The Application of BehaviorBased Safety To Office Ergonomics

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• The Application of Behavior-Based Safety To
  Office Ergonomics
• DynMcDermott Petroleum Operations Company
• Strategic Petroleum Reserve
• U. S. Department Of Energy
• David Folse CSP
• Senior Safety Analyst Behavioral Safety
  Internal Consultant

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Office Ergonomics

• DM employees hold the key for proactive
  ergonomics intervention in preventing cumulative
  trauma disorders in the workplace.
• The Behavioral Science Technology (BST) process
  was implemented at the New Orleans site in May
  1996.

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Office Ergonomics

• Employee behaviors (actions) are measured
  (observed) by fellow employees against an
  established and published list of safety critical
  behaviors, which the employees themselves
  developed and update from the sites previous
  accident and behavioral data

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Office Ergonomics

• Continuous, immediate and positive feedback
  results in reinforcement of safe behaviors and
  the identification of at-risk behaviors and
  causes
• Safe behaviors result in less risk and therefore,
  fewer accidents.
• As the continuous process enhances safe
  behaviors, safety attitudes and the entire safety
  culture improve slowly over time.

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Office Ergonomics

• Observational risk data is utilized by the
  process steering committees to continuously
  improve the process and further reduce risk
• Permanent process provides ongoing employee
  participation, documentation and knowledge
  transfer

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Office Ergonomics

• The Office Ergonomic Behaviors monitored are
• wrists, hands, and elbows
• hips and knees
• back
• eyes, neck, and shoulders
• fixed position

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Need for Formal Assessment

• OSHA inspection of a Texas site starting on
  10/7/97
• Citation issued 4/6/98
• Number of ergonomic injuries on OSHA 200 Log
  prompted followup
• Invoked the General Duty Clause
• Letter directing ergonomics process 4/21/98
• Settlement agreement signed 4/28/98

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Assessment Results

• Written report Field and Office
• Field task analysis with recommendations and
  photos
• Spreadsheets of office recommendations (all
  types)
• by individual assessed
• grouped by level of risk

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Risk Rankings

• High - potential consequences to personnel could
  include severe work-related illness or injury
  resulting in 5 or more lost workdays, chronic
  pain, or discomfort, or permanent disability
• Moderate - illness or injury resulting in lost
  work time but not expected to result in a
  permanent disability or chronic pain and
  discomfort
• Low - minor injury not expected to involve lost
  time and could be treated by first aid at the
  facility

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Types of Recommendations

• Recommendations are made as a whole, all
  interacting to achieve the desired risk reduction
• Engineering - alteration of equipment function,
  structure or design
• Administrative - alteration of policy or rules
  governing work behavior or methods
• Behavioral - changing employees actions

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Top Three Equipment RecommendationsMonitor
Risers Document Holders
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Actions Based On Assessment Results

• Implemented a comprehensive ergonomics program,
  compliant with the intent of draft OSHA standard
• Coordinated with Behavioral Safety process to
  assure employees
• are using equipment provided
• and safe behaviors

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Role of Behavioral Safety in Ergonomic/IH Program
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Ergonomic Results
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Future Actions

• Implement behavioral and equipment
  recommendations for federal employees
• Use same standard specs
• Include employees in ergonomic behavioral
  observation

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In Conclusion

• Employee behavioral safety process is accurately
  identifying and reducing risk
• Formal assessment supports behavioral process
• Existing behavioral process maximizes benefits of
  formal assessment through continuous feedback,
  while avoiding cost to implement a new ergonomic
  empire