Safety Plan

 

Safety Plan

Purpose

To save lives, prevent injuries, and protect the health of our employees and clients, through worker safety and health in every workplace.  This is a proactive approach to managing workplace safety.

The concept of continuous improvement is central to the recommended practices.

Core Elements

• Management Leadership 

• Worker Participation 

• Hazard Identification and Assessment 

• Hazard Prevention and Control 

• Education and Training

• Program Evaluation and Improvement 

• Communication and Coordination for Company, Caregivers, Clients and families of Clients 

MANAGEMENT LEADERSHIP

MANAGEMENT PROVIDES the leadership, vision, and resources needed to implement an effective safety program. “Management” leadership refers to Concierge Care owners, administrators, managers, and supervisors:

• Make worker safety a core organizational value.

• Are fully committed to eliminating hazards, protecting workers, and continuously improving workplace safety.

• Provide sufficient resources to implement and maintain the safety and health program. • Visibly demonstrate and communicate their safety and health commitment to workers and others.

• Set an example through their own actions.

• Top management demonstrates its commitment to continuous improvement in safety and health, communicates that commitment to workers, and sets program expectations and responsibilities.

Action item 1: Communicate your commitment to a safety and health program

A clear, written policy communicates that safety is a primary organizational value—as important as productivity, profitability, product or service quality, and customer satisfaction.

How to accomplish it

• Concierge Care has a written policy signed by top management describing the organization’s commitment to safety and health and pledging to establish and maintain a safety and health program for all workers.

• The safety policy is communicated to all workers upon consideration for employment, including:

— Contractors, subcontractors, staffing agencies, and temporary workers at your

worksite(s)

— Caregivers

— Visitors

— Customers

• Reinforce management commitment by considering safety and health in all business decisions, including contractor and vendor selection, purchasing, and facility design and modification.

• Be visible in operations and set an example by following the same safety procedures you expect workers to follow. Begin work meetings with a discussion or review of safety and health indicators and any outstanding safety items on a “to do” list.

Action item 2: Define program goals

By establishing specific goals and objectives, we set expectations for managers, supervisors, and workers, and for the program overall.

The goals and objectives focus on specific actions that will improve workplace safety and health.

How to accomplish it

• We have established realistic, measurable goals for improving safety and health. Goals emphasizing injury and illness prevention are included.

• The safety plan will achieve the goals by assigning tasks and responsibilities to particular people, setting timeframes, and determining resource needs.

Action item 3: Allocate resources

Management provides the resources needed to implement the safety program, pursue program goals, and address program shortcomings when they are identified.

How to accomplish it

• Allow time in workers’ schedules for them to fully participate in the program.

• Integrate safety and health into planning and budgeting processes, and align budgets with program needs.

• Provide and direct resources to operate and maintain the program, meet safety and health commitments, and pursue program goals

Action item 4: Expected performance

Management leads the program effort by establishing roles and responsibilities and providing an open, positive environment that encourages communication about safety and health.

How to accomplish it:

• The frontline person shall be the administrator, who will lead the safety program effort, make plans, coordinate activities, and track progress. Define and regularly communicate responsibilities and authorities for implementing and maintaining the program and hold people accountable for performance.

• Administrator shall provide positive recognition for meeting or exceeding safety and health goals aimed at preventing injury and illness (e.g., reporting close calls/near misses, attending training, conducting inspections).

• Administrator shall establish ways for management and all workers to communicate freely and often about safety and health issues, without fear of retaliation.

WORKER PARTICIPATION

TO BE EFFECTIVE, our safety program needs the meaningful participation of workers and their representatives. Workers have much to gain from a successful program, and the most to lose if the program fails. They also often know the most about potential hazards associated with their jobs. This program taps into this knowledge base. Worker participation means that workers are involved in establishing, operating, evaluating, and improving the safety and health program. All workers are invited to participate, including those who are employees, independent contractors, employed by contractors, subcontractors, and temporary staffing agencies.

In our safety program, all workers:

• Are encouraged to participate in the program and feel comfortable providing input and reporting safety or health concerns.

• Have access to information they need to participate effectively in the program.

• Have opportunities to participate in all phases of program design and implementation.

• Do not experience retaliation when they raise safety and health concerns; report injuries, illnesses, and hazards; participate in the program; or exercise safety and health rights.

Action item 1: Encourage workers to participate in the program

Concierge Care values employee input into safety and health decisions. How to accomplish it

• Give workers the necessary time and resources to participate in the program.

• Acknowledge and provide positive reinforcement to those who participate in the program.

• Maintain an open door policy that invites workers to talk to managers about safety and health and to make suggestions.

Action item 2: Encourage workers to report safety and health concerns

Workers are often best positioned to identify safety and health concerns and program shortcomings, such as emerging workplace hazards, unsafe conditions, close calls/near misses, and actual incidents. By encouraging reporting and following up promptly on all reports, employers can address issues before someone gets hurt or becomes ill.

How to accomplish it

• We have a process for workers to report injuries, illnesses, close calls/near misses, hazards, and other safety and health concerns, and respond to reports promptly. Include an option for anonymous reporting to reduce fear of reprisal.

• We report back to workers routinely and frequently about action taken in response to their concerns and suggestions.

•  We emphasize that management will use reported information only to improve workplace safety and health, and that no worker will experience retaliation for bringing such information to management’s attention.

• We involve workers in finding solutions to reported issues.

Action item 3: Give workers access to safety and health information

Sharing relevant safety and health information with workers fosters trust and helps organizations make more informed safety and health decisions.

How to accomplish it

• We give workers the information they need to understand safety and health hazards and control measures in the workplace.  

Action item 4: Train Caregivers on Common types of accidents with the home of elderly clients

Including worker input at every step of program design and implementation improves your ability to identify the presence and causes of workplace hazards, creates a sense of program ownership among workers, enhances their understanding of how the program works, and helps sustain the program over time.

How to accomplish it

We train each new employee of the following:

• Fall Factors: Factors that can increase the risk of falls within a client's home are: 
  
  

clutter, throw rugs, exposed electrical cords slippery floors, stairs and poor lighting.

Personal conditions that can contribute to falls are loss of vision, unsteady gait,

weakness and other medical conditions.

• Preventing falls:  Clear all walkways of clutter.  Immediately clean up spills on the floor.  Providing stand by assistance to clients with an unsteady gait during ambulation.  Never try to catch a falling person, this is likely to cause injury to yourself as well.  Instead, lower the falling person safely to the floor.

• Poisoning:  Elderly people may have diminished sense of taste and smell due to aging or medical reasons.  As a result they are at risk of ingesting spoiled food.  Caregivers should check the refrigerator and cabinets for foods that are spoiled.

• Choking:  To prevent choking, caregivers are to cut food in bite sized pieces for older clients.  Clients should eat in an upright position to avoid choking.

• Fire safety guidelines:  Do not leave the dryer on when you leave the home of a client.  Turn off space heaters when no one is home or everyone is asleep.  

In case of fire RACE is a good rule to follow:

• Remove clients from danger

• Activate 911

• Contain fire if possible

• Extinguish or call fire department to extinguish

Action item 5: Remove barriers to participation

To participate meaningfully in the program, workers must feel that their input is welcome, their voices will be heard, and they can access reporting mechanisms. Participation will be suppressed if language, education, or skill levels in the workplace are not considered, or if workers fear retaliation or discrimination for speaking up (for example, if investigations focus on blaming individuals rather than the underlying conditions that led to the incident, or if reporting an incident or concern could jeopardize the award of incentive-based prizes, rewards, or bonuses).

How to accomplish it

• We ensure that workers from all levels of the organization can participate regardless of their skill level, education, or language.

• We provide frequent and regular feedback to show employees that their safety and health concerns are being heard and addressed.

• We authorize sufficient time and resources to facilitate worker participation; for example, hold safety and health meetings during regular working hours.

• We ensure that the program protects workers from being retaliated against for reporting injuries, illnesses, and hazards; participating in the program; or exercising their safety and health rights.

HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT

ONE OF THE “root causes” of workplace injuries, illnesses, and incidents is the failure to identify or recognize hazards that are present, or that could have been anticipated. A critical element of any effective safety and health program is a proactive, ongoing process to identify and assess such hazards

TO IDENTIFY AND ASSESS hazards, employers and workers:

• Collect and review information about the hazards present or likely to be present in the workplace.

• Conduct initial and periodic workplace inspections of the workplace to identify new or recurring hazards.

• Investigate injuries, illnesses, incidents, and close calls/near misses to determine the underlying hazards, their causes, and safety and health program shortcomings.

• Group similar incidents and identify trends in injuries, illnesses, and hazards reported. • Consider hazards associated with emergency or non-routine situations.

• For each hazard identified, determine the severity and likelihood of incidents that could result, and use this information to prioritize corrective actions.

Some hazards, such as housekeeping and tripping hazards, can and should be fixed as they are found. Fixing hazards on the spot emphasizes the importance of safety and health and takes advantage of a safety leadership opportunity. Fixing other hazards identified using the processes described here will be addressed in the next section, “Hazard Prevention and Control.”

Action item 1: Collect existing information about workplace hazards

Information on workplace hazards are already be available to employers and workers in the policies and procedures of Concierge Care.

How to accomplish it

• Review the Policies and Procedures of Concierge Care

Action item 2: Inspect the workplace for safety hazards

Hazards can be introduced over time. Setting aside time to regularly inspect the workplace for hazards can help identify shortcomings so that they can be addressed before an incident occurs.

How to accomplish it

• We conduct regular inspections of all client homes. Have caregivers participate on the inspection team, and talk to them about hazards that they see or report.

• We are sure to document inspections so you can later verify that hazardous conditions are corrected. Take photos or video of problem areas to facilitate later discussion and brainstorming about how to control them, and for use as learning aids.

• We use checklists that highlight things to look for. Typical hazards fall into several major categories, such as those listed below; each workplace will have its own list:

— General housekeeping

— Slip, trip, and fall hazards

— Electrical hazards

— Fire protection

— Work organization and process flow (including staffing and scheduling)

— Work practices

— Workplace violence

— Ergonomic problems

Action item 3: Conduct incident investigations

Workplace incidents—including injuries, illnesses, close calls/near misses, and reports of other concerns—provide a clear indication of where hazards exist. By thoroughly investigating incidents and reports, you will identify hazards that are likely to cause future harm. The purpose of an investigation is always to identify the root causes (and there is often more than one) of the incident or concern, in order to prevent future occurrences.

How to accomplish it

• We have developed a clear plan and procedure for conducting incident investigations, so that an investigation can begin immediately when an incident occurs. The plan covers items such as:

— Who will be involved

— Lines of communication

— Materials, equipment, and supplies needed

— Reporting forms and templates

• We train investigative teams on incident investigation techniques, emphasizing objectivity and open-mindedness throughout the investigation process.

• We conduct investigations with a trained team that includes representatives of both management and workers.

• We investigate close calls/near misses.

• We identify and analyze root causes to address underlying program shortcomings that allowed the incidents to happen.

• Communicate the results of the investigation to managers, supervisors, and workers to prevent recurrence.

Action item 4: Identify hazards associated with emergency and non-routine situations

Emergencies present hazards that need to be recognized and understood. Non-routine or infrequent tasks also present potential hazards. Plans and procedures need to be developed for responding appropriately and safely to hazards associated with foreseeable emergency scenarios and nonroutine situations.

How to accomplish it

• The following foreseeable emergency scenarios and nonroutine tasks. Scenarios such as the following may be foreseeable:

— Weather emergencies and natural disasters:  Shelter in place and contact

Administrator for client specific information

— Medical emergencies: use the posted “emergency numbers” to call family

members and if necessary use 911

— Workplace violence: report to Administrator immediately, and proceed with

advice per the situation after that.

HAZARD PREVENTION AND CONTROL

EFFECTIVE CONTROLS protect workers from workplace hazards; help avoid injuries, illnesses, and incidents; minimize or eliminate safety risks; and help employers provide workers with safe and healthful working conditions. The processes described in this section will help employers prevent and control hazards identified in the previous section.

TO EFFECTIVELY CONTROL and prevent hazards, Concierge Care will:

• Involve workers, who often have the best understanding of the conditions that create hazards and insights into how they can be controlled.

• Identify and evaluate options for controlling hazards, using a “hierarchy of controls.”

• Use a hazard control plan to guide the selection and implementation of controls, and implement controls according to the plan.

• Develop plans with measures to protect workers during emergencies and nonroutine activities.

• Evaluate the effectiveness of existing controls to determine whether they continue to provide protection, or whether different controls may be more effective. Review new technologies for their potential to be more protective, more reliable, or less costly.

Action item 1: Identify control options

Before selecting any control options, it is essential to solicit workers’ input on their feasibility and effectiveness.

How to accomplish it

• Get input from workers who may be able to suggest and evaluate solutions based on their knowledge of the work environment.

• For complex hazards, consult with safety and health experts, including OSHA’s On-site Consultation Program.

Action item 2: Select controls

Concierge Care has selected the controls that are the most feasible, effective, and permanent.

How to accomplish it

• Eliminate or control all serious hazards (hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm) immediately.

• Avoid selecting controls that may directly or indirectly introduce new hazards. Examples include exhausting contaminated air into occupied work spaces or using hearing protection that makes it difficult to hear backup alarms.

• Review and discuss control options with workers to ensure that controls are feasible and effective.

• Use a combination of control options when no single method fully protects workers.

Action item 3: Develop and update a hazard control plan

Our hazard control plan describes how the selected controls will be implemented. Our effective plan addresses serious hazards first.  We track progress toward completing the control plan, and periodically (at least annually and when conditions, processes, or equipment change) verify that controls remain effective.

How to accomplish it

•We List the hazards needing controls in order of priority.

• Assign responsibility for installing or implementing the controls to a specific person or persons with the power or ability to implement the controls.

• Fall Factors: Factors that can increase the risk of falls within a client's home are:  clutter, throw rugs, exposed electrical cords slippery floors, stairs and poor lighting.  Personal conditions that can contribute to falls are loss of vision, unsteady gait, weakness and other medical conditions.

• 
  
  

• Preventing falls:  Clear all walkways of clutter.  Immediately clean up spills on the floor.  Providing stand by assistance to clients with an unsteady gait during ambulation.  Never try to catch a falling person, this is likely to cause injury to yourself as well.  Instead, lower the falling person safely to the floor.

• 
  
  

• Poisoning:  Elderly people may have diminished sense of taste and smell due to aging or medical reasons.  As a result they are at risk of ingesting spoiled food.  Caregivers should check the refrigerator and cabinets for foods that are spoiled.

• 
  
  

• Choking:  To prevent choking, caregivers are to cut food in bite sized pieces for older clients.  Clients should eat in an upright position to avoid choking.

• 
  
  

• Fire safety guidelines:  Do not leave the dryer on when you leave the home of a client.  Turn off space heaters when no one is home or everyone is asleep.  

• 
  
  

In case of fire RACE is a good rule to follow:

• Remove clients from danger
  
  

• Activate 911

• Contain fire if possible

• Extinguish or call fire department to extinguish

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

EDUCATION AND TRAINING are important tools for informing workers and managers about workplace hazards and controls so they can work more safely and be more productive. Another role of education and training, however, is to provide workers and managers with a greater understanding of the safety and health program itself, so that they can contribute to its development and implementation.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING provides employers, managers, supervisors, and workers with:

• Knowledge and skills needed to do their work safely and avoid creating hazards that could place themselves or others at risk.

• Awareness and understanding of workplace hazards and how to identify, report, and control them.

• Specialized training, when their work involves unique hazards.

Effective training and education is provided outside a formal classroom setting. Peer-to peer training, on-the-job training, and worksite demonstrations are used as effective ways of conveying safety concepts, ensuring understanding of hazards and their controls, and promoting good work practices.

Action item 1: Provide program awareness training

Managers, supervisors, and workers all need to understand the program’s structure, plans, and procedures. Having this knowledge ensures that everyone can fully participate in developing, implementing, and improving the program.

How to accomplish it

• Concierge Care provides training to all managers; supervisors; workers; and contractor, subcontractor, and temporary agency workers on:

— Safety and health policies, goals, and procedures

— Functions of the safety and health program

— Whom to contact with questions or concerns about the program (including contact information)

— How to report hazards, injuries, illnesses, and close calls/near misses

— What to do in an emergency

— The employer’s responsibilities under the program

— Workers’ rights under the OSH Act

.

Action item 2: Train employers, managers, and supervisors on their roles in the program

• We train managers, and supervisors on procedures for responding to workers’ reports of injuries, illnesses, and incidents, including ways to avoid discouraging reporting.

• We instruct  managers, and supervisors on fundamental concepts and techniques for recognizing hazards and methods of controlling them, including the hierarchy of controls (see “Policy and Procedures”).

• Instruct employers, managers, and supervisors on incident investigation techniques, including root cause analysis.

Action item 3: Train workers on their specific roles in the safety and health program

Additional training may be needed to ensure that workers can incorporate any assigned safety and health responsibilities into their daily routines and activities.

How to accomplish it

On an annual basis Concierge Care provides an inservice to employees which covers (among other things):

• How to report injuries, illnesses, incidents, and concerns.

• How they should carry out their responsibilities, including:

— Hazard recognition and controls

— Participation in incident investigations

— Program evaluation and improvement

• Provide opportunities for workers to ask questions and provide feedback during and after the training.

PROGRAM EVALUATION AND IMPROVEMENT

The Concierge Care Safety Plan will be evaluated annually, to assess what is working and what is not, and whether the program is on track to achieve its goals. Whenever these assessments identify opportunities to improve the program, Concierge Care owners, administrators, managers, and supervisors—in coordination with workers—will make adjustments and monitor how well the program performs as a result.

PROGRAM EVALUATION and improvement includes:

• Establishing, reporting, and tracking goals and targets that indicate whether the program is making progress.

• Providing ways for workers to participate in program evaluation and improvement.

Action item 1: Monitor performance and progress

The first step in monitoring is to define indicators that will help track performance and progress. Next, owners, administrators, managers, supervisors, and workers establish and follow procedures to collect, analyze, and review performance data.

How to accomplish it

• Develop and track indicators of progress toward established safety and health goals.

Action item 2: Verify that the program is implemented and is operating

We evaluate the program at least annually to ensure that it is operating as intended, is effective in controlling identified hazards, and is making progress toward established safety goals and objectives. The scope and frequency of program evaluations will vary depending on changes in OSHA standards; the scope, complexity, and maturity of the program; and the types of hazards it must control.

How to accomplish it

• We verify that the core elements of the program have been fully implemented.

• We involve workers in all aspects of program evaluation, including reviewing information (such as incident reports and exposure monitoring results); establishing and tracking performance indicators; and identifying opportunities to improve the program.

• We verify that the following key processes are in place and operating as intended:

— Reporting injuries, illnesses, incidents, hazards, and concerns

— Conducting workplace inspections and incident investigations

— Tracking progress in controlling identified hazards and ensuring that hazard

control measures remain effective

Action item 3: Correct program shortcomings and identify opportunities to improve

Whenever a problem is identified in any part of the safety and health program, we—in coordination with supervisors, managers, and workers— take prompt action to correct the problem and prevent its recurrence.

How to accomplish it

• If we discover program shortcomings, take actions needed to correct them.

• We proactively seek input from managers, workers, supervisors, and other stakeholders on how we can improve the program.

• We determine whether changes in equipment, facilities, materials, key personnel, or work practices trigger any need for changes in the program.

• We determine whether your performance indicators and goals are still relevant and, if not, how you could change them to more effectively drive improvements in workplace safety and health.

COMMUNICATION AND COORDINATION FOR COMPANY, CAREGIVERS, CLIENTS AND FAMILIES OF CLIENTS

Safety is enhanced by establishing mechanisms to coordinate efforts and communicate effectively to afford all workers equal protection against hazards. These mechanisms include measures to ensure that all workers on site (and their representatives) can participate in preventing injuries and illnesses. Failure to take these steps may undermine safety programs.

Action item 1: Establish effective coordination

Administrators, coordinate on work to identify and work out any concerns or conflicts that could impact safety.

How to accomplish it

• With Client and client’s family:

— We include in contracts safety-related specifications and qualifications.

• Coordinate safety plan with other care agencies who also work in the home of client:

— We ensure that work is planned and scheduled to minimize impacts on safety.

— We harmonize the safety and health policies and procedures to resolve important differences, so that all workers at the home have the same protection and receive consistent safety information.