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Occupational Safety Blog

By Fred Rine, CEO of FDRsafety and former long-time Managing Director of Safety and Health at FedEx, Jim Stanley, President of FDRsafety and former No. 2 at OSHA headquarters and Mike Taubitz, Senior Advisor to FDRsafety and former Global Safety Director for General Motors.


Archive for the ‘Safety and sustainability’ Category

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Scrambling to keep the Gulf cleanup safe

June 29th, 2010 posted by Jim Stanley

Jim Stanley

The massive, expanding cleanup on the Gulf is creating safety challenges aplenty and both the government and private industry are scrambling to respond.

We’ve seen the impact in our safety staffing operation. One Friday afternoon we were asked by a major cleanup contractor if we could find 10 safety professionals to put on the job by Monday morning. We were able to oblige.

OSHA reported this week that more than 39,000 workers were involved in the cleanup as well as 6,500 vessels. OSHA itself began deploying staff to the Gulf in late April and now has personnel at all 17 staging areas in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.

Depending on their jobs, OSHA said, workers can face hazards from “heat, falls, drowning, fatigue, loud noise, sharp objects, as well as bites from insects, snakes, and other wild species native to the Gulf Coast area. Workers may also face exposure to crude oil, oil constituents and byproducts, dispersants, cleaning products and other chemicals being used in the cleanup process.”

The agency reported that it has made over 1392 site visits, covering vessels and staging areas as well as decontamination, distribution and deployment sites.

OSHA says it is also working to ensure that workers are not exposed to dangerous levels of toxic chemicals. OSHA has reviewed the BP monitoring data and has brought in a team of industrial hygienists to conduct its own independent monitoring both on shore and on the cleanup vessels.

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A place to learn more about connections between safety, ‘lean’ and sustainability

June 3rd, 2010 posted by Fred Rine

Fred Rine

When you get right down to it, safety, “lean” processes and sustainability are all about the same thing: eliminating waste. In the case of safety, it’s about eliminating the waste of human resources through accident or illness; the other two are about conserving financial or natural resources.

At FDRsafety, we believe that thinking around these three ideas will continue to converge. That is why we have established a section on our website called “Safe, Lean, Sustainable.”

In that section, we have created a resource center where you’ll find articles about the relationship between these three concepts as well as some practical ideas about putting them into place. The main driver behind the section is FDRsafety’s Senior Advisor, Mike Taubitz. Mike, who is former Global Director of Safety for GM, has done lots of thinking and writing about how these ideas connect.

We invite you to take a look at the section and also to check out a new LinkedIn group called SHE, Sustainability and Lean, where people interested in this topic can gather and share ideas.

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Deming, a pioneer in the world of safe and lean

May 7th, 2010 posted by Mike Taubitz

Mike Taubitz

I just finished reading an excellent book….

“Out of another @#&*% Crisis – Motivation through Humiliation” (available at ASQ and Amazon) grades US business on how well they stack up against Dr. W. Edwards Deming’s principles. Deming’s 1982 book, ‘Out of the Crisis’ put forth 14 principles for leaders and organizations desiring to improve quality and service. For those not familiar with Deming, I encourage you to do an internet search and find out more about the man and his contribution to quality and a philosophy of management that is perfectly suited to safety.

Deming, a statistician, is credited with starting post-WWII Japan on the path of producing quality in its products. He is regarded as having had more impact upon Japanese manufacturing and business than any other individual not of Japanese heritage. Despite being considered something of a hero in Japan, he was only just beginning to win widespread recognition in the U.S. at the time of his death in 1993.

Deming is also recognized for the concept of PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) for continuous improvement. Many of you will recognize this concept as the foundation of today’s management systems. If you read ANSI / AIHA Z10 – 2005, Occupational Health and Safety Management System, you will find PDCA prominent throughout the entire document. What is less well understood is that Deming’s work in Japan also led to development of the many tools, practices and thinking associated with lean production.

More importantly, Deming’s 14 points hammer home the concepts of leadership and respect for people. With safety as a foundation for respecting people and using lean tools like 5S, value stream mapping, just-in-time, workflow, knowledge folders and a dozen other tools, the organizations practicing lean and safe are doing so because of Deming’s wisdom.

So, you ask, how does US business stack up with Deming. According to Mike Micklewright, author of ”Out of another @#&*% Crisis – Motivation through Humiliation,” US industry has earned mostly “Fs” and “Ds.’” He provides data and observations to support his personal characterization of industry’s performance. Like Micklewright, I too, am a huge fan of Deming. I spent many a Wednesday night in the late ‘80s as part of a Deming workgroup working with UAW colleagues to better understand how we might incorporate Deming’s teachings into health and safety. One of the most notable things we did was to apply statistical process control to the fatality data in General Motors to better understand our constancy of purpose.

At that time, fatality data for large global companies was typically a metric of number fatals million hours worked or 100,000 employees. You could compare performance to other companies or past years but learned little of root cause due to limited sample size. We engaged a statistical expert and gave him 30 years of fatality history.

Cranking the data, we learned something that would drive dramatic improvement in GM and much of industry. Traditionally, GM and the UAW focused on lockout because of the number of machines and injuries related to hazardous motion. What we had overlooked was that 19% of the fatals in a 30-year period came from falls from elevation. Just two common cause issues (lockout and falls) accounted for nearly 50% of the fatalities over 30 years.

Armed with the data, we went to management, and undertook a massive effort related to design, and providing proper fall protection when the hazards could not be designed out. Within a couple of years, we saw significant improvement in reducing fatalities. GM has continued the journey and boasts the best injury/illness record in the automotive industry. The knowledge for the beginnings of that journey came from Dr. Deming.

Apart from the tools of lean and safe, what Deming did best was underscore the value of the human mind. I can’t think of a better mentor to underscore safety as a 24-7 value than Dr. Deming. Companies that follow his principles will truly be on the path to sustainable growth.

Please join us for more discussion about safety and sustainability at the LinkedIn group, SHE, Sustainability and Lean.

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5S: Getting your hands dirty to clean things up

April 29th, 2010 posted by Mike Taubitz

Mike Taubitz

If you read my first two blog posts about 5S, you should have a better understanding of the “what” and “why” of 5S. This blog will help you understand the “how.”

A detailed checklist is helpful to assure that cleaning materials, trash, temporary storage and other necessary items are in place to assure a smooth workshop. Participants report wearing work clothes as 5S requires folks getting their hands dirty.

On the day of the kaizen, (kaizen is Japanese term that equates to continuous improvement) event, the team receives an introduction to 5S and the steps they must follow. After moving to the project site, they spend a few minutes writing a “Purpose Statement” to guide their work. (This is where “effective isn’t perfect” comes into play – - the Purpose Statement might change but it helps organize thought to get going quickly.)

#1 Sort

  • Items of no value are immediately trashed
  • Items with value but not meeting the purpose of the area being 5S’d are sent to a temporary storage area for later disposition
  • Consider the 7 Forms of waste in Sort and all steps of 5S. Remember the acronym COMMWIP:

    • 1. Correction (Errors)
    2. Overproduction
    3. Motion (people)
    4. Material movement
    5. Waiting
    6. Inventory
    7. Process

  • Items that are not present but could add value are identified for follow-up.

# 2 and # 3 Straighten and Shine

  • Items are organized for easy access
  • Everything is deep cleaned (more than a superficial wipe)
  • The goal is to organize items most often used to be easy to see and easy to get.
  • Steps 2 and 3 are usually done concurrently as dictated by common sense.

#4 Standardize

  • Use labels, tape, written instructions and other forms of visual controls (e.g. colored stickers) to enhance understanding. Those who use the area should be able to quickly obtain what they need when they need it.
  • This is the step where elements of the standard are written on an 8 ½ x11 sheet of paper adjacent to a plan view diagram of the area itself. This sheet is placed in a plastic protector and affixed to a wall in a convenient and visible location.

5 Sustain

  • During the kaizen workshop, another 8 ½ x11 form is completed showing who is to do the inspection along with the second level person who validates that the inspection takes place as prescribed. It, too, is placed in plastic and affixed to the wall.
  • The most difficult part of 5S is the ongoing part of sustain where the improvements made are maintained according to the standard.

5S Workshop Summary

  • Usually takes 6-8 hours
  • 30-80% savings in inventory and floor / shelf space is common
  • Tasks associated with the project become faster and easier

The outcome is an organized area, but…
The real value is using 5S to help the team understand how to identify and eliminate waste of which safety of employees is foremost.

For more information on these and similar topics, you may be interested in joining the SHE, sustainability and lean group on LinkedIn

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5S: Getting management to practice what it preaches

April 22nd, 2010 posted by Mike Taubitz

Mike Taubitz

Have you ever walked through a manufacturing, transportation or service organization that seems well organized and wondered why the offices seem cluttered and disorganized? It could be several reasons:

  • Management does not understand that “lean and safe” applies to office and business systems
  • Most lean and safe tools, systems and processes are designed for workers – not management
  • It is a lot easier to preach than it is to practice something

The latter item is the focus of this blog. I will assume that senior leaders understand that culture must be led by management. Therefore, any program to improve operational efficiency while reducing risk must begin in the office.

When that happens, everyone in a salaried job will understand how to waste. They will also understand that safety is a value and that injury and illness is waste with significant adverse impact on the employee, the employee’s family and the organization.

To begin the process of improving organizational culture, leadership would be well served to implement a one-day 5S workshop. For those who are not familiar with 5S, it is a system to improve efficiency and safety. The five S’s are: sort, straighten, shine, standardize and sustain.

Planning for a 5S workshop

  • Identify a project that can be completed in one day
  • Select a team with team leader, subject matter expert and two to four others who function as “critical eyes”
  • Make sure necessary materials (e.g. boxes to move material) and space (temporary storage of items not needed but that have value) are ready
  • Provide training for participants
  • Conduct the workshop following the five steps
  • Note follow-up items
  • Conclude with a brief celebration of work accomplished

The before and after pictures below were from a one-day 5S workshop in a small service organization. The Executive Director worked in blue jeans side-by-side with other employees. Not only did the team clean and organize a supply room with limited space, but they also identified hours of wasted time on work that did not add value to their overall mission.

What great way to start culture change. Teamwork and learning that enables management to “practice what they preach.”

5S and safety

Before

5S and safety

After

For more about the relationship between 5S and safety, read my previous post on this blog.

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Work safer, leaner with 5S

April 5th, 2010 posted by Mike Taubitz

Mike Taubitz

Good housekeeping has historically been a foundation for occupational safety. 5S, a process used in lean manufacturing, offers even greater benefit to create not only a clean workplace, but also one that improves both efficiency and safety at the same time.

5S is a method for organizing a workplace. It works particularly well with shared workplaces by keeping them organized with standardized work practices. Comprised of five Japanese words, each beginning with “S,” 5S offers principles and methodology to improve efficiency by eliminating waste, improving work tasks and reducing process inefficiency. The English translation for 5S is:

1. Sort
2. Straighten
3. Shine
4. Standardize
5. Sustain

Forms of waste

The seven forms of lean waste that inhibit workflow and organizational efficiency help identify problem areas. The acronym COMMWIP offers a simple way to remember:

1. Correction (errors)
2. Over – production
3. Motion
4. Material movement
5. Waiting
6. Inventory
7. Process (complex, bureaucratic or undefined)

Safety personnel understand that risk cannot be reduced without identification and mitigation of hazards. The same is true for improving value-added activity by eliminating waste. You will be hard pressed to reduce waste if you do not know what it is. 5S allows people to learn the fundamentals of waste in a real world, hands-on project that produces immediate benefits.

Benefits of 5S

Short-term benefits include:

• Reduced inventory and floor space
• Having “what you need, when you need it, where you want it” facilitates doing work safely and efficiently
• Visual controls provide immediate notice that something is not up to standard
• Teamwork is enhanced by consensus decision making

The long-range benefits of 5S are improved workplace morale, safety and efficiency, leading to improved organizational culture.

Improving culture

When leadership desires to improve operational performance while demonstrating the real value of employees, they will find 5S to be a powerful tool to begin the journey to an improved culture. Typical 5S workshops are one day so results and learning are virtually immediate.

As you learn more about 5S, think about how you can it as a means to teach teams how to identify and eliminate waste – along with understanding that injuries and illness are wastes. 5S can be used in any size / kind of organization and in offices, vehicles or other places where work is performed. Try it in your own workplace. It is a great first step to making safety a key part of organizational culture.

To learn more, watch for my next blogs on this topic.

You may also be interested in my previous post on the relationship between safety and sustainability.

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New group on LinkedIn discusses safety and sustainability

March 24th, 2010 posted by Mike Taubitz

Mike Taubitz

Safety and sustainability are really about the same thing – conserving resources with respect for people and environment as core values. In the case of safety, it’s about conserving human resources. A group has just formed on LinkedIn to discuss these issues. It is called SHE, sustainability and Lean .

Join in and see my post below discussing this issue.

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How safety fits with sustainability

March 24th, 2010 posted by Mike Taubitz

Mike Taubitz

Sustainability is a board level issue in most companies. It is a complex strategic challenge that balances social, economic and ecological issues for sustainable growth of the organization.

In its simplest form, sustainability can be remembered as “People, Profit and Planet.” The question for safety professionals is “where do we fit into this C-suite initiative?” If you have a sound safety process, my suggestion is to make sure that safety is a value within the organization.

Sustainability, “green” and environment are terms often used interchangeably. For clarification and purposes of this blog, let us agree that “green” and environment is essentially the same thing. While key, they are part of “planet” – just one piece of the overall equation for sustainable growth. People and profit need to be there. When safety becomes a 24-7 value, it forms the foundation of respect for people. Add respect for environment and you have the necessary building blocks to link safety to sustainability in your organization.

That building block comes about when you merge safety with lean. That may be happening in some organizations but it is not apparent if one does an internet search.

What is both visible and apparent is that lean production is aligning with “green.” We know this because a quick internet search for “lean and green” will show pages of hits. Lean production not only drives the economic (profit) part of the equation but also is founded on the identification and elimination of waste. Fewer wastes in the production and business process reduce air, water and solid wastes. This is a true “win-win” that explains the alignment of these two pillars of sustainability.

The social or “people” pillar includes both employees and external communities. The concern I have is that when you read the scores of hits displayed on your “lean and green” search, you will note an absence of “safety.” Do we not consider injury and illness waste? Don’t we have safety as a value in our organizations? How can we discuss “people are our most valuable asset” if safety is not forefront with strategic issues such as sustainability?

I know from first-hand experience that many companies are doing an excellent job making sure employee safety is fully integrated into the fabric of daily business. However, it would appear that something is amiss on the national scene. Occasionally, you see safety mentioned as the 6th “S” in the 5S process. (5S is five-step process of 1) sort, 2) straighten, 3) shine, 4) standardize, 5) sustain used to clean and organize the workplace). That is tokenism, not full integration because 5S is only one part of a very large toolkit to improve operational performance. (I’ll have a series of blogs on this topic to help you understand how to use this as a foundation for lean and safe)

We should all strive to have lean, green and safety operating seamlessly and concurrently. We accomplish that by the identification and elimination of waste. Let’s make this a personal challenge within our organizations and professional groups. It is time that we place the health and well-being of employees and their family’s forefront in the strategy of sustainability.

With the understanding that “all models are wrong, but some are useful,” I submit the following for comment using safety as foundation and part of the steps to sustainable growth.
safety and sustainability

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