Issue link: https://industrialmanagement.epubxp.com/i/285723
16 Industrial Management is low on awareness might meet with a trained individual in a one-on-one setting to review the person's safety DNA profile. In this brief meeting, the coach can interpret the results in an accurate manner that is meaningful for the individual. If the individual frequently works at heights (e.g., repairing building roofs), the conversation could surround the importance of frequently checking whether fall protection equipment is secured properly and scanning the area for unprotected edges or holes on a roof. People with this type of profile are likely to be distracted more easily when they are concentrating on a task and might forget to tie off their safety harness properly or fail to see a hole on the rooftop. Both of these exposures could lead to serious injury or death, and they are significant concerns in industries such as construction. Therefore, they could greatly benefit by identifying some critical behaviors that can help reduce their risk in this area, such as reminding themselves to scan their surroundings every few minutes and going through a brief checklist of precautions whenever they are about to adjust their fall protection equipment. A skilled coach who has experience in the same line of work can help the individual think of potential exposures, along with behaviors that can have real impact on their everyday safety. The coach can help the individual identify specific, observable behavioral goals (e.g., "Check my safety harness every 15 minutes") that can be measured, as opposed to vague goals (e.g., "Be more careful"). Behavioral goals can be made easier through the use of memory phrases that employees identify during the session to help them remember the behavior. Furthermore, by identifying an "accountability partner," such as a trusted co-worker, and sharing their behavioral safety goals with this person, oppor- tunities are created for more frequent feedback on at-risk behaviors. If coupled with regular follow-up, this process can provide a robust way to counteract an employee's safety blind spots and reduce their exposure regardless of the time or setting. Since people take their safety DNA with them everywhere they go, this process provides a highly personalized safety tool that can be used at any time, in any place, regardless of the situation. The second main avenue where safety DNA can play a major role is through a company's recruitment and selection. While many organizations make signif- icant investments in safety management systems, few incorporate safety into their hiring process. Common practice is to screen job candidates for technical skills, experience and education. This is unfor- tunate because some new employees will possess safety DNA profiles that put them at greater risk of injury. Emerging research in this area shows that safety DNA can be measured during the hiring process and that it can help organizations avoid hiring high-risk candidates who are more likely to be injured on the job. A study conducted by Select International examined a group of more than 1,900 temporary employees at two large auto manufacturers who completed a brief assessment that measured safety risk as part of the hiring process. Scores ranged from "poor fit" (highest risk) to "very good fit" (lowest risk) in terms of overall safety risk. The scores from this assessment were not used as part of the hiring process, allowing the researchers to examine the impact of hiring high risk candidates over time. Twelve months after candi- dates were hired, results showed that those in the poor fit group were twice as likely (35 percent) as good and very good fit candidates (17 percent) to be injured on the job and file a workers' compensation claim as a result (see Figure 3). Surprisingly, only 9 percent of the candidate sample received a poor fit (highest risk) score, yet their injury rate was 30 percent to 100 percent higher than all other candidates. Had this organization screened out these high risk candidates during the hiring process and replaced them with individuals who had a low risk score, it would have lost 850 fewer days due to injury. Savings could have totaled approximately $270,000 in direct costs and more than $1 million in indirect costs associated with injuries over those 12 months. In another analysis conducted with a global manufacturer of electrical equipment, researchers from Select International conducted a longitudinal study to assess the impact that the hiring process could have on safety performance if it pre-screened candidates for safety risk. In order to investigate this, incident rates for existing hires were compared to the incident rates of new hires, with the new employees completing a safety Safety DNA can be measured during the hiring process FITTING IN YOUR NEW HIRES Figure 3. Percentage of workers' compensation claims fled due to injury on the job. New employees with the highest risk scores were much more likely to suffer on-the-job injuries. IM MarApr 2014.indd 16 3/24/14 12:13 PM