Making Zero Accidents a Reality (Best Practice)

RT-160 Topic Summary
RT 160

Overview

This study assessed the impact, in a large project setting, of the five high-impact Zero Accident Techniques identified in the 1993 CII study. RT-160 identified 10 key topic areas that contribute to improved safety performance. Although the five topics from the 1993 study were among them, they are being implemented with some notable differences. The 10 topic areas follow in the order of how a safety initiative might take place:

  1. Management commitment
  2. Staffing for safety
  3. Pre-project and pre-task planning
  4. Safety education (orientation and specialized training)
  5. Worker involvement
  6. Evaluation and recognition and reward
  7. Subcontractor management
  8. Accident/incident investigation
  9. Drug and alcohol testing
  10. Contract type
     

RT-160a’s related research focused on short-duration projects (commonly referred to as shutdowns, turnarounds, or outages) to assess the unique characteristics of these projects; particularly, the rapid buildup of the workforce. Its results were consistent with the key topic areas for RT-160 above, but RT-160a identified additional factors that influence safety performance on shorter projects:

  1. Transferring workers from other projects to perform the work
  2. Hiring workers a few weeks before the short duration project
  3. Shorter work weeks and project duration
  4. Smaller crews or worker-supervisor ratios
  5. Incentivized contracts

Key Findings and Implementation Tools

1 : Top Management Commitment

It is of paramount importance for top management to convey to others in the firm or on the projects that cost, schedule, and quality do not take priority over safety. Top management sets the tone and the philosophy by which the company safety standards will be set and implemented, and commits valuable resources to fully implement an effective safety program. (RS160-1, p. 4)
Reference: (RS160-1)

2 : 10 General Areas of Safety

Key insights on the implementation of these 10 key topic areas are described in RT-160’s research, including: RS160-1 p. 4)

  1. Demonstrated management commitment must be sincere and conveyed to the worker level. 
  2. Staffing for safety requires full-time safety personnel to ensure safety needs of the project are being satisfied.
  3. Pre-project and pre-task planning ensures a safety start and that safety is integrated into daily tasks.
  4. Safety education should include a formal jobsite orientation and additional training focused on the needs of individuals.
  5. Achieving the goal of zero accidents may be accomplished through behavior observations, worker safety perception surveys, and participation in safety committees.
  6. Recognition and rewards that are not costly, given often, and based on a specific goal, and that influence worker evaluations that impact wage increases.
  7. Subcontractor management that drives the safety agenda beyond the general contractor’s own employees.
  8. Accident investigation that identifies root causes and includes near misses.
  9. Drug and alcohol testing with random testing.
  10. Contract type data indicate that cost plus contracts result in better safety performance compared to lump sum contracts.
Reference: (RS160-1)

3 : Additional Factors for Short Duration Projects

RT-160a found that shutdowns, turnarounds, or outages benefit from the safety factors referenced in Key Finding #2, but their unique characteristics benefit from additional safety factors, specifically: (RS160a-1, p. 5)

  1. Finding workers from similar company projects who are already familiar with the type of work. 
  2. Smaller scheduling time units provide more detailed planning, which enhances safety performance. 
  3. Hire workers in advance to provide training and become acclimated to the worksite. 
  4. Shorter work weeks and project duration, with work weeks no longer than six twelve-hour days, minimizes the impact of fatigue. 
  5. Smaller crew size or ratio of workers to supervisors.
  6. Incentivized contracts for good safety performance. 
Reference: (RS160a-1)

4 : Zero Injuries

One notable conclusion of RT-160a is that zero injuries can be achieved on short duration projects. (RS160a-1, p. 20)
Reference: (RS160a-1)

5 : Safety Best Practices Implementation

The various topic areas must be taken as a systematic whole. There is no single best practice to impact safety performance and no “quick fix.” All of the factors are important and must be addressed in some way to achieve good safety records. (RR160-11, pp. 84-86)
Reference: (RR160-11)

6 : Actions “Safer Firms” Use

RT-160 identified 15 actions that “safer firms” use to achieve their higher level of safety performance. (RS160-1, p. 21):
  1. Employ full-time safety representatives for fundamental safety tasks instead of using consultants.
  2. Implement formal safety observation programs on projects.
  3. Have safety observers on projects.
  4. Base worker incentives on a specific level of performance, typically below a prescribed injury frequency level.
  5. Evaluate field supervisors on their safety performance.
  6. Provide advancement to those with strong safety performance records (proved to be safer) instead of whoever received good ratings or reviews.
  7. Conduct random drug testing. Safer firms had fewer positive results in their random drug testing.
  8. Have the company president (in the home office) review project safety reports.
  9. Provide orientation training for every worker on the project (including subcontractor workers).
  10. Provide formal orientation training for new hires.
  11. Give the workers more hours of additional training.
  12. Involve top management in investigating all recordable injury and lost workday cases.
  13. Note whether subcontractor safety meetings are held daily.
  14. Require subcontractors to submit project-specific safety plans.
  15. Impose sanctions on subcontractors who do not comply with project safety requirements.
Reference: (RS160-1)

7 : Actions “Safer Firms” Use on Short Projects

RT-160a found that “safer firms” used 11 actions to achieve a high level of safety performance on short duration projects (RS160a-1, p. 20):
  1. Schedule operations by the hour.
  2. Employ workers who are familiar with shutdown work.
  3. Have smaller work crews.
  4. Implement pre-task planning on all operations.
  5. Provide orientation training for every worker on the project (including subcontractor workers).
  6. Include workers in project safety committees.
  7. Invite subcontractors to regular safety planning meetings.
  8. Base worker incentives on injury performance and safe work behavior, not exclusively on injury performance.
  9. Establish well-developed drug testing programs.
  10. Conduct thorough near-miss investigations with the involvement of various personnel.
  11. Use contract incentives.
Reference: (RS160a-1)
rt-160

Key Performance Indicators

Improved safety

Research Publications

Safety Plus: Making Zero Accidents A Reality - RS160-1

Publication Date: 02/2003 Type: Research Summary Pages: 23 Status: Supporting Product

Making Zero Accidents A Reality: Focus on Shutdowns, Turnarounds, and Outages - RS160A-1

Publication Date: 07/2002 Type: Research Summary Pages: 26 Status: Supporting Product

Making Zero Accidents A Reality: Focus on Shutdowns, Turnarounds, and Outages - RR160A-11

Publication Date: 05/2002 Type: Research Report Pages: 96 Status: Reference

Safety Plus: Making Zero Accidents A Reality - RR160-11

Publication Date: 03/2002 Type: Research Report Pages: 110 Status: Reference


Supporting Resources

Education Materials

Making Zero Accidents A Reality - Instructor's Guide - EM160-21

Publication Date: 05/2006 Type: Education Module Pages: 0 Status: Supporting Product

Making Zero Accidents A Reality - Participant Handbook - EM160-21A

Publication Date: 05/2006 Type: Education Module Pages: 0 Status: Supporting Product


Presentations from CII Events

Implementation Session - Journey to Zero Injuries Using CII Best Practices

Publication Date: 06/2003 Presenter: Number of Slides: 38 Event Code: AC03

Plenary Session - Journey to Zero Injuries Using CII Best Practices

Publication Date: 06/2003 Presenter: Number of Slides: 20 Event Code: AC03

Session - Making Zero Accidents a Reality- Focusing on Shutdowns, Outages, and Turnarounds

Publication Date: 07/2002 Presenter: John Mathis Number of Slides: 28 Event Code: AC02

Plenary Session - Making Zero Accidents a Reality

Publication Date: 07/2001 Presenter: John Mathis Number of Slides: 27 Event Code: AC01

Session - Making Zero Incidents a Reality

Publication Date: Presenter: Number of Slides: 81 Event Code: PIW311

Session - Accidents Trending Down-Achieving Zero a Reality

Publication Date: Presenter: Number of Slides: 63 Event Code: PIW912


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