Intent by Gemstone Fabricators Inc. to Become an OSHA Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) Evaluation

Gemstone Fabricators Evaluation

Introduction

The aspiration and intent by Gemstone Fabricators Inc. to become an OSHA Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) and also align itself with the ANSI/AIHA Z10 standard are commendable. Attaining this standard is not only good for the corporate image of the organization but also good for the safety of employees, a fact that will augment motivation and engagement (Turner, 2017). However, safety issues in an active place of work take an inverted pyramid approach with management handling the most important obligations. The bottom strata of employees are more of a beneficially than active players when it comes to safety, despite the fact that this group also plays an important role in safety issues. A careful evaluation of Gemstone’s approach to safety reveals that the company takes an upright pyramid approach to safety. Under this approach, it is the bottom strata group that undertakes most of the safety measures. Unless and until the management takes an active role in safety, it might not be possible to qualify for the VPP certification and the company may not be considered as aligned with the ANSI/AIHA Z10 standard.

Importance of Establishing Safety Accountability Measures

Safety begins in the mind of the employee and can be considered as the knowledge or belief that all that can be done to ensure safety is being done. The absence of good safety measures has catastrophic consequences hence OSHA philosophy engenders a preventative rather than a reactive approach (Turner, 2017). Instead of waiting until something goes wrong so as to fix the errors that caused it to happen, OSHA prefers an approach where all parties involved seek to ensure that nothing will go wrong. Most importantly, OSHA engenders a situation where an assurance that all safety measures have been taken is settled in the minds of the employees. It is towards the attainment of the above that safety accountability measures are put in place. Under these measures, a settled plan about the right safety measures including compliance with standards, availability if safety resources, training, and supervision are put in place (Turner, 2017). Managers, employee, and safety officials are then held to account about adherence to the said measures and standards.

An Appraisal of the Assignment of Safety-related Job Tasks

A good safety approach as and when working with heavy machinery and dangerous implements begins with having a good safety strategic plan. Strategic planning is mainly a preserve of top management with only its application aspects being communicated to the lower echelons of employees (Turner, 2017). In this area of strategic planning, Gemstone must be said to have failed. There seems to be the absence of a sound safety strategic plan and also limited top management involvement in the area of safety. Unfortunately, without an effective and comprehensive safety strategic plan, the entire safety system fails. Lower level supervisors and their wards will either not know what they need to do, lack the motivation to do it, or lack the tools and wherewithal to do it, including proper training.

Plan-Do-Check-Act Framework

Training is arguably the most important safety resource hence it is fundamentally and urgently needed at Gemstone. The training regimen begins the planning phase. The key to planning is information hence Gemstone needs to gather all necessary information on the processes carried out in its plants (Geigle Safety Group, Inc., 2016). The safety issues allied to these processes would then be gleaned put and used to prepare a comprehensive training plan. The plan should be in such a way that it minimizes interference with work schedules. The second phase involves doing which would include a pilot training program. The pilot program can involve management staff and a few members of the main workforce. Careful evaluation and monitoring should be undertaken during the pilot training program, which would make for the Checking phase. The data collected from the monitoring and evaluation should be used to recalibrate and perfect the training regimens (Geigle Safety Group, Inc., 2016). Finally, there would be the acting phase where the proposed changes would be made to the training regimen then fully implemented.

References

Geigle Safety Group, Inc. (2016). Managing Effective Safety Accountability Systems. Retrieved from https://www.oshatrain.org/notes/3anotes04.html

Turner, S. (2017). Going Beyond Compliance.  IRON & STEEL TECHNOLOGY ,  1 .