Employee Involvement in Safety: The VPP Guidelines to Best Practices

We have spent the last few weeks talking about Management Involvement and Commitment to Safety. This week I would like for us to talk about employee involvement in safety. The VPP manual from OSHA defines what they consider to be best practices for employee development so this week I would like for each team and project to read the employee involvement best practices and then talk about how employees at E Light can and do participate in safety. Please don't hesitate to share you examples of how we participate in safety on the continuous improvement server.

Here are the best practices of employee involvement according to the VPP guidelines.

Employee Involvement. In addition to their right to report hazards, employees must be involved in the safety and health management system in active, meaningful, and constructive ways. There are many opportunities for employees to be involved and it is expected that all employees will participate in three or more different ways. Avenues for employees to have input into safety and health decisions include participation in audits, accident/incident investigations, self-inspections, suggestion programs, planning, training, job hazard analyses, and appropriate safety and health committees and teams.

1. The site culture must enable and encourage effective employee involvement in the planning and operation of the SHMS and in decisions that affect employees' safety and health.

2. To facilitate involvement, employees must have access to the results of self-inspections, accident investigations, and other safety and health data upon request.

3. Examples of acceptable employee involvement include, but are not limited to, the following:

a. Participating in ad hoc safety and health problem-solving groups;

b. Participating in audits and/or worksite inspections;

c. Participating in accident and incident investigations;

d. Developing and/or participating in employee improvement suggestion programs;

e. Training other employees in safety and health;

f. Analyzing job/process hazards;

g. Acting as safety observers;

h. Serving on safety and health committees

4. Employees do not meet this requirement by only participating in incentive programs, attending meetings, or working in a safe manner.

5. All employees, including new hires, must be notified about participation in VPP and employees’ rights under the OSH Act.