussions

– Department meetings

Identify modified and transitional duty jobs

Coordinate return to work process with a Workers’ Compensation Adjudicator

Coordinate or implement a RTW

Identify what type of injuries are occurring Identify where injuries are occurring Identify why injuries are occurring Develop processes to eliminate or reduce likelihood of these injuries Make use of employee involvement

Analyze claim data to develop loss prevention strategies

Ergonomic Concerns

Identifies loss prevention opportunities

Raises employee morale

Increases productivity

Reduction in accident frequency

Reduces claim costs

BE-INVOLVED

Benefits of active supervisory involvement

To make immediate impact.

– Use the Near Miss Reports Effectively

– Use Checklists to Conduct Building Safety Walkthrough Assessments

– Identify Safety Hazards, Remove Hazards, Implement Awareness Training

– USE SAFESCHOOLS

Three Things You Can Do

Take a few minutes to THINK about the presentation

What are the one or two BIG Ideas to take away?

Questions

Unsafe Act? OR Unsafe Condition?

Before Accidents Happen

Slips & Falls

Hood Canal