Recently, a client had two (2) heat-related incidents within one (1) week. This after, we forced a download of the OSHA/NIOSH Heat App to all company phones. I have used this technique to ensure front-line supervisors and managers have a TOOL to help them manage the Heat Prevention Plan requirements. I have used this forced download several times, and the results vary wildly. From some supervisors/managers deleting the app from their company phones the following day to some supervisors/managers using the app daily.
These latest two (2) incidents were just sad. One supervisor, who deleted the app from his phone the day after it was forced downloaded, lost his job after 27 years with the company. His manager was suspended for one (1) week without pay and placed on probation for one (1) year. The supervisor was fired for lying and downloading the app the night of the accident and then lying to the investigation team, saying that he had been using the app daily for months. The IT department had the goods on him, and he was fired for lying in the investigation. The worker suffered a heat stroke event.
In the other event, the supervisor also failed to use the app on the day of his worker’s event. He was suspended without pay for a period of time, but he was honest in the investigation.
In our discussions about these incidents, both teams wanted to lay the blame for the illnesses at the feet of the workers—the workers who do NOT control the work, the work area, the work pace, the number of breaks, the hydration options, etc. These failures are clearly Latent Organizational Failures, and here is why.
The company’s written program and training required the field supervisors to use the app before work began each morning and again at lunch and to follow the guides based on the environmental conditions. So I requested that IT audit the use of the app on all company phones; the results were sad.
- More than 50% had deleted the app; of this 50%, more than 80% were field supervisors
- The nearly 20% who had the app on their phone used the app less than 1% of the time
Basically, for nearly two (2) years, the program was not being followed, and the tool was not being used. Some interviews with “Lead Men” confirmed these failures.
But these failures are also Latent Organizational failures, as the program was never audited or measured, and these two (2) failures led management to believe “all is well” up until they had the two events.
Going forward, we had IT set up a Text Portal. Each field supervisor has to use the app each morning and afternoon and text the screenshots to the text portal. Managers will then verify and document via a checklist that their supervisors complete these tasks in the a.m. and at lunch. The Safety Team will randomly audit the field teams to verify that the safeguards recommended by the app are being put in place and followed. Audit scores will be shared with Sr. Management to validate that the program is being met, and the tool is being utilized. It all comes back to the PLAN-DO-CHECK-ACT model; nothing fancy or special, just good old safety management 101.