This document discusses effective safety supervision. It begins by outlining four goals: 1) describing why enforcing policies is a supervisor's job, 2) defining "adequate supervision" and how supervisors can meet this requirement, 3) describing supervisor responsibilities for holding employees accountable, and 4) discussing tools for employee motivation. It then discusses what leadership is and is not, defining leadership and different leadership styles. It emphasizes the importance of communication, consistency, and building trust between supervisors and employees. Finally, it discusses supervisor responsibilities including providing training, resources, and discipline when needed to ensure a safe work environment and secure compliance with safety rules.

1. Effective
Safety Supervision
Welcome!

2. Goals
1. Describe and discuss why enforcing policies is the
supervisors job
2. Define "adequate supervision" and describe how supervisors
can meet this requirement

3. Goals
3. Describe supervisor responsibilities for holding employees
accountable
4. Discuss tools for employee motivation

4. What leadership is NOT
Not power -
•Power derives from status, money, ability to harm,
access to media, control materials, etc.
•Thug who sticks a gun in your back has “power” but
not leadership
The nature of leadership

5. What leadership is NOT
Not status -
• Status or position may enhance the opportunity for leadership
• Some in with high status or position haven’t a clue how to lead
Not authority -
• Person may have subordinates, but not followers
• People will follow only if person acts as a leader

6. What leadership is NOT
Not management -
• Management is an organizational skill
• Managers preside over processes, functions, programs
Leadership is not common sense -
• Common sense - What is it? How do we develop it?
• Good sense is individual. Common sense would result in
common leadership styles.

7. Define Leadership

8. Leader Style
• Champ • Chump

9. Chump
• Poor communication
• Arrogant
• Know it all
• Says one thing does
anther
• Doesn’t follow through
• Power trip
• Lies
• No trust
• Poor teacher

10. Champ
• Communicates well
• Sets example
• Approachable
• Teaches
• Consistent
• Sets expectations
• Honest
• Builds trust
• Has your back

11. GOLDEN RULE
• Treat others the way you want to be treated

12. Platinum Rule
• Treat people the way they want to be treated
– The key is understanding….

13. Why did you go after a leadership
position?

14. What do you think some of the lost
luxuries you lose as a leader?

15. Lost “Luxuries”
• Thinking mostly of
yourself
• Acting on feelings
• Whining
• Not listening
• Taking sides
• Emotions on sleeve
• Closing your eyes

16. Gripes go UP
• Movie Clip

17. Demonstrate Safety Leadership
What the rules say…comply with the law
Duty to comply with safety and health orders, decisions and
rules. Every employer, owner, employee and other person shall…
•obey and comply with every requirement of every order,
decision, direction, standard, rule or regulation …
•do everything necessary or proper in order to secure
compliance with and observance of every such order, decision,
direction, standard, rule or regulation.

18. What is the employer’s primary responsibility?
What does “secure compliance” mean in the rule?
Why does the employer have a greater responsibility
than the employee?

19. Any supervisors or persons in charge of work are held to be the
agents of the employer in the discharge of their authorized duties,
and are at all times responsible for:
(A) The execution in a safe manner of the work under their
supervision; and
(B) The safe conduct of their crew while under their
supervision; and
(C) The safety of all workers under their supervision.

20. Since the supervisor is an "agent of the employer," what's the
legal impact if a supervisor violates a safety rule or ignores
employees when they violate safety rules?

22. Criminal Complaint Case Number 08-6403M
United State District Court Central District of Illinois, Filed April 2, 2008
United States of America v. Stephen F. Vyncke
COUNT ONE (Obstruction of a Pending Proceeding)
On or about October 10, 2007, at Rock Island, in Rock Island County, in the
Central District of Illinois, the defendant, STEPHEN F. VYNCKE,
did corruptly endeavor to influence, obstruct and impede the due
and proper administration of the law under which a pending proceeding
was being had before an agency and department of the United States, that
is, the Department of Labor and its agency the Occupational Safety and
Health Administration, ('OSHA'), in that the defendant acting on his own
behalf and as an agent, servant and employee of Winter's Architectural
Roofing Company, altered the worksite located at 513 31st Avenue in Rock
Island, Illinois, by erecting safety fall protection on the roof of the
building after the death of Walter Whipple on October 10, 2007, in
an effort to obstruct the OSHA investigation.
3 counts total – potential 5 years imprisonment and $250,000 fine

23. Legal Liability
Policy
Procedure
PracticeYou can incur liability at any level –
Policy and Procedure must meet
standards of care and legal
requirements; Practice must carry out
Policy and Procedure!

24. Leaders understand cause and effect
• If you want employees who care about their
work…demonstrate care for employees.
• If you want honest and fair employee behavior..treat
employees with honesty and fairness.
• If you want selfless performance… be selfless.
• If you want loyalty… be loyal.
If a supervisor wants to increase employee trust, what must he or
she do?

25. Discuss the resulting effects the following leadership
approaches have on morale and performance:
Caring
Controlling

26. • People follow because of who you are and
What’s your leadership
style?
Which leadership style the construction supervisor should
use often depends on the willingness of the crew to follow
your lead.
The crew also has to demonstrate that they have the ability
to perform what you ask.
When you choose a leadership style you also are
determining how you will facilitate and coordinate
information

27. John Smith
John’s
Co-workers
John’s family
You, the
Supervisor
The Company
Critical Decision Point:
Understanding the impact of safety leadership
What is the impact of your decision on...

28. Employers to furnish safe place of employment. Every employer
shall…
• furnish employment and a place of employment …
• adopt and use such practices, means, methods, operations
and processes …
• do every other thing reasonably necessary …
Provide Resources and Support
What the rules say…provide resources

29. Let's take a closer look at what's being
said here:
• "employment"
• "place of employment"
• "safe and healthful"
• "devices and safeguards …
• "practices, means, methods, operations,
processes"
• "reasonably necessary"

30. What can the supervisor do to make sure the
physical environment is safe?

31. What can the supervisor do to make sure the
psychological environment is healthful?

32. When does positive stress become negative
distress?

33. Job Stressors +
•Workload
•Relationships
Stress Moderators a
•Individual factors
•Situational factors
NIOSH Job Stress Model

34. Provide Effective Safety Training
The employer shall see that workers are properly instructed and
supervised in the safe operation of any machinery, tools,
equipment, process, or practice which they are authorized to use
or apply...
What the rules say…instruct…train…educate

35. What is safety education?
• Generally, the “why” in safety - describes the consequences
of performance
• Natural consequences = explains the resulting hurt/health
that occurs automatically as a result of our actions
• System consequences = explains the organizational
punishment/reward that may or may not occur as a result of
our actions

36. Why is it important to always discuss the natural and
system consequences of employee behavior?

37. Why should supervisors be involved in training?

38. How do you know safety training is effective?

39. A safety performance
problem may not always
be the result of a
training deficiency.
Describe the
Safety Performance
Discrepancy
(The Gap)

40. Discrepancy
(The Gap)
Is
there
a deficiency in
knowledge,
ability or
skill?
Has the
employee
performed task
before?
Is the task
accomplishe
often?
Im
Pe
No
NoNo
Employee does not
know how to accomplish
the task safely.
Yes
now
h the
Are
inte
to p
in t
Yes
The employee does not know
how to do the task safely.
Employee does know
how to do the task safely

41. What caused the accident?
What actions are appropriate?
Just another day at work
Read the following OSHA accident
synopsis and answer the questions:

42. Duty to comply with safety and health orders, decisions and
rules. Every employer, owner, employee and other person shall…
do everything necessary or proper in order to secure compliance
with and observance of every such order, decision, direction,
standard, rule or regulation.
Insist on safe performance
What the rule says…secure, enforce,
require…

43. Rules for all Workplaces.
(1) Employers’ Responsibilities… (b) The employer shall take all
reasonable means to require employees to…
(2) Employees’ Responsibilities
(a) Employees shall conduct their work in compliance with
the safety rules contained in this code.
(b) All injuries shall be reported immediately to the person in
charge or other responsible representative of the employer.

44. The "Chain of Accountability“
The employer is accountable to the
and obligate to
OSHA Rules “Laws”
Employees

45. The "Chain of Accountability“
The employee is accountable to the
and obligate to
Employer
Fellow Employees

46. Want Good Information?
Show Them The LOVE!!
• Accident reporting/investigation should not
be a negative experience
• Your attitude in responding to an accident
report is critical
• Never
– Question the validity of injuries
– Belittle employee behavior/actions
– Discuss write-ups/discipline

47. How to get desired performance
Challenging Conversations

48. As a Leader you owe…
• You owe your organization
• You owe it to your team members
• You owe it to yourself

49. Clarify your expectations and theirs
“I expect my people to do what it is that I haven’t told
them.”

50. What do you expect from your Leaders?

51. So how do we deal with problems?
• Check yourself
• Be discreet
• Be specific
• Be positive

52. Case Studies!!!
• Let’s look at the 4 cases…….

53. Difficult conversation
1. Be clear about why you are having the
conversation.
2. Be specific. Uncomfortable is okay.
3. Describe what you know.

54. Difficult conversation
4. Ask for the other side of the story.
5. Explain the way that you feel about the
situation.
6. Provide a course of action

55. Difficult conversation
7. Describe the consequences.
8. Provide a timeline for changes.
9. Schedule a follow up conversation.

56. Positive Reinforcement.
When effective, positive reinforcement increase mandatory
and discretionary behavior.
• Employee performs to receive the consequence
• Employee may perform far beyond minimum standards
• Focus is on excellence - success based

57. What do employees think?
 “If I report a hazard, I will be recognized.”
 “If I make a suggestion that saves us some money, I
will be rewarded.”

58. Positive Reinforcement
• “I will do more of _____ to get _______.”
• “Reward” must be something they want
• If it does not increase the desired behavior, it’s
not reinforcing

59. Negative Reinforcement.
When effective, negative reinforcement increases required
behaviors only.
• Employee performs to avoid the consequence - fear based
• Employee performs to minimum standard - just enough to
get by
• Focus is on compliance

60. What do employees think?
 “If I wear that eye protection, I won’t get
injured.”
 “If I comply with safety rules, I won’t
be disciplined.”

61. Problems with Punishment as the Primary
Motivator
• Focus is on failure
• Produces:
– Minimal effort
– Low morale, lack of
trust
– “Put-in-my-time”
attitudes
– Counter-control
– Highly variable
results
Using this approach, do the
employees believe that you care
about their safety?

62. Extinction –
Withholding positive recognition of desired behaviors.
Results in the extinction of desired behaviors.
• No expectation positive consequences
• Employee is ignored - may be perceived as positive or
negative reinforcement
• Initially, the employee will work harder - then gives up

63. What do employees think?
 “It doesn’t matter how hard I work around here.”
 “Apathy is rampant, but who cares.”
 “Hey, we can get away with anything around here!”
 “If management doesn't care… why should I?”

64. What’s the most common
supervisor response to good work?
Ignore it!

65. To be effective, discipline should be …

66. Complied with OSHA standards
Ensured accountability
Provided effective supervision
Provided effective safety training
Provided resources
Leadership requires discipline when justified
Have I…

67. Once you're justified, leadership demands action
Keys to appropriate discipline
• Discipline is based on fact not feeling.
• Consistent throughout the organization: top to bottom and
laterally
• Applied only after it's determined management has met
obligations to employee
• Appropriate to the severity of the infraction and impact on the
organization

68. Should employees, supervisors and managers all
receive the same disciplinary action for a given
infraction? Why or why not.
Yes No Why?

69. Motivation is key to effective discipline
The supervisor's motivation can make the difference between success
and failure when disciplining.
Which stated reason (motivation) below is more likely perceived as leadership by the
employee?
___ "I'm disciplining you because I have to…it's policy…If I don't I
might get in trouble."
___ "I'm disciplining you because I want to…you're important…I
don't want you to get hurt. I want to make sure you understand I
insist on safe performance."

70. Best Practice: Regular Recognition
Regularly Recognize and Reward and you'll
Rarely have to Reprimand
!
!

71. What are appropriate safety behaviors to recognize?
________________ with safety rules
________________ injuries
________________ hazards
________________ other employees
Comply
report
report
warn

72. What's the most common safety
behavior actually rewarded?

73. Let's Review