Purpose The purpose of this safety program is to aid business owners with their Federal OSHA compliance efforts. Each business is unique and each program will require customization. As the program is customized, remember to only include words, sections, concepts, procedures, etc. that are relevant to the operations. The purpose of any written safety program is to provide a clear and consistent plan for addressing safety in a particular area of focus. Use Use this wizard to customize your program Instructions To develop your customized plan, follow steps 1 through 3 in order, by clicking the buttons and following the instructions prompted by the program. Customize Review and Format Approve & Save

<CompanyName>

Safety Observation Program

Version <Version>

Updated: <Date>

Contents

1.	Program Purpose	1

2.	Definitions	1

3.	Responsibilities	1

4.	Observation Frequency	2

5.	Conducting an Observation	2

6.	Employee Feedback	3

7.	Benefits of Safety Observations	4

Appendix I: Targeted Jobs for Deliberate Observations	5

Appendix II: Safety Observation Form	6

Employee Acknowledgement	7

Program Purpose

<CompanyName> is committed to providing a safe and healthy work environment for our entire staff. In pursuit of this goal, the following Safety Observations Program is provided to assist our supervisors with observing and correcting any unsafe acts and conditions in reducing overall accident frequency.

Decrease the total number of unsafe acts being committed by our employees on a daily basis by providing coaching, mentoring, and a focus on positive recognition.

Develop and execute a formalized safety observation process that identifies both safe and at-risk behaviors of employees carrying out their daily tasks.

Develop and execute an observation process that promotes immediate feedback and interaction with the employee for both safe and at-risk behaviors.

Definitions

Incidental Observation – an impromptu observation and unplanned event

Deliberate Observation – a scheduled observation that is planned

Unsafe Actor – an at-risk employee who deliberately ignores job hazards

Accident Repeater – an employee who has had multiple injuries within a certain time period

Responsibilities

The <ProgramAdmin> will serve as the Safety Observations Program Administrator

The Program Administrator’s responsibilities include:

Periodic program review and updates

Review and summarize observation worksheets for trend identification

Communication of findings to leadership team

Ensuring supervisors are completing observations and providing feedback to employees

Follow-up of any action plans developed as a result of observation outcomes

Observers

<JobPosition1> will complete safety observations of employees engaged in work activities. Safety observations will focus on recognizing employee safety behaviors and providing them feedback, both positive and corrective.

Incidental observations will be completed randomly by <JobPosition2> who will complete the observation checklist and provide feedback to employee.

Deliberate observations will be completed on target employees by <JobPosition3> who will complete the observation checklist and provide feedback to the employee.

New employees will receive <NumOfObservationsNew> safety observations in the first 30 days of employment or department transfer.

Accident Repeaters and Unsafe Actors will receive safety observations, with frequency to be determined by their supervisor.

Employees returning from vacation, long term illness, or other extended absences will be targeted for safety observation in the week they return to work.

<JobPosition4> will conduct deliberate observations of employees who are assigned to jobs where:

Injuries frequently occur

Unsafe acts could lead to a serious or catastrophic injury

Awkward postures exist

Repetitive motion is prevalent

Based on the exposures in the facility, these jobs have been prioritized for safety observations and are identified in “Appendix I: Targeted Jobs for Deliberate Observations.”

Observation Frequency

At a minimum, safety observations should be conducted <NumOfObservationsMin> times monthly and documented on the observation checklist for both “deliberate” and “targeted jobs.”

Conducting an Observation

When observing employee performance utilize the A.W.A.R.E principles which include:

Announce

Let the employee know you will be conducting an observation. This sets the tone for the observation and resulting discussion. It also sends a message of trust and gives the employee an opportunity to discuss any questions or concerns he/she may have.

Watch

Spend time watching the employee carry out the task and avoid rushing to conclusions. Make note of any behaviors/actions that may have contradicted established protocols so this can be discussed with the employee afterwards. If the employee is performing in an unsafe manner that exposes them to imminent danger, the observer must intervene and terminate the observation until the situation is discussed with the employee.

Ask

One of the most important aspects of an observation is determining why a precaution was or was not taken. This insight is one of the most effective mechanisms to affect behavior change and prioritize safety improvement initiatives. Statements such as “Help me understand why you chose to do it that way?” allows the employee to discuss their rationale or intent.

Reinforce

Observations are an opportunity to specifically point out the positive things an employee is doing for his/her own safety. Emphasis should be placed on reinforcing what the employee is doing right to ensure safe performance. If an employee has performed a discretionary precaution while performing the work, this is an excellent time to reinforce precisely what you observed, and encourage the employee to continue. This helps change the common belief safe is defined by the lack of accidents rather than by what people do to control risk exposure.

Express Concern

When risk is identified during an observation, the language chosen to provide feedback is critical. Expressing concern is a preferred approach overstating someone is "at risk" and "unsafe." A comment such as “I’m concerned about your safety when you performed one of the job sequences” is a preferred feedback mechanism because it is non-threatening, and shows the employee his/her safety is the most important factor in this observation process.

Employee Feedback

Feedback must be provided to employees after each observation to ensure a mutual understanding of observation outcomes and any future action items. Some feedback techniques include:

Sincerity – Mean what you’re saying and avoid clichés

Clear – Talking about the real topic and saying what you mean

Timely – Immediate feedback is preferred when it’s important and fresh

Safe – Avoids aggression and personal factors

Grounded – Based on facts and behaviors not opinion

Two-way – All sides have a voice in the discussion and outcomes

Important – Worth working on and not a nitpick

Solution-Focused – Looking towards the future and prioritized

Supported – Lifelines are available

Ongoing – It is not a single event never to be spoken of again

Benefits of Safety Observations

Safety observation can provide several benefits to our company. The main purpose of safety observations is to identify (and correct) unsafe acts and conditions. There are also several indirect benefits including:

Check the effectiveness of training programs

Promote on-the-spot correction and coaching of unsafe acts

Provide opportunities to compliment and/or reward safe behaviors

Develop cooperative safety attitudes

Promote more learning about the employees in your crew

Suggest and identify better job methods

Appendix I: Targeted Jobs for Deliberate Observations

Position Title
<RiskyJob1>
<RiskyJob2>
<RiskyJob3>
<RiskyJob4>
<RiskyJob5>
<RiskyJob6>
<RiskyJob7>
<RiskyJob8>
<RiskyJob9>
<RiskyJob10>

Appendix II: Safety Observation Form

Safety Observation Form

Job Position:	Employee Name:	Date: Completed by:
Task Description (Describe Responsibilities of the Job)	Performance Expectations (Procedures and safety rules)
Location of Observation (Department/Area):

Safe Behaviors:	Positive Reinforcement Provided (Y or N)

Immediate action taken to address unsafe behaviors	Corrective Action Details	Responsible for Corrective Action	Due Date
Unsafe Behaviors:
Unsafe Conditions:

Employee Acknowledgement

I have received information on <CompanyName>’s Safety Observation Program. By signing below, I agree to abide by the procedures in this document and bring to the attention of my supervisor any questions or concerns had.
Employee Name: _________________________________
Employee Signature: ______________________________
Date: __________________________________________