4th US-EU JOINT CONFERENCE ON OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH

1. 4th US-EU JOINT CONFERENCE ON OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH September 14-16, 2005 Orlando, Florida

2. Topic Contractor Safety

3. Contractor Safety • Chair EU: Kris De Meester, Spokesman – Employers, Federation of Enterprises in Belgium • Co-chair US: Naomi G. Swanson, Ph.D. Leader, Worker Organization and Stress Research Team, NIOSH • Scribes US: • Roger R. Rosa, Senior Scientist, NIOSH • Michael Sprinker, Director H&S ICWUC

4. Contractor Safety • Introduction • Topics • Description of the problem • Training and instruction • Specific management systems/tools for contractor safety • Effect on health and safety indicators • Outcomes

5. Contractor Safety Subtopic 1: Description of the problem

6. Focus questions • What are the industries where contracting arrangements are a significant aspect of the conduct and organization of work? • What types of work are typically covered by these contracting arrangements, what are the types of employers, and are there particular groups of workers affected? • What are the safety and heath impacts and issues associated with contracting work for these industries, employers and workers? • What are the factors/aspects of contracting work that contribute to safety and health problems?

7. Contractor Safety Subtopic 3: Specific management systems/tools for contractor safety

8. Management system components • Cf. all the classic components of safety, health and environment management systems • Additional/specific components, interfaces or highlights for contractor safety

9. Leadership & commitment • From the principal’s side • From the contractor’s side • From the worker’s side • It will work if the principal is truly (more than just state it) committed • If not: outside pressure/drivers • Legislation • Insurance • Etc. • Trained/qualified people for contractor management • Stop work authority • Principal, contractor, workers • Put it in the contract • Do it well, do it consistently • Partnership: set expectations • Even prior to the contract • Include subcontractors

10. Risk assessment • Easy to say but takes hard and continuous work to realize • Global analysis • Capture change (people, process, equipment, etc.) • Job hazard analysis • Specific hazards procedure • Design stage • Useless without effective communication throughout the whole chain (two way communication) • Design stage • Contractor selection • Start-work meetings • Toolbox, tailgate • Work-permit system • Coordination structure

11. Measuring/monitoring • How can we determine the effectiveness of management systems/tools for contractor safety? • Indicators • No one size fits all, combination of indicators • One consistent reporting/monitoring system for the whole site/all contractors • Everyone has to participate

12. Indicators • % corrective actions (on time) • Number of risk analysis completed • Quality of the risk analysis • Number of hazards eliminated • % of safe behaviors observed • % training completed • Number of safety meetings • Near misses reported and corrected • Inspections (checklist) • Health aspects • Monitoring • Job hazard analysis with real-time feedback • % of workers in hazardous conditions • Worker perception (contractors) • Coverage of medical aspects (linked to RA) • Audits (sample) of contractors at the worksite • Combined indicator (weighted scale) • Injury/accident frequency, severity rate • Insurance experience modifier rate

13. Subcontracting • How do we ensure that all levels of the contractor chain (subcontracting) are included? • Set expectations + include in communication • Limit or exclude subcontractors (in the contract) • Chained subcontractors (supervision) • Not very efficient but effective for high risk/short term contracts • Buddy system for inexperienced workers • Visual identification of new contractors and/or workers • Visual identification of training level • Insurance system (safety tied rates - bonus/malus)

14. Contractor Safety Subtopic 2: Training and instruction

15. Philosophy • Training is not the answer to everything • Training is not a one-shot operation (ongoing system) • Learn to walk before you run (start-up gradually) • Risk analysis drives training • RA What training + how to deliver • Create health and safety culture (start early – education system)

16. Types of training • Job related (craft competence) • Basic S&H knowledge/skills • Site specific training • Process training • Registration/certification/quality of training! • Need for documentation of training received • Focus on what they don’t know (fill in the gaps) • Portability/transferability/recognition of training • Personal safety logbook, electronic ID-card • Supervisors need information/training • Important target group • Drivers for safety in their team (knowledge of the management system!) • Refresher training is useful/required (eg toolbox) • Other components of management system have to reinforce use of training

17. Knowledge & skills • How do we ensure that the contractors and supervisors of contractors have basic knowledge and skills with regard to the risks present in the workplace? • Set the expectation (contract) • Selection of contractors/workers • Work with certified contractors/workers • Provide the training • Transfer knowledge, skills and abilities from supervisor to workers • Incorporation in education system

18. Effectiveness of training • Assessment • Testing/examination • Skills (demonstration) • Knowledge • Incident investigation • Observation • Side remarks • Train animals, educate people • Way of training (retention) • Distributed vs mass learning • Classical vs on the job, on site • Adult education methods • Quality of the trainer (train the trainers) • Computer based training?

19. Mutual recognition • Important • Avoid duplicating • Make efficient use of scarce resources • The real value is to be able to accept (or reject) training • Information on content, assessment, organization of the training • Work towards each other step by step (geographical/sector)

20. Contractor Safety Subtopic 4: Effect on health and safety indicators

21. Focus questions • What kinds of health and safety indicators are most important to examine? (Which best reflect the effectiveness of a good and/or poor safety and health program?)

22. Comparable data • How can we collect data (especially on indicators such as performance) that are comparable across industries? • Very difficult • Possible (to some extent) for trailing indicators • Benchmarking (comparable industries)

23. Employee perception • Structured approach: • Systematic, permanent structures (H&S committee) • Cover principals and contractor workforce H&S issues • Worker representatives • Freedom to deliver opinions (directly to top management of their company or principal) • Awareness that other aspects influence S&H perception • Incorporate in well-being, welfare, “worker satisfaction” • Integrate S&H perception in overall HR and S&H approach • Direct touch • Work floor visits • Inspection • Surveys • By questionnaire or observation • Professional assistance (developing, administration, interpretation) • Third party (neutral) or in-house • Integrated (cf. supra)

24. Joint actions • Contractor safety management: • Inventory and distribution of good practices in contractor safety management • Training of workers • Criteria for appropriate use (effectiveness) of computer training (computer based, computer assisted, simulator) • Inventory of good practices in basic H&S training of workers and H&S training for operational supervisors • Get input from contractors, temporary work agencies • Good practices for overcoming language barriers (contractor employees) • Inspection practice/approach on contractor safety