Tarmac’s target of zero lost-time injuries acts as an umbrella for the many initiatives and changes aimed at gaining and improving worker participation.
A Safety Charter has been developed. Each employee and their manager are asked to sign it on a one-to-one basis, after discussion of common guidelines. Directors and senior managers have nearly all attended a 1 day “Directing Safely” IOSH-accredited training course, whilst managers have taken a 4 day IOSHaccredited “Working Safely” course.
These training opportunities were followed up by a Safety Training Review which involved a series of interviews with a large number of employees at all levels, to identify both good and bad practice with regard to safety training. There is also a programme of training for all employee representatives. Safety promotion is considered important to keep the messages fresh. In additional to mugs, pens, etc, (for the sites); posters, screensavers, and mouse mats help to convey the message.
Safety Task Audits have been based on the Du Pont system, which can be summarised thus:
• stop and observe work activity
• discuss activity with operatives
• ask what is the worst that could happen
• praise aspects of safe behaviour
• question unsafe behaviour
• identify corrective action
• gain commitment to act
By ways of results, Tarmac Central (approximately 2,400 employees) recorded 74 lost-time injuries in the year 2000. This reduced to 53 in 2001 and 36 in 2002. |