Frequency vs Severity in Public EmploymentSafety Programs

Santa Clara County 25th Annual Countywide Safety Seminar

Dave K. Smith, CSPDave Smith & Company925-283-3025dks@davesmithco.comwww.davesmithco.com

Agenda

Data SourcesData ResultsFrequency vs SeverityHazard ControlsPrograms that save livesPlans To Improve Focus Of Safety Programs

Data

Use data to drive programs

Incident types

Injury data analysis

Frequency• How often

Severity• How bad

Hazardous conditions

Close calls

Minor injuries

Severe Injuries

Fatalities

Accidents are “caused occurrences”

• Predictable - the logical outcome of hazards

• Preventable and avoidable - hazards do not have to exist. They are caused by things people do -- or fail to do.

What is an “Accident”?

30,000 + Hazards

3,000 Near-Misses or First Aid

300 Recordable Injuries

30 Major Injuries

1 Fatal

Wheel chocks not put in placeat rear wheels of fuel truck

Catering truck is driven into fueltruck, which moves

Fuel truck movesDriver jumps to ground and sprains ankle

Fuel truck movesDriver jumps to ground and breaks leg

Fuel truck movesDriver jumps to ground and catering truck rolls over him

Hazard PyramidHazard Pyramid

Traditional Belief

Frequency leads to severity so if you control the frequency of injuries you can control the severity of injuries

BUT

Industries with low frequency rates have catastrophic events• Oil refineries• Offshore drilling platforms• High energy sources

Gravity (Falls)Earth movement (Trenches)Electricity

Philosopher and poet

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

George Santayana

What Everyone Can Do:Recognize difference

Frequency does not necessarily lead to severity

Controlling frequency does NOT mean you have controlled severity

How Do Bad Incidents Occur?

How do we prevent serious and catastrophic injuries??

How Do We Know What To Do?

How do collect the data to prevent serious and catastrophic injuries??

Data SourcesData Sources

OSHA RecordkeepingOSHA RecordkeepingCalifornia Injury and Illness California Injury and Illness Prevention ProgramsPrevention Programs•• Injury/illness investigationsInjury/illness investigations

Worker’s Compensation DataWorker’s Compensation Data

OSHA Recordkeeping

Incident Report• OSHA Form 301 or equivalentLog of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses• OSHA Form 300Summary: Certified • OSHA Form 300A

BLS Data Collection

How do we know what injuries occur?Data collected by State and Federal labor statistics departmentsAnnual SurveyData is 1-2 years old

New Reports

US Bureau of Labor Statistics• NONFATAL OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES AND

ILLNESSES REQUIRING DAYS AWAY FROM WORK FOR STATE GOVERNMENT AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT WORKERS, 2008

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/osh2.nr0.htm

• FATAL INJURIES BY INDUSTRY, 2009http://www.bls.gov/iif/oshsum.htm

BLS Report Findings

First national data for state and local governments

BLS Key Findings

Local government has 15% of injuries but only 9% of total employment (vs State, private)Local government has more days away from work cases than state or private employersLocal government rates for falls on the same level over double private industry

Who Gets Hurt in Local Government

45904590LandscapingLandscaping

46604660MaintenanceMaintenance

47004700Nursing AidesNursing Aides

47504750Bus Drivers TransitBus Drivers Transit

47504750Refuse and RecyclingRefuse and Recycling

82908290Teacher AssistantsTeacher Assistants

84308430Elem TeachersElem Teachers

1680016800Fire FightersFire Fighters

2088020880Janitors and CleanersJanitors and Cleaners

2402024020PolicePolice

NUMBER CASES 2008NUMBER CASES 2008OCCUPATIONOCCUPATION

What Causes Injuries in Local Government

Fatalities in Local Government -2009

8 %8 %1818Substance/Substance/EnvironmentEnvironment

256256TotalTotal

5 %5 %1212Fire/ExplosionFire/Explosion

5 %5 %1414Objects/Objects/EquipmentEquipment

9 %9 %2222FallsFalls

27 %27 %6767Assaults/ViolenceAssaults/Violence

47 %47 %121121TransportationTransportation

PERCENTAGEPERCENTAGENUMBERNUMBERTYPETYPE

121

67

22 18 14 12

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

Transportation

Assaults/Violence

Falls

Substance/Environment

Objects/Equipment

Fire/Explosion

Fatal Four

Top causes of fatalities in Construction

Elevated FallsElectricityCaught inStruck By

HAZARD CONTROL

Protecting Employees from Workplace Hazards

Employers must protect employees from hazards • Falling objects• Harmful substances• Noise exposures Employers must:• Use all feasible engineering and work practice

controls to eliminate and reduce hazards • Use personal protective equipment (PPE) if the

controls don’t eliminate the hazards. PPE is the last level of control!

Hierarchy of Controls

Elimination/AvoidanceEngineering• Best option if feasible

Then, Administrative• Work Practice Controls

And Only Then, Personal Protective Equipment • PPE• Least Reliable

Engineering ControlsIf . . .You can physically change the machine or work environment to prevent employee exposure to the potential hazard,

Then . . .You have eliminated the hazard with an engineering control.

Engineering Controls

Initial design specificationsVentilationSubstitution with less harmful materialEnclosure of processIsolation of processChange of process

Examples . . .

Work Practice Controls

If . . .You can remove your employees from exposure to the potential hazard by changing the way they do their jobs,

Then . . .You have eliminated the hazard with a work practice or administrative control.

Work Practice Controls

Job rotation of workersWet methodsPersonal hygieneHousekeeping and maintenance

Examples . . .

Work Practice Controls -- Examples

ResponsibilitiesEmployer• Assess workplace for hazards• Provide PPE• Determine when to use • Provide PPE training for employees and

instruction in proper use• Employee

Use PPE in accordance with training received and other instructions

Inspect daily and maintain in a clean and reliable condition

Examples of PPE

respiratorsLungearplugs, earmuffsHearingvestsBodiesglovesHands / armssafety shoesFeethard hatsHeadface shieldsFacesafety glassesEye

Body Part Protection

Hazard Control Programs That Save Lives

Hazard Type: Use Data To FocusHazard Type: Use Data To Focus

WHOWHOWhat jobs?What jobs?What Types of What Types of injuries?injuries?Frequency TrendsFrequency TrendsSeverity ExposureSeverity Exposure

PREVENTIONPREVENTIONData Collection and Data Collection and AnalysisAnalysisDiscussionDiscussionWorkplace AnalysisWorkplace AnalysisHazard ControlsHazard Controls

Transportation

WHOWHOLaw EnforcementLaw EnforcementEMTsEMTsAll Vehicle All Vehicle OperatorsOperators

PREVENTIONPREVENTIONFleet Safety Fleet Safety ProgramsProgramsDriver TrainingDriver TrainingProceduresProcedures

Assaults and Violence Prevention

WHOWHOLaw EnforcementLaw EnforcementHealth CareHealth CarePsychiatric TechsPsychiatric TechsSocial WorkersSocial WorkersWho Else?Who Else?

PREVENTIONPREVENTIONViolence in the Violence in the Workplace Workplace ProgramsProgramsViolent behavior Violent behavior AssessmentAssessmentIncident ReviewIncident Review

Struck By Equipment

WHOWHOPublic WorksPublic WorksConstructionConstructionLaw EnforcementLaw Enforcement

PREVENTIONPREVENTIONTraffic Control Traffic Control PlansPlansSeparationSeparationBarriers/GuardingBarriers/Guarding

Struck By Objects

WHOWHOPublic WorksPublic WorksConstructionConstructionWho Else?Who Else?

PREVENTIONPREVENTIONBarriersBarriersSeparationSeparationPPEPPE

Fall Prevention – Same Level

WHOWHOEveryone!Everyone!Food ServiceFood ServiceJanitorialJanitorial

PREVENTIONPREVENTIONHazard SurveysHazard SurveysElimination of Elimination of vertical offsetsvertical offsetsSlippery SurfacesSlippery Surfaces

Fall Prevention – Elevated

WHOEveryone: Gravity always works…………ConstructionPublic Works

PREVENTIONPREVENTIONRailingsRailingsElimination of fall Elimination of fall hazardshazardsPPEPPE•• Personal Fall Arrest Personal Fall Arrest

SystemsSystems•• Fall Restraint Fall Restraint

SystemsSystems

Harmful Substances/Environments

WHOTreatment plantsSewer systemsUtilityPublic Works

PREVENTIONPREVENTIONProgramsConfined SpaceIndustrial Hygiene

Fire/Explosion

WHOFire serviceEMTsProcess EquipmentPainting

PREVENTIONPREVENTIONHousekeepingMaintenanceProceduresEmergency Response

What To Do

Collect accurate data in YOUR safety programImprove injury/illness investigationUse workers compensation data AND OSHA recordkeeping dataFocus prevention efforts on both frequency and severity exposuresJust because it hasn’t happened yet doesn’t mean it won't!

Safety is Protecting People

Discussion