Searching for breakthrough change in occupational health and safety performance: emerging themes Siobhan CardosoProject CoordinatorInstitute for Work & Health, Toronto, Ontario
Safety Service Nova Scotia Conference
March 21 2013
Lynda S. Robson, PhD (Principal Investigator)Associate Scientist, Institute for Work & Health
and
Cindy Moser1, Ben Amick (Co-PI)1,2, Michael Swift1, Mark Pagell3, Sheilah Hogg-Johnson1,4, Harry S. Shannon5, Liz Mansfield1, Harriet South1, Siobhan Cardoso1
1 Institute for Work & Health, Toronto, ON, 2 University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston, TX, USA, 3 UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business
School, University College Dublin, Ireland, 4 Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, 5 McMaster University, Hamilton, ON
Presenting the work of:
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What is “breakthrough change”o Large, intentional, firm-level improvement in the prevention
of injury or illness
Key elements of BTC
Why these elements are important in OHS improvment
What will you learn today?
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◦ Past research identified differences between firms that are low and high performing in OHS
◦ OHS mgmt standards specify a high performance set of structures and processes
◦ A good understanding of the change between low and high performance is lacking
• What motivates the change?
• How do they do it?
Why focus on breakthrough change?
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Phase 1: Searched for companies that were undergoing a large decline in claim rates; briefly interviewed them on why their claims were decreasing.
Phase 2: in-depth case studies that reflected what we saw in the statistics
What we did
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Definition of large change for screening WSIB statisticsExample 1:
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010203040506070
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Per
cent
ile ra
nk in
ra
te gro
up
From rank of ≥ 50% in claim rate
Could be gradual change
To rank of ≤ 20% in claim rate
Definition of large change for screening WSIB statisticsExample 2:
7
01020304050607080
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Per
cent
ile ra
nk in
ra
te g
roup From rank of ≥ 50% in claim rate
Could be sudden change
To rank of ≤ 20% in claim rate
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Firms ≥ 75 FTE over 1998-2008 (n = 2,599)
Firms changing from ≥ 50th to ≤ 20th percentile rank (n = 67)
Firms in which change was more certain (n = 32)
Firms briefly interviewed by IWH (n = 15)
Intentional change confirmed in interview(n=12)
BTC CASES
Occurrence of BTC is 1 in 200 over a decade!
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Change is complexNo magic bullet story here!
Six to 12 distinct internal changes mentioned per case
Primary prevention involved in all cases (n = 11)Primary prevention only (n = 5)Secondary prevention only (n = 0)Mix of primary and secondary (n = 6)
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Types of change No. of firms reporting
Education / training in primary prevention improved 9External expertise obtained (consultant, Safety Group, SCIP) 8OHS personnel added through hiring or reassignment 7Tool / equipment / machinery changes 6JHSC more active / intense 6Culture change 6RTW program implemented / enhanced 6Hazard identification enhanced (general, ergonomic) 5Performance management for OHS enhanced (performance review, disciplinary actions, reward program)
5
OHS policy and/or procedures enhanced 5
11
Types of change No. of firms reporting
Management prioritization of OHS 4
Auditing 4
Safer work procedures introduced 3
New OHS information systems introduced 3
Reporting of OHS data to senior management / Board of Directors 3
Increased analysis of OHS data 3
New selection of contractors using OHS criteria 3
Was there anything that you were surprised to see among the changes?
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Senior Management
HS department/manager
JHSC
Other-assistant to GM
Unknown
0 1 2 3
Who drove the change internally in BTC firms?
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# of firms reporting
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External motivators Number of firms reporting
Ontario Prevention System intervention 4 MOL enforcement 2 WSIB Workwell audit 1 Health & Safety Association consultant outreach 1Bill C-45 (criminal liability) 1Customer demands 1Serious injury in a similar workplace (reputation, moral) 1No external motivators mentioned 4Motivators (internal and external) are unknown 2
Change is complex and varied
Internal personnel drives change
External prevention system helped motivate BTC
Key elements of BTC (so far!)
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Anything you want to talk about?
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Phase 2: Case Studies
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Key elements of success and what they look like in practice
What is a key element?An aspect of the context, process and content of the BTC that likely or potentially contributed to its occurrence.
Sector Size (FTE) Unionization
Manufacturing – metal products 250 No
Manufacturing – plastic products <100 No
Grocery store (owner’s sole franchise location)
160 Yes
Group homes and community services 230 Yes
Case study sites
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How we collected the data
Timeframe: Site visits: 2 researchers, 2 days
1. Interviews participants:Variety of roles and levelso Senior managero Supervisoro Front-line workero Management designate in
OHSo JHSC members
Long tenure employees preferred
2.Worksite tour Guided tour around worksite with
a knowledgeable OHS employee
3. Document review
o JHSC minutes,
o Annual reports,
o Internal statistics reports,
o WSIB statements, etc.
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What we found
External triggers that motivate BTC
New external OHS knowledge acquisition
Knowledge transformation leaders are important
Alignment of key elements
Organizational context is important for BTC
Dedicated OHS personnel
Safety committees help drive/sustain change
Simultaneous organizational improvements add to OHS
Key elements
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played a highly significant role in the initiation of BTC
Examples:o regulatory, o financial incentives through the market,o knowledge about OHS risk and its management
External influences that motivated BTC
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External public consultant as motivation for change:
….But that relationship has really been the biggest and most significant driving force over the years…I mean it was a driving force in the sense that it was the impetus to change…it’s more of a resource in they would have knowledge and information saying ‘you know you should be thinking about this, and you should be thinking of that’.
(Firm 55, Stan, HR manager)
External customer demands acted as a motivator:
... We started looking at our safety programs and, actually what happened was a lot of customers who wanted to get on board with them, as being a supplier, big customers like {large petroleum company}, they wanted a track of our safety records cos I guess they always just want to be affiliated with companies in good standing as well. So that was also I guess part of one the things I brought…a little bit more emphasis on safety back in the late 90s.
(Firm 16, Patrick, Safety coordinator & process engineer)
Management consultants were common external agents contributing to changeBoth private and public consultants made a difference
New external OHS knowledge acquired
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External OHS consultant infused knowledge and training into safety program and employees:
We tried for a year or two to do it on our own, we found that we were still not getting to where we needed to be, at the same time the Ministry started to work with the Workwell audits…there was a couple of stores that had received Workwells and judging by their scores I knew that we wouldn’t do well either…that was even more of a catalyst to get involved with {consultant}. (Firm 23, John, Store owner)
The owner figured that we needed some help, somebody to lead us into this safety thing that was happening…you got to understand, we will not read every newspaper or everything– instead with her, being what she is, she will look at everything up to date. Everything that has to do with safety, with hazards, and she brings it up to us….this woman that’s coming in, this lady that’s coming in, she’s a great help. She’s a great asset to us.
(Firm 23, Vlad, Produce manager)
received/embodied new external OHS knowledge mobilized organizational skills to support knowledge transformation were trusted by senior management and workers which gave them
authority to act empowered the JHSC
Knowledge transformation leader(s) are key
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PATRICKo Process engineer & safety coordinatoro Worked at the plant 20+ yearso Corporate health and safety personnel for a period of timeo Important skills:
• Well liked by both worker and management circles• Understood the safety and operation demands
Example of a knowledge transformation leader:
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Patrick’s been the real safety leader all these years...He’s done a lot work around the safety program, and really mentoring people and keeping things fresh and in everybody’s ears, you know, always thinking safety. So he’s one of the big, big leaders.
(Firm 16, Danny, plant manager)
Patrick’s a very open person...I perceive it as – you know he would never, ever, like distance himself from anybody. Always out there on the floor – helping.
(Firm 16, Tim, operator)
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Knowledge transformational leaders make a difference to management and workers
Alignment of key elements leading to change
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Organizational motivation
Knowledge transformation
leader
Ready source of external OHS
knowledge
BTC process initiation
External trigger:-Workwell audit,
serious injury in like business
OHS consultant and store owner
External OHS consultant
…we have more tools now…once you have the tools you get the knowledge right? And we, it’s not that we didn’t care before it’s just that all the tools were not there . We were not emphasizing too much on safety as we do today.
(Firm 23, Vlad, Produce manager)
When elements align change can occur
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Organizational
motivation
Knowledge transformation
leader
Ready source of external OHS knowledge
o Employee relations were good o Low turnover
o Organization had a history of being innovative
o Senior management at worksite were competent leaders
Organizational context is important for BTC
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In what forms was their support given?
o Senior management was supportive of OHS (including corporate level where applicable)
o Resource expenditure
o A senior leader scanned the environment, which indicated improvement in OHS was desirable, and then instigated or supported change
Organizational context includes senior managements support
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New hires
New responsibilities for existing personnel
Dedicated OHS personnel
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TESSo Previously worked on the floor in an automotive plastics
manufacturing facilityo Had completed her college education in OHSo First EHS coordinator at the planto Important skills:
• she was especially competent, having both OHS knowledge and people skills
• highly motivated
Example of a dedicated OHS personnel
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Tess was really good at getting back to people and closing loops, and then getting more information from people, it becomes a cycle of people being willing to talk more and, to expect more, because they’ve gotten this much, they expect more.
(Firm 12, Sally, HR supervisor)
I do a meeting, it’s a quality plan, but I do an environmental health and safety training plan every year…And I determine what needs to be talked about every year and I try to take this information and I put it into ‘Okay, in January I’m going to do this, in February I’m going to do that, and everything else.’
(Firm 12, Tess, EHS coordinator)
Dedicated OHS personnel can engage workers & spend time setting, tracking and working towards goals
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It was a boring, crappy, dry committee when it first started. And then when we got to see all the really neat stuff that we really needed to do, and it’s very rewarding in that we had nothing and the policies that we have now, and the practices that we have now are significant, and they are to the betterment of the agency, to union people, to the people we support. (Firm 55, Colleen, coordinator)
Safety committee drove or helped sustain change
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…Never saw them at a safety meeting!
There were simultaneous operational improvements directed at its core functions, which contributed to improvement in OHS:
Standard operating procedures put in placeLean improvements (housekeeping, machine maintenance)AccreditationSafety related purchases
Simultaneous organizational improvements add to OHS improvements
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…you know three thousand bucks a lift is a small price to pay compared to one lost-time claim or something like that. So we’ve bought many lifts since I’ve been here…I’m not sure why they didn’t have more before I was here, but anything like that, that would come to me, almost always I will sort of almost just rubber-stamp approve it, because in the big scheme it’s not a huge cost, it’s a very, very good return on investment .
(Firm 55, Gord, Financial director)
Reinforces that OHS improvements are complex in nature
External resources can help motivate change
Requires several elements in alignment to motivate change
Sustainability is key for long term benefits
Overview:
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These are preliminary findings from the results
Find matched cases from Ontario for all 4 cases
Learn more about sustainable changes
Next steps/ Caveats
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Thank you for your time
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