10/11

Safety Observation System

10/11

On behalf of Step Change in Safety, we are pleased to re-introduce these guidelines devoted to safety observation systems. These guidelines were initially developed by representatives from drilling companies and supported by UKOOA, IADC and the OCA.

We believe these guidelines will help to control risk of injury to people, harm to the environment, damage to the property and loss of production. They will encourage the whole workforce to make a genuine contribution to the development of a total safety culture. Indeed, we firmly believe that the positive approach featured in these guidelines will help us all to feel good about putting a lot of effort into identifying where people are doing the right thing, as well as where improvements can be made.

The guidelines provide each location and the company responsible for its management, with a sound basis for developing the safety observation system they feel is best for them. We recognise that the needs of drilling mobile units are not the same as a production platform, and both are different from vessels or onshore worksites.

Cogent has updated its Basic Offshore Safety Induction & Emergency Training to acquaint new recruits and those undergoing refresher training with the rudiments of safety observation systems. Pocket cards provide a summary of the principles for companies and personnel alike.

Finally, may we personally thank you for taking the time to read these guidelines. An accident-free workplace is a goal we would all like to attain. With your help we can use these guidelines to move further towards this goal.

Step Change in Safety www.stepchangeinsafety.net

Re-issue, 2003

10/11

Introduction to the guidelines. Why safety observation? The benefits of safety observation systems. The tools to get started.

6 7 8 9

Principle 1 An observation-orientated system. Principle 2 A people-based system. Principle 3 Full employee involvement. Principle 4 Individual accountability. Principle 5 Management support. Principle 6 Training resources. Principle 7 Reporting and recording. Principle 8 Tracking results. Principle 9 Auditing the system. LOOK SHARP! Making progress.

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
10/11

Who owns the system? Standardising the data. Is there any support? Implementing the system

24 25 26 27

Self assessment check list

28

In this section, we look at how these guidelines were produced who was responsible and why. We consider the role that a safety observation system has to play and how such a system can become one of the central pillars of a positive safety culture. We also look at the benefits such systems offer to individuals, companies, and the industry in general. And, finally, we explain how the essential principles which we have presented in Section 2 (LOOK SHARP!) can be used not only as a foundation for the development of new safety observation systems, but also as an industry standard against which existing systems can be reviewed.

1. Introduction to the guidelines. 2. Why safety observation? 3. The benefits of safety observation systems. 4. The tools to get started.
4/5

INTRODUCTION
The objectives of the group were to identify common

A cross industry workgroup was formed to examine the use of safety observation systems both in the oil and gas industry and in a wider context.

themes between individual systems and to develop a set of minimum standards for safety observation systems in our industry. By employing brainstorming techniques during an extensive examination of existing safety observation systems, the common themes were extracted and the most beneficial elements identified. As a result, a number of key elements were defined upon which an observation system could be built. These key elements were subsequently further modified and developed into a series of nine fundamental principles. Finally, these nine principles were agreed upon as the basic requirements for a safety observation system which would be acceptable throughout the industry. The workgroup also agreed that safety observation systems represent a very positive mechanism in the drive to eliminate unsafe acts and conditions, and raise safety awareness amongst all personnel throughout the industry. Furthermore, the group concluded that the basic principles which have been identified are equally applicable to all worksites onshore and offshore. These guidelines are therefore the culmination of this workgroup process. In presenting them here, we believe that any safety observation system built on these minimum standards will help to provide new impetus towards achieving the industrys safety targets in line with the Step Change initiative of year on year improvement.

W H Y S A F E T Y O B S E R VAT I O N ?
An observation-based safety system can be the foundation of a positive safety culture. As an integral part of an effective safety programme (alongside near-miss reporting, incident analysis, etc) it provides an excellent means of addressing the human dimensions of safety. In short, it helps to eliminate unsafe or hazardous acts and conditions. It actively encourages the whole workforce to be involved and therefore generates greater safety awareness both individually and collectively. And since such a system demands a minimum level of commitment and accountability from everyone, it should ultimately lead to a continuous improvement in safety and environmental performance.

Indeed, a well designed, well maintained safety observation system can help to control the four main elements of any business, namely: risk of injury to people. harm to the environment. damage to property. loss of production.
6/7

By implementing a safety observation system, a company makes a real commitment to safety that is visible and relevant. It acknowledges that the vast majority of injuries to the

workforce can easily be prevented not by intimidation or reward but by changing unsafe or hazardous behaviour. By promoting new work practices which aim to

identify and eliminate hazardous behaviours and conditions before they lead to an accident, management can demonstrate a genuine commitment to the well being of all employees.

THE BENEFITS OF SAFETY O B S E R VAT I O N S Y S T E M S

The most obvious benefit to come from the development of a safety observation culture will be a reduction in accidents and incidents both at individual worksites and throughout the industry. However, the impact of safety observation systems can be measured in a variety of other ways. The proven benefits include: increased client satisfaction and enhanced reputation outwith the industry. improved business performance by a reduction in operating cost. improved safety and environmental performance throughout the industry. improved operational performance within companies. enhanced safety awareness throughout the industry.

On a more individual scale, there are also specific benefits which help to promote the use of safety observation systems among the workforce. For example, managers find that rather than being responsible for accidents, they are now responsible for an accident prevention progress. Meanwhile for other employees, there is the extra reassurance that those closest to the work and its inherent dangers (ie themselves and their peers) are now responsible for identifying and eliminating hazardous conditions or behaviours.

Significantly, it is these individual contributions which help to underpin another major benefit of safety observation systems, namely the increased ownership of safety which is felt among all employees.

T H E T O O L S T O G E T Y O U S TA R T E D
The following section presents the nine basic principles for any safety observation system. These have been developed from within the oil and gas industry. They form a framework which we hope will help to standardise the industry approach to this issue. If you, as an individual or a company, are serious about using safety observation to improve performance in line with industry targets, then we believe these principles are the basic tools which will help you to do just that.
8/9

If you already have a safety observation system in place these principles will enable you to assess how appropriate your current approach is. In the spirit of safety observation you will be able to identify where you are doing it right and where improvements can be made. However, if you are about to develop your own corporate safety observation system, then these guidelines give you somewhere to start. But remember the nine principles presented here are only what we believe is a minimum requirement for an effective system. You may decide to take safety observation further within your company, but whatever path you take it should be built upon these foundations.

Indeed, one of the advantages of this framework is its versatility. It provides the basis for a system that can be customised to suit the needs of any business provided that the minimum standards set out on the following pages are always met.

The Essential Principles

In this section, we look at the nine fundamental principles of any safety observation system. For each of the principles, we provide a short explanation of the way in which it can be applied, using examples where appropriate. And then, finally, we look at how you can start working towards implementing your own safety observation system.

1. An observationorientated system 2. A people-based system 3. Full employee involvement 4. Individual accountability 5. Management support 6. Training resources 7. Reporting and recording 8. Tracking results 9. Auditing the system 10. The LOOK SHARP! Making progress.
10/11

AN OBSERVATION - ORIENTATED SYSTEM

A successful safety observation system has to This is the (obvious) starting point a safety observation system should be observationorientated. It should teach and promote the techniques and the skills required for observing both safe and hazardous behaviours or conditions. And it should also provide the tools necessary to put these observation techniques into action such as pocket card reminders and observation check lists. encourage everybody to make the time to observe safe and hazardous behaviours or conditions. Furthermore, the techniques for observing need to be outlined in a systematic way both in terms of process and frequency. By providing a structured approach to observation, companies can ensure that individuals are not open to accusations of prejudice or misuse of the system. It is also important that the observation techniques and tools are broad enough to include recognition of safe acts and conditions. Recording where things are being done right is an important part of safety observation.

Finally, it should be emphasized that using your eyes is only one element of the observation process. Employees must also be encouraged (and trained) to follow their observations with appropriate communication. Being able to talk to ones peers to highlight hazardous behaviour, or to commend safe acts, is a critical part of any safety observation system.

Objectives Encourage people to look at safety. Promote new observation skills. Develop effective observation tools.

Fig. 1

Fig.1 and Fig.2 demonstrate that, what may at a glance appear normal, will differ as one looks closer.

Count the black dots!

A PEOPLE - BASED SYSTEM

The majority of accidents and unsafe incidents are caused by people. Of course, they dont mean to, but they do and there is always a reason. Reasons The primary focus of any safety observation system is on people rather than things. The observation techniques which are taught should emphasise this fact. They should concentrate safety observation on the actions and attitudes of co-workers. While unsafe conditions must also be identified, the main aim of safety observation is to identify and eliminate hazardous behaviours. could be complacency, perception of the job pressures, stress or failure to recognise risk. Sometimes the reason may also be a simple lack of knowledge and/or appropriate training. A good safety observation system is designed to identify and correct all these unsafe behaviours and/or conditions before they lead to accidents. To achieve this, a safety observation system should focus on a number of people-based areas or categories which cover the most common types of unsafe behaviour. These are the use and care of personal protective equipment (PPE); working in atrisk positions; the misuse of tools and equipment; failure to follow procedures; and poor housekeeping. In each of these areas, a company should identify the safe/unsafe behaviours which are relevant to their specific work site or operation. These will then form the basis of the observation checklist which is used by their employees as their primary guide to safety observation.
12/13

Objectives Put the emphasis on people not things. Categorise typical unsafe behaviours.
Fig. 2

Detail these on the observation checklist.

Are the horizontal lines parallel or do they slope?

F U L L E M P L O Y E E I N V O LV E M E N T
Securing greater employee involvement in safety is If the process of safety observation is to be a natural part of the work culture, then it must have full employee involvement. This is the main goal from the very outset and will influence the way in which any safety observation system is conceived, designed and implemented. Most importantly, the trust necessary to ensure full participation will not be built on a fault-finding approach; it requires a combination of helpful advice and positive feedback. the ultimate goal of any safety observation system. But first, employees have to be convinced of the merits of safety observation. They have to trust the system. To achieve this will always be a challenge, but there are some recognised ways of engaging employees in the observation process. In the first instance, if employees understand that the system is based on sound principles then they are more likely to participate. So communicate the rationale for safety observation. Secondly, if the workforce has a sense of ownership over the system then they will feel more involved. Hence, employees should be encouraged to customise the system to meet their needs before it is fully implemented. And thirdly, everyone will be more committed to a safety observation system that is proactive communicating a desire to achieve greater success rather than one which is reactive and designed to avoid failure. Likewise, employees should be encouraged to participate with positive outcomes i.e. recognition for their efforts and not forced to take part in safety observation through threats of disciplinary action of any form.

Objectives Ensure employees recognise the benefits. Develop the idea of employee ownership. Make participation a positive experience.

I N D I V I D U A L A C C O U N TA B I L I T Y
Individual employees at a work site It is now widely accepted that safety is not the sole responsibility of the safety manager, but a responsibility shared by the entire workforce or crew. Reinforcing this, the concept of individual accountability should be a central feature of safety observation. Not only should the system encourage employees to observe (and then act to correct) hazardous behaviour in others, it should also encourage individuals to demonstrate that they are accountable for their own behaviour and responsible for their own safety. are the people who are both most at risk from injury, and the people who are most likely to see the risks. They are therefore also best placed to identify and correct any hazardous behaviours. In this way, safety observation encourages individuals to be more accountable for their own safety, and for the safety of their peers.

The idea of being accountable can also extend beyond the collection of observation data. As the safety observation system develops, employees should also recognise that they have a responsibility to be pro-active in problem solving and in action planning for performance improvements. If they, as individuals, are identifying hazardous behaviours and conditions at their work site, then the system should encourage individuals to propose solutions and to suggest process changes which will secure enhanced safety performance. In this way, the goal of raising safety performance becomes everyones responsibility.
14/15

Objectives Make everyone accountable for safety. Encourage employees to be pro-active. Welcome ideas/feedback from everyone.

MANAGEMENT SUPPORT
One of the most important areas of management Giving the green light to a new safety observation system may imply management support for the concept, but it is also critical that managers and senior supervisors get personally involved. Management at all levels need to discuss and develop their own understanding of the nine basic principles. Although the focus of a safety observation system is on the actions of the workforce in general, its success will be determined by the level of management awareness and their visible, positive involvement. involvement is their role in observing and reinforcing safe behaviours. If managers only react to hazardous behaviour, they will set the wrong tone a fault-finding tone for safety observation in general. It is crucial that employees are made aware, preferably at the time of observation, that their safe behaviour has been noted and recorded. Furthermore, since the majority of behaviour is likely to be safe behaviour, this approach (reinforcing safe acts) provides managers with numerous opportunities to be pro-active and to interact with their workforce in a positive way. In addition to being positive, however, managers should also ensure that their involvement is seen to be regular and specific. In the first instance, management cannot begin to influence behaviour if their contact with the workforce is too infrequent. And in the second case, there is no use identifying hazardous behaviour, if you do not give a specific indication as to what safe behaviours should be occurring.

Objectives Provide visible support for safety observation. Regularly reinforce safe behaviours. Identify the safe way of doing things.

TRAINING AND RESOURCES

In a total safety culture, you will find that individuals participate because they understand the research, the principles and the rationale behind the concept of safety observation and feedback. Training in a new safety observation system should provide this kind of background information to assist individuals to develop their own ideas of why they should comply. Obviously, there is also a need for promotional resources (such as booklets, posters, videos, etc) which explain the procedures of safety observation.

Often any change, such as the introduction of a new safety system, can appear to be an inconvenient and uncomfortable development to many employees. They may well view the new system as unnecessary, a temporary fix, or a passing fad. To overcome such attitudes, you

have to give employees the information they need to develop a more collective and long term view of how safety observation will help to reduce their personal risk. This requires training which combines a full rationale of the principles of safety observation with a practical

introduction to the day-to-day workings of such a system. It requires training which helps individuals to look beyond their personal and immediate needs to consider the long-term group needs addressed by a positive change in safety and risk management.
16/17

This kind of training for behaviour change, then needs to be backed up by a programme of resources which continue to deliver the relevant messages in the workplace. These resources (posters, booklets, pocket cards, videos, etc) need to provide simple and effective messages.

Objectives Promote the principles of safety observation. Provide safety observation training for everyone. Develop appropriate promotional material.

FEEDBACK AND RECORDING

A safety observation system should provide information in two ways. Firstly, as immediate verbal feedback to an employee or co-worker regarding their safe/hazardous acts. This feedback can be both positive and negative (or corrective). And secondly, by systematically recording data relating to both safe and hazardous behaviours. Significantly, by recording all this data against a site-specific inventory of possible behaviours, you can make sure that it is both objective and easy to process. The mechanism for recording individual observations should be made as simple as possible. It should provide an accurate inventory of potential hazardous behaviours and conditions. These should be decided in discussion with the people who know the risks best the workforce. By providing a standard format for recording observations, you can ensure that the process is free of bias and personalities. It also focuses attention on behaviours that do have Delivering feedback in a constructive way is one of the skills central to the success of a safety observation system based on peer-to-peer observation. As a result, you should ensure that all employees receive guidelines on how to give feedback. These should address issues such as the use of positive feedback; making feedback brief and specific (not vague and unhelpful); giving feedback that fits the situation and which is based on sound knowledge; and ensuring that feedback is caring i.e. nonthreatening and intended to reduce the risk of personal injury. real risk and ensures that the data collected is delivered in a format suitable for processing and future tracking.

Objectives Provide guidelines for giving feedback. Create an inventory of site-specific risks. Demonstrate the system is free of bias.

T R A C K I N G T H E R E S U LT S
The analysis of the safety observation data will need Observation data can be collected in a systematic way and can be entered into a database for analysis and problem solving. With investment in the right computer software, individual companies can make use of the data in future safety planning. to be computer-based to ensure that all the variables (not to mention the high number of observations) are effectively covered. The results of the analysis can be used to target further behaviourbased campaigns. Companies are encouraged to develop a simple database for collecting and reporting their observation data. The continuing flow of data can also be used to track a variety of pre-determined success indicators. These may range from the number of observations recorded through to complex measurements based on the ratio of safe to hazardous behaviours recorded against specific elements on the site inventory. Naturally, goals can be set for the success indicators and these will enable employees to track progress. Achieving goals will help individuals to realize that their actions (their safe behaviours and their safe observations) are making a real difference. Finally, it is important that the workforce always receive clear feedback on results. This feedback should close the loop between the action of observing and reporting an unsafe act or condition and the subsequent conclusion of any remedial action to prevent re-occurrence.
18/19

Objectives Develop systems for analysing observation data. Use the information in planning for safety. Use the information to set goals for everyone.

AUDITING THE SYSTEM

As with any system, it is essential that your safety observation system is regularly audited to ensure continuous improvement. Analyse the observation data to track how the system is operating over time. Just as safe behaviour needs to be reinforced regularly, the process of observing will also need to be promoted and supported if levels of motivation among employees are to be sustained. A regular review of the sites inventory of hazardous behaviours will also be essential to maintain system relevance. Auditing the safety observation system will ensure that it continues to be fit for the purpose i.e. useful in moving your company towards a total safety culture where there are no injuries or lost time incidents. Auditing will also ensure that specific goals, such as eliminating one particular kind of hazardous behaviour or condition, continue to be the most relevant at that time. (A proforma checklist (p28/29) can be used to undertake a self assessment of your own observation system. Please feel free to photocopy and distribute this template.) Objectives Review levels of employee participation. Maintain the relevance of the system. Seek continuous improvement in safety observation. As well as providing critical safety information, the observation data gathered will give the systems administrators an overview of the continuing effectiveness of safety observation. This information can be used to target and schedule awareness-raising campaigns. Only by maintaining high levels of awareness will you achieve continuous improvement in safety observation. Finally, the nature of operations at any work site can change and so therefore can the risks. Regular audits ensure that all major risks associated with hazardous behaviour are included on the safety observation checklist.

See Hazards And Raise Performance

On the preceding pages, we outlined the nine essential principles of any safety observation system. These principles represent the minimum required standard for any effective safety observation system.

To make progress towards a total safety culture, companies which do not yet have a safety observation system in place can use these nine principles as the basis for a system which can thereafter be developed to reflect their own operations and identity. The overriding objective will always be to highlight the connection between effective safety observation and the resulting benefits. The purpose remains to eliminate all unsafe behaviours and conditions from the workplace. Presentation is a matter for individual companies, but however you choose to present your safety observation system, it should be supported with a standard hazard checklist, training materials and promotional material such as posters and videos. By making a commitment to safety observation which reflects the principles set out in these guidelines, individuals and companies can help to ensure that safety observation is an effective mechanism for making progress towards improving health, safety and environmental performance throughout the industry.
20/21

In this section, we look at some of the cross industry issues that will impact on any safety observation system. These issues need to be addressed if the concept of safety observation is to deliver real benefits on an industry wide basis. They highlight how commitment from all sectors of the oil and gas industry is necessary to ensure the development of a positive observationbased safety culture. And, finally we would ask anybody who is considering using an observation system to read Changing Minds, a Step Change guide to behaviour in the oil and gas industry.

Who owns the system? Standardising the data. Is there any support? Implementing the system.

22/23

WHO OWNS THE SYSTEM?

However, the ownership of any such system will lie These guidelines were compiled from within the oil and gas industry to promote the use of safety observation systems on an industry-wide basis. They provide ideas and support for those companies committed to realising the benefits of safety observation. with those responsible for the ongoing operation of a particular facility whether on or offshore. Local ownership is essential to ensure the relevance of the system and the trust and commitment shown in it by employees. In each instance, therefore, the duty holder and vessel/site operator will be accountable for the implementation and maintenance of all aspects of the facilitys safety observation system. They will be responsible for ensuring that all personnel (including third parties and sub contractors) employed at the facility have adequate knowledge to be pro-active in utilising their specific safety observation system.

Furthermore, assurance of compliance between all parties should be addressed by contractual arrangements which reflect the necessity for the operation of, and participation in, the safety observation system.

S TA N D A R D I S I N G T H E D ATA
The effective operation of a safety observation system should provide a wide range of data on both safe and hazardous behaviours (as well as valuable information on safe/dangerous conditions).

Over a period of time, a detailed profile of the critical safe and hazardous behaviours will be derived for individual work areas and entire facilities. Using this information it should be possible to refine work practices and safety management systems throughout the industry so that they function better impacting on the industrys safety culture in a positive way. However, to make this possible, it is not only necessary that companies are willing to share this information, but that they set out to gather the data in a standard format which facilitates comparisons between similar tasks, work areas and facilities. This need for the standardisation of data therefore includes an onus on the duty holder and vessel/site operator to supply information pertaining to (but not restricted to) safe/hazardous acts and conditions which have the potential to cause harm to people, damage to the environment or property, or loss of production.
24/25

IS THERE ANY SUPPORT?

From an industry perspective, the Step Change in It is important that everyone has an opportunity to learn the principle, rationale and procedures of safety observation. However, the options for providing safety observation awareness support and training are varied and will be the joint responsibility of the industry and individual companies. Safety Leadership Training and CIP (Common Induction Process) are ideal existing vehicles through which initial efforts to raise awareness of observation systems can be focused. The intention would be to help individuals within the industry to develop their own ideas of why they should participate in safety observation. General awareness training also provides a foundation for the flexible use of these principles and guidelines by individual companies to achieve site-specific or job-specific goals. Although a large proportion of the oil and gas industry workforce is made up of contractor and service company personnel, all employers have a responsibility to ensure their employees are exposed to observation systems. It will always be the case that industry training will have to be further developed and made more specific at the individual company/facility level. It will be the responsibility of duty holders and employers to ensure compliance with their system and to deliver training appropriate to their specific procedures and circumstances.

IMPLEMENTING THE SYSTEM

Many companies in the Oil and Gas industry already The expectation of Step Change in Safety is that safety observation systems will be introduced throughout the oil and gas industry. have systems in place. These may require to be reexamined in light of these new guidelines, but if not fully compliant, can easily be fine tuned. Your Safety Observation System can be improved by sharing observation results and learnings by using the Safety Alert Database and Information Exchange (SADIE) which can be found on the Step Change website www.stepchangeinsafety.net

26/27

Finally, we hope you find these guidelines useful. The success of the guidelines will be by your willingness to embrace safety observation systems as another valuable tool in the ongoing effort to reduce accidents and improve performance.

L O O K T H I S WAY !
Installation / Site: Comments/Suggested Question about YOUR observation system Comply Yes/No Improvements Yes-How do they comply? No-Complete Remedial Actions. 1. Is it observation-orientated? (p12) 2. Is it people based? (p13) 3. Does it promote full employee involvement? (p14) 4. Does it promote individual accountability? (p15) 5. Does it have visible management support? (p16) 6. Is it backed by training resources? (p17) 7. Does it encourage reporting and feedback? (p18) 8. Does it have a method for tracking results? (p19) 9. Is it regularly audited? (p20) Three essentials of a Safety Observations System:
Commitment from the workforce Commitment from the management Commitment from the industry.

Safety Obser vation System Self Assessment Check List

(As against LOOK THIS WAY! Guidelines & Basic Principles)

Target Date

Proposed Remedial Actions

for

Compliance

This document is available to download from the Step Change Website www.stepchangeinsafety.net, Publications Section / Policies & Guidance / Look This Way

28/29

10/11

website email telephone fax address

www.stepchangeinsafety.net info@stepchangeinsafety.net 01224 881272 01224 882350 P.O. Box 10406 Aberdeen AB12 3YL