Managing Health and Safety - A Quality

Approach


A British Steel case study


















Introduction
British Steel Engineering Steels is committed
to Total Quality Management. Many
customers perceive the quality of the product
or service as being of equal (or greater)
importance as price. Total Quality
Management has added value to British Steel
Engineering Steels products and services by
addressing customer quality requirements
and has made British Steel Engineering
Steels (BSES) a world leader in the
manufacture of engineering steels.

The commitment to quality has been
recognized by the achievement of international quality assurance standards such as the
International Standards Organizations ISO 9000. In 1998 BSES won a National Training
Award, through a scheme run on behalf of the government by the Department for Education
and Employment. Such awards can provide market and competitive benefits to an
organization.
This case study examines how British Steel Engineering Steels (BSES) used Total Quality
Management principles to establish a training framework to increase the knowledge and skills
of Health and Safety, thereby further improving business safety performance.

A Total Quality Culture
As well as providing a set of guiding principles and policies, Total Quality Management
creates a culture. In this culture every employee, at every level, takes responsibility for
meeting the needs of the customer. Total Quality Management concerns people, not just
policies and procedures. When companies establish a Total Quality Management culture, they
are usually working towards becoming a learning organization. The learning organization
continually works towards improving its capacity to create its own future.

A learning organization brings people together to achieve shared objectives; it empowers
employees to contribute effectively to the process of continuous improvement. The ability to
learn faster than competitors is considered to be the only sustainable way to maintain a
competitive advantage. Within this context of continuous improvement, training is a pre-
requisite.





Health and Safety at Work
Health and Safety legislation is part of
criminal law. Employers are under a
statutory duty, under the Health and Safety at
Work Act (1974), to keep a written statement
of their Health and Safety policy. The
Management of Health and Safety at Work
Regulations (1992) also requires the formal
assessment of risks to employees while at
work and implementation of
protective/preventative measures. Failure of
employers and employees to comply with
their individual duties regarding Health and
Safety at work can lead to prosecution, fines,
imprisonment etc.

By its nature, British Steel Engineering
Steels, like any industrial organization, has
the potential to be a hazardous working environment. Large steelworks involve hot metal,
noxious gases and heavy machinery. BSESs Health and Safety record has traditionally been
very good. However, the business recognizes that safety attitudes and practices require
continuous improvement.

This led to a decision to drive Health and Safety standards to leading edge excellence.
Improving Health and Safety practices and procedures eliminates lost work time through
accidents, increases productivity, reduces costs and improves morale.
In order to achieve these goals there had to be a commitment throughout the organization to
the following principles:

All accidents are preventable and all risks can be safeguarded.
Employees at all levels have specific responsibilities for safety.
Each level of management has overall responsibility for accident and ill health prevention, but
is assisted by safety and medical specialists who provide a comprehensive up to date
advisory/monitoring service.
Documented safety policies and procedures are necessary and are communicated effectively
to all persons who work within the business.
Management ensures, via regular audits, that specified systems and procedures are being
followed.
All employees need to be involved in the development of safe working practices.
All employees are trained to work safely.
All injuries, accidents and dangerous incidents are investigated and potential hazards
recognized.
Targets and objectives are set in each work area to ensure continuous improvement in safety
performance and these are communicated effectively to all employees.

Strategy for Accident Free Employment (SAFE)

As a learning organization, BSES regards
the achievement of the best possible
accident prevention record as one of the
highest priorities in running the business,
and to achieve this introduced a five year
Strategy for Accident Free Employment
(SAFE) which had the following overall
objectives:
to put in place systems and procedures
to ensure positive management of safety
to create a culture which promotes a positive
approach to safety
over a five year period, to reduce the level of all first time attendances at the medical
department by at least ten per cent, year on year, with a target of no lost time injuries at the
end of this period.

BSES identified a progressive action plan for implementing the SAFE strategy over a five
year period. One of the objectives in Year One was to establish a safety training schedule for
managers and supervisors and commence training, involving Ashorne Hill, the steel industrys
management college.


The Training Cycle
The training cycle shows how to plan an
effective training programme which meets
the needs of the organization and the
individual. Having established a clear set of
strategic training objectives, trainers within
organizations need to ask the following
questions, which correspond to the training
cycle outlined in the five phases:
To achieve our strategic objectives, what are
the implications for the skills, attitudes and
knowledge of all the people at various levels
of the company? (Setting objectives)
What is the current position and does that
indicate any gaps in existing skills,
knowledge and attitudes? (Identification of
training need)
Can I design an effective training response to
fill this gap? (Choice of training method)
How will I know when I have achieved success? (Evaluation)
It is important to remember that the training cycle is on-going. Constant evaluation of each
aspect is the key to a successful training programme. The whole training programme took
place over five definite phases which related to the objectives of SAFE.

Delivering the training
Phase one
Having set training objectives to meet the business needs, several existing training packages
were considered and proposals from external training providers were invited. British Steel
Engineering Steels decided to start with a two day Management of Health and Safety training
workshop. Senior line managers were involved in its design and it was cascaded from
directors to middle managers and supervisors. A number of training methods were employed,
including problem solving exercises, lectures and videos. The primary aim of this workshop
was to increase line managers ability to manage Health and Safety.
This workshop had clearly defined
objectives, specifically designed to meet the
needs of senior managers. At the end of the
course, senior managers were expected to:
understand the legal framework for safety
with particular emphasis on recent European
legislation
interpret the legal requirements in a practical
organizational context
understand the principles of risk assessment
and be able to apply these to the working
environment
understand the economic cost of failure, plant damage, lost production etc. and how positive
management of Health and Safety can contribute to the positive image of a business
understand the need to obtain a commitment from individual employees and the safety
representatives in a practical and positive way which ensures that Total Safety Management is
seen as a process which involves all employees
identify standards and controls in their own area of responsibility to improve performance.
Clearly identified objectives mean the success of the course can be evaluated. Following the
training, senior managers began the process of identifying training needs within their own
areas and setting clear objectives against which success could be measured. This exemplifies
the concept of cascading.

Phase two
During the first six months of the phase one
training, the evaluation process identified the
need for further training of supervisors and
middle managers. A one day workshop,
designed to meet their specific needs, was
introduced to complement the initial two day
course.
Phase three
A number of senior managers attended a specialist Occupational Health and Safety course.
This provided a broad understanding of the management of Occupational Health and Safety,
giving an insight into the sorts of problems that may arise and the principles which could be
used to solve them.

Phase four
Senior middle managers continued to attend the specialist Occupational Health and Safety
course.

Phase five
Trade union representatives attended a special in-house course on training for safety
representatives delivered by trade union and management facilitators. In addition a basic
safety awareness course was delivered to office staff.

Evaluating the Benefits
Evaluation determines the value of the
training at both an organizational and an
individual level. Evaluation is a continuous
process and seeks to assess:
the effectiveness of the training
whether the trainees have learned what the
training set out to teach them
whether the learning has been applied
whether the applied learning has
brought about the required changes.

British Steel Engineering Steels identified a
number of issues which it addressed during
the delivery of the safety training initiative. A course specific to office staff was introduced.
Improved timing of workshops ensured maximum attendance and increased cost
effectiveness. The two-day workshops for managers were made more specific to the five-year
strategic plan. Changes were also made to training methods and workshops were made more
interactive using case study exercises and project work.

The primary aim of the training was to develop a positive attitude to Health and Safety. This
is needed to create and maintain a safe working environment. SAFE sought to reduce
significantly the number of accidents which resulted in lost work time and the number of first
visits to the medical centre due to work related injuries.


Benefits
Training benefits the individual as well as the organization. Individuals now share a healthier
and safer working environment. Individual interest in other courses has increased and many
employees have learned new skills. The organization will benefit from better productivity and
a reduction in business costs.
At an organizational level the number of first time visits to the medical centre has reduced by
37% and the number of accidents resulting in lost work time has reduced by 42% to date.
Training in Health and Safety has involved participants at all levels and created a culture
which promotes a positive approach to Health and Safety management. Employees have
received relevant training in Health and Safety procedures which clearly defines their
responsibilities in this essential area.

Conclusion
British Steel Engineering Steels has planned
and implemented an extremely effective
training programme. It has embraced an
important training need in such a way as to
create a positive change in the
organizational culture regarding Health and
Safety.

Many employees have been involved in the
planning and delivery of the Health and
Safety initiative. The nature of the training
has broken down barriers between managers
and employees by empowering employees
and encouraging the continuous shared involvement in Health and Safety management.
In 1998 British Steel Engineering Steels received recognition for its Health and Safety
training by winning one of the governments National Training Awards. Creating a culture in
which people are brought together to achieve shared objectives is the key to success.