SIA Victorian Safety Conference 2017

1. On Bended Knee:
Marrying Strategies to Reduce the Impact of
Workplace Knee Injuries in a Shipbuilding
Environment
or
Using Interdisciplinary Groups to Drive Safety based
Initiatives
Presented by John Whale with contribution from Mr Liam McClory
SIA Conference 2017
1

2. Using Interdisciplinary Groups
 Technique has been around for many decades
 Popular as part of ”Quality Circles” circa pre1980’s
 Mainly focus on increasing productivity / quality
 Flat structure no hierarchy
 Generally have authority to implement decisions
 Normally have a budget / resources to carry out
interventions
 Have a life cycle
 BAE System embraced this philosophy for their Zero Harm
Working Groups (ZHWG)
 This project ran from 2012 until mid 2015
 2016 the Shipyard stopped production
2

3. Interdisciplinary Group Principles
 Safety function supports and
facilitates – as “a team
member”
 Has a Senior Leader as
project champion
 Group is small (<10)
 Group has a range of
expertise / experience
 Group is not a panel of
experts
 Must include shop floor and
supervisors
 All on the team are equal
3
Lawler. E & Mohrman. S (1985) Quality Circles after the Fad Harvard Business Review

4. Case Study
4

5. BAE Systems - Williamstown
Shipbuilding and block construction.
• Completion of the Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD)
• Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) block projects.
• Blocks continued till April 2016
• Yard Closed in mid 2016
5

6. Shipbuilding – High Physical Demands
Shipbuilding is a physically
demanding and high risk job.
Trades consist of:
• Boilermakers & Welders
• Mechanical & Pipe fitters
• Technicians & Trades
Assistants
• Electricians
• Riggers & Scaffolders
The primary work involves:
• Confined space work
• Working at heights
• Hot work
• Kneeling & squatting
• Working in awkward positions
(e.g. ground level & overhead)
• Lifting & bending
6

7. Program Phases
7

8. Program Phases
8

9. Phase 1 - Injury Impact
Common Injuries
Impact to:
 Worker health
 Time off work
 Inherent
requirements
 Cost of claim
 Productivity
 Hidden costs
9

10. Phase 1: Impetus for Change - Financial Impact
$0
$200,000
$400,000
$600,000
$800,000
$1,000,000
$1,200,000
$1,400,000
$1,600,000
$1,800,000
$2,000,000
Knee Shoulder Back Neck Feet
Total Statistical Claims Estimates (SCE) for 2013/14
Injured Body Part
StatisticalClaimsEstimate
10

11. Phase 2: Understanding the Issue
In 2012/2013 the Williamstown shipyard saw an increase in knee
injuries requiring surgery and subsequent Lost Time Injuries (LTI’s)
predominantly in Boilermakers and Welders.
 FTI
 MTI
 LTI
11

12. Causation of knee injuries determined in consultation with a
Physiotherapist and Knee Surgeon. Physio also part of ZHWG
All contributing factors to knee injuries identified and grouped.
LOW HANGING FRUIT
Individual vs Task Selection
Job Rotation
Extra Load Carrying
Reduce Kneeling
Awareness / Education
Postures during activity
Conditioning
PPE
LONGER TERM FOCUS
Ageing Workforce
Degeneration
General Health
Reporting Culture
Yard Culture (Macho)
Podiatry
Working Environment/Task
Confined Space Work
Phase 3: Looking at the process
12

13. Interventions & Implementation
 4 Main Areas Identified
 Systems of Work
 Awareness and Training
 Workforce Strengthening
 PPE
 Rolled out and reinforced over a12 month period
 Reporting progress quarterly to Senior Executive
 Follow up Phases to build on existing practice
and “what worked”
13

14. Intervention:
• Reorder of work design to reduce cramped workspaces
• Review Pre Employment Medical (PEM) for high risk areas
• Suitable duties register linked to supervisor accountability
• Investigated use of backpacks for tools
• Stools for below knee work and gel knee pads
• Control Audits conducted and verified by Systems team
Lessons Learnt:
• Limited ability to change production work design
• Existing PEM process was robust and musculoskeletal focussed
• Provision of suitable duties became easier with ownership from
supervisors, reducing lost time
• Back packs could not be sourced that were fire retardant
• New gel knee pads were more comfortable and dispersed
pinpoint loading, stools effective in some areas
• Auditing by Safety Advisors as to ensure systems were being
correctly followed (i.e. job rotations)
Phase 4: Systems and PPE
14

15. Intervention:
• Pro-active physio through the yard (1 hr/week)
• Internal Physio sessions 3 days per week
• Toolbox talks – Static postures, knee injuries and late
reporting
• Knee specific injury prevention talks by physio at Toolbox
Meetings
Lessons Learnt:
• Toolbox talks:
• Physio engagement worked well
• Seen as a positive communication tool
• Lacked consistency of delivery with different
Supervisors
• Sessions made workers more aware of their own
body / condition,
• Message of ‘mates’ being injured also strong
Phase 4: Awareness and Training
15

16. Intervention:
• Squat Challenge – strengthening program for knees
• Warm-up and stretching routines
• Health and wellbeing programs /education sessions
Lessons Learnt:
• Squat challenge had mixed reception:
• “old school” workforce take-up
• some concluded “a waste of time”
• Warm up and stretching needed ownership from
leaders including HSR’s and Supervisors
• Trade workforce did not like direction from ‘white collar’
staff
• Health and wellbeing initiatives generally hit or miss as
difficult to mandate
Phase 4: Workforce strengthening
16

17. Phase 5 – Review and Outcomes
17

18. The Follow Up Phases
Awareness and Training
• ‘Think Risk’ program
• Introducing a ‘Do 5’ for stretching into TAKE 5 process
Workforce Strengthening
• Early intervention for those with onset of knee pain.
• People management and task distribution
▪ Ongoing identification of those “at risk”
▪ controlling exposure to “at risk” individuals
• Annual Health Assessment model
Systems and PPE
• New gel knee pads phased in
• Continual review and improvement
18

19. Conclusions / Summary
Findings from the Case Study
• Make a business case for change
• To reduce the impact of injury a multi-faceted approach
is required
• Physical Changes (Human & Task)
• Injury management
• Awareness & Training
• Systems and Protective gear
• Not everything will work for everybody (or in every
circumstance) however
• Picking the low hanging fruit can make an impact
• Must be in combination with longer term strategies
19

20. Final Thoughts Interdisciplinary
Teams
 Effective if used and set up properly
 Don’t confuse with a Safety Committee
 Great for Consultation and Communication
 May not always work due to:
 Team dynamic
 Lack of drive / accountability
 Lack of autonomy or authority
 Must be run as a project
 Have a life cycle and must run their course
 Don’t be afraid to disband if not working
 Several other ZHWG failed to deliver much change
20

21. 21