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Safety First: The Value of Alliance
February 1, 2008 By: Jim Romeo Paperboard PackagingContinued commitment to health and safety in the paperboard packaging industry is aided by alliances.
There are several sure things in the paperboard packaging industry. However, you can always be sure that safety will be high on the list of importance for any manager in the industry.
Recently the American Forest & Paper Association renewed its alliance with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Pulp and Paper Safety Association (PPSA) as part of its continued commitment to improve workplace health and safety in the forest, paper and wood products industry.
Through the Alliance program, OSHA works with groups committed to safety and health, including businesses, trade or professional organizations, unions and educational institutions, to leverage resources and expertise to develop compliance assistance tools and resources and share information with employers and employees to help prevent injuries, illnesses and fatalities in the workplace.
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Alliances such as these are an effective way to promote safety to member organizations and others in the industry that look up to such associations as their peer benchmark, particularly when it comes to safety-related issues.
"OSHA Alliance programs are an excellent way for a trade association and industry to raise the safety bar and reduce injuries," says Fred Hayes, director of technical services for the Packaging Machinery Manufacturing Institute (PMMI). "The U.S. is the only nation to enforce [or] adhere to safety standards. In fact, PMMI developed and introduced the first safety standard for packaging and packaging-related converting equipment. As the packaging industry evolves and technologies advance, it is critical to set and establish international packaging standards."
Alliances are an excellent way to develop industry-specific solutions, according to Kathryn Howard, a health and safety specialist in the Occupational Safety and Ergonomics Excellence (OSEE) program at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).
"OSHA alliances are one way to increase compliance with applicable safety regulations in the workplace," Howard says. "Alliances provide a way for the industry sector to develop solutions to safety issues specific to that sector through a defined set of goals developed by the alliance. Defining goals will ensure that pulp and paper industry concerns are addressed by OSHA and the alliance."
While all firms strive for safety, some do it better than others. There are many things to consider when examining what makes a company excel in the paperboard packaging industry.
Greg Anderson is president and ceo of Randy Smith Training Solutions, a firm specializing in industrial training solutions and co-author of the book, Safety 24/7, which helps companies create and implement a strong safety culture. Anderson says he believes a successful safety program is a function of the safety culture that is fostered in the industrial environment.
 Increasing Industry Safety through Alliances |
"Whether a company excels in safety over the long term will depend on its culture, which can be described as the beliefs and behaviors handed down from one generation of employee to the next," Anderson says. "There is a significant difference in a safety culture and a culture of safety. A safety culture simply describes the beliefs and behaviors that are demonstrated within a company. Therefore, a safety culture may be good, focused on reducing incidents and injuries, or it might be poor, tolerating at-risk behaviors that put people at unnecessary risk."
According to Anderson, a safety culture is created by the example that managers themselves set — and also by how they set expectations for their staff.
"Do managers reward an employee's operational performance without recognizing the risks they took to achieve the outcome?" Anderson asks. "To illustrate a poor safety culture, a person may complete a task quickly, but performed at-risk behaviors along the way that put them or someone else in jeopardy. By acknowledging the person for a job well done, the manager is not only tolerating, they are in fact reinforcing, the at-risk behavior. Managers need to have the supervisory skills to create an environment that motivates a person to change the behaviors that put them or someone else at risk."
RIT's Howard agrees with this perspective. She notes that a safety program will show success when management not only understands the importance of safety, but endorses safety programs. "The ceo or president makes a point to attend safety meetings and fully supports safety initiatives," she says. "Without the support of upper management, a safety program cannot flourish."
Howard says she believes that culture is a critical link to a successful safety program: "Workplace safety is ingrained in the culture of the firm," she says. "A distinction between business operations and safety does not exist, as safety is integrated into everyday operations. Employees watch out for each other, understand why safety is important, and value safety programs that are in place."
She also emphasizes the importance of breaking down the barriers that management stratification can establish. No matter what level an employee is at on the organizational totem pole, it's important that they all be on the same team when a safety meeting is held.
"The team meets regularly and is composed of employees at all levels — upper management, supervisors, floor employees, and office personnel — to ensure representation from all levels of the organization," Howard explains.
She says the biggest mistake companies can make is to not include floor employees in their safety team. Because floor employees are actually performing work every day, they have the technical and specialized knowledge to know whether an idea or modification is feasible.
Furthermore, engaging floor employees in the decision-making process ensures their buy-in to workplace changes. Employees are not likely to support change that is forced on them when they are not part of the decision-making process. The firm has then invested a significant amount of time and money in a change that employees neither support nor follow.
"One person does not have sole responsibility for the implementation of safety in the organization," Howard concludes. "Rather, an active safety team is in place to implement company policy, address employee questions, and make safety-related decisions."
