Over the last few years, use of safety culture has unfortunately become a “one size fits all” catch phrase. In some instances, companies profess to having a strong safety culture simply because they only have a few injuries. They are then completely taken by surprise with having to address a significant injury or fatality. SCS has the expertise to assist organizations with development and deployment of programs/processes that support true cultural shifts in support of long-term success and continuous improvement.

Performance Measures

One of the topics that is extensively discussed, and is rarely fully understood, is the use of performance measures (e.g., metrics). All too often, OSHA DART/TRC rates are relied upon to determine the “health” of a given company. Unfortunately, these rates are merely a function of a calculator versus an actual portrayal of the collective health of the organization. Over the years, SCS has been called upon to serve as speaker at national safety conferences to address these concepts as well as assisting a series of companies with development of performance measures that are actionable and maintain traction year after year. More importantly, these performance measures can also assist with reducing the potential for a significant injury/incident to occur.

Oversight and Auditing

All too often, companies are faced with a myriad of findings from an external review (e.g., oversight, audit) that lack any big picture perspective. More importantly, a lot of the so-called findings do not address overall significance, which can result in a “so what” response from senior management of your company. SCS has successfully addressed this series of challenges by ensuring the overall oversight/auditing effort is based upon sound processes. The resulting report crafted by SCS is readily linked with overarching company goals and governing regulations as well as recommendations regarding prioritization. In other words, which findings should be addressed first and why.

DOE/OSHA VPP Support

Progressive companies have begun to appreciate the inherent value gained from achieving the Department of Energy (DOE) or OSHA Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Star Certification. Achieving DOE or OSHA VPP Star Certification provides a series of benefits, including enhanced engagement by senior management as well as employee involvement. Companies achieving OSHA VPP Star Certification commonly realized over 50% reduction in injuries. In addition, these companies, with few exceptions, are exempt from OSHA programmed inspections. DOE Contractors have realized enhanced recognition of their capabilities as well as prove to assist with subsequent rebids and/or new contracts being solicited. SCS have over 20 years’ experience assisting both DOE Contractors and private sector companies with their pursuit of this highly sought-after certification. SCS also has established contacts with VPP representatives at the national level, which provides valued insight regarding latest trends and expectations for applicants.

Root Cause Analysis

Having the ability to conduct effective root cause analysis is critical to improve company processes as well as reducing the potential for a similar event to occur in the future. Contingent upon the event, or condition, being evaluated, root cause analysis techniques can include: Barrier Analysis, Event Tree Analysis, Change Analysis, Management Oversight Risk Tree, Event and Causal Factor Analysis, and Failure Mode and Effects Analysis. Regardless of the analysis technique selected, a critical consideration is maintaining the “big picture” perspective required to recognize the overall implications on management systems. SCS has the requisite expertise required to conduct root cause analysis so that stressors contributing to the situation are consistently identified and evaluated.

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