PSE&G GAS DELIVERY HEALTH & SAFETY PROGRAM
PSE&G
GAS DELIVERY
HEALTH & SAFETY
PROGRAM
Our safety program is based on a grassroots
process. The bargaining unit employees run the
program from the local health and safety councils
all the way up to the corporate health and safety
council. The local safety councils form the basis
of the program. Each location has a local health
and safety council made up of bargaining unit
employees and management employees. The
chairperson is a bargaining unit employee. One
of the primary roles of the manager on the
council is to eliminate roadblocks and assist in
getting things done at the local level.
The chairpersons from the local health and safety councils are members of the
Line of Business (LOB) H&S Council. The LOB H&S Council consists of the
local health and safety council members, the LOB lead safety coordinator, and
the LOB vice president. Subject matter experts and employees from each of
the reporting districts are encouraged to attend these meetings.
The safety system at PSEG is made up of 12
components. These components consist of:
• Administration and Measurement
• Commitment, Participation & Assurance
• Communication
• Contractor Health & Safety
• Data Analysis
• Hazard Assessment and Control
• Incident Analysis
• Issue Resolution
• Job Safety Observations
• Knowledge
• Motor Vehicle Safety
• Personal Health & Wellness
• The Administration and Measurement component provides guidance in the
H&S System in the means used by the Company to engage all employees in
proactively managing their H&S.
• The Commitment, Participation & Assurance component is to provide methods
for gaining the commitment, and participation of all PSEG associates in H&S
improvement efforts.
• The Communication component provides guidance on four key areas of
communication:
• Communication of technical information such as new OSHA regulations
• Communication of non – technical information such as Incident Alerts
• Communication of hazards and precautions for specific tasks through Job
Briefings
• Communication of actions supporting employee H&S through Recognition
• The Contractor Health & Safety component is to provide clear guidelines for a
consistent approach to Contractor H&S management.
• The purpose of Data Analysis is to provide meaningful information with respect
health and safety, where and why incidents are occurring, as well as the
corrective action necessary to prevent a recurrence.
.
• The Purpose of Hazard Assessment and Control is to provide a proactive,
comprehensive process and approach to identification, evaluation, and control of
industrial health and safety hazards.
• Incident Analysis / Root Cause provides methods to identify the circumstances,
conditions, and causes that contributed to the incident and then develop
measures to prevent future occurrences of similar incidents.
• The purpose of Issue Resolution is to provide employees with a process for the
timely resolution of health and safety issues.
• The purpose of the Job Safety Observation is to proactively identify and
eliminate at-risk behaviors and conditions on the job by observing employees
while working and giving immediate feedback in order to alter the behavior or
condition before an accident or injury occurs.
• The Knowledge component provides methods for imparting knowledge to:
• All employees on the skills to perform their work safely
• Employees on H&S Improvement
• New employees regarding basic safety orientation
• H&S Council members
• Increase the skills of safety & health professionals
• The purpose of the Motor Vehicle Safety component is To ensure the
building blocks of a safe driving environment are in place and used at work
and at home. These include:
• The purpose of the Personal Health & Wellness Component is to help
provide employees with the means and opportunity to achieve their
personal health, safety and well-being goals, along with ways to assist
employees in achieving a lifestyle of optimal health and well-being
Our use of the Data Analysis component resulted
in a substantial reduction in muscular skeletal
injuries. We commonly call these types of
injuries, strains and sprains. In our Appliance
Service group which is part of Gas Delivery,
strains and sprains result in the highest incidence
levels of lost time, restricted duty, and OSHA
reportable injuries.
The following slides is an over view of how a
cross section of employees used Data Analysis
to reduce these types of injuries.
GAS APPLIANCE SERVICE
STRAINS / SPRAINS
DATA ANALYSIS
Chris Warner
Mike Mullane
Tom Curry
Bob Egner
Paul Metaxas
Tom Robinson
Mike Schmid (Sponsor)
Mission
• Initiative Description
Review OSHA injury/first aid injury trend across Appliance
Service to determine underlying and/or repetitive factors so
that improvement plans can be identified and implemented
Specific emphasis on sprains/strains which seems to be
leading injury type
• Anticipated Results
Specific action plan with accountabilities to address major
opportunities identified
Reduction in the numbers of sprains and strains resulting in
OSHA recordable injuries
50 Strain / Sprain (S/S) injuries
12 OSHA Recordables (OR), 11 First Aid (FA), 27 Record Purposes (RP)
12 OR include 8 Restricted and 3 Lost Time Cases (77 LT days)
While reporting of RP cases may vary from location to location, Harrison,
Orange and Plainfield experienced no OSHA or FA strain/sprain injuries
Nearly half the OSHA Cases
Half the Lost Time Cases
Nearly two thirds the Restricted Duty Cases
More than a quarter of the Lost Time days
Gas Appliance Service Strains & Sprains
Findings
Findings
• Strains and Sprains are among the most prevalent and serious
injuries in Appliance Service and account for: 46-50% of OSHA Cases in last 3 years
50+% of Lost Time Cases in last 4 years
60+% of Restricted Duty cases in last 3 years
27-74% of Lost Time Days in last 6 years
• 33 of 50 reviewed Sprains /Strains incidents (two thirds) took
place during 4 general tasks / circumstances:
Ascending / Descending Stairs - 9
During appliance repair - 8
During meter set work - 8
While working around vehicles - 8
• Ascending / Descending Stairs - 9
Slips / Trips and Falls the leading type of incident while on stairs
Keeping Eyes on Path and Defective Stairs (especially pull -down
stairs) most prevalent causes leading to Slips/Trips/Falls
YOS - see a trend but significance doubtful
Season trend significance is doubtful
Leg / Foot injuries most prevalent
Findings
• During appliance repair - 8
Overexertion & “Felt Pain” the leading type of incident during Appliance
Repair
Ergonomics and Physical Layout most prevalent causes leading to injury
during appliance repair
YOS - all injured employees doing the job for 5+ years
Season trend significance is doubtful
Neck / Back injuries most prevalent
• During meter set work - 8
“Felt Pain” & Overexertion the leading type of incident
Ergonomics and Physical Layout most prevalent causes
leading to injury during meter set work
YOS - all injured employees doing the job for 5+
years
Season trend significance is doubtful
Findings
“Felt Pain” & Overexertion the leading type of incidents
2 basic circumstances - exiting vehicle and taking equipment / materials
out of vehicle
YOS - all injured employees doing the job for 4+ years
Season trend significance is doubtful
• While working around vehicles - 8
Findings
• Topics related to Strain / Sprain prevention H&S Plans
Gas Delivery H&S Council Plan: page 2
The following Culture Initiatives will be supported;
....Ergonomics Team / Quarterly updates
....Annual root cause training will be provided for employees as needed.
ROOT CAUSE INVESTIGATION
Each accident will be evaluated to determine if a Root Cause Investigation will be
performed.
Wellness Initiatives
...Partnering with Pro-Activity
Promoting Exercise Programs
Findings
• Use of Pro-Activity
Pro-Activity contractually available to visit Districts 4 times
per year
Site visits & presentations on back safety, heart safety,
CVD screenings, STFs, etc.
Conclusions
• Appliance Service needs to place a priority on addressing
Sprains and Strain injuries
• In any of the 4 main categories of work, many Strain / Sprain
injuries most probably developed over time due to the repetition of
non-optimal or improper body mechanics (e.g., carrying toolboxes,
material bags, crouching, kneeling, overextending arms, pulling
and pushing outside power zone such as when lying on floor)
• Underlying Issues leading to S/S incidents when Ascending /
Descending Stairs Use of 3 points of contact
Hands tied up with toolbox, flashlight, materials, other equipment
Distractions from customer talking
Dim lighting
Physical layout / design of stairs
Maintenance of stairs
Cluttered stairs / housekeeping
Conclusions
• Underlying Issues leading to S/S incidents during appliance
repair Location and design of appliances: parts usually are in low / hard to
access locations, appliances in cramped areas
Customer doesn't maintain appliance, making it physically harder for us
to repair
Techs may not be using the best ergonomic or body mechanics approach
to work due to a lack of procedures, access to internet / intranet, and lack of
ongoing training on new appliances
Lack of Job Hazard Analyses / analyses of body mechanics for appliance
work means techs may not being using best ergo or physical approach to
work
Repetition of non-optimal body mechanics over time leads to injury- e.g.,
carrying toolboxes, material bags, crouching, kneeling, overextending arms,
pulling and pushing outside power zone such as when lying on floor, and so
on
Conclusions
• Underlying Issues leading to S/S incidents during meter set work
Repetition of non-optimal body mechanics over time leading to injury (e.g.,
body positioning out of “power zone”, sudden increases and decreases of
force used / impact on hands, arms, shoulders)
Waiting until force exerted gets very high before using a more effective tool or
method
Difficulty in determining normal aches & pains from more serious injury that
requires immediate attention.
Conclusions • Underlying Issues leading to S/S incidents while working around
vehicles
placement of tool bags /housekeeping in vehicles
hard to judge normal aches & pains from more serious injury; inability to
recognize an injury that required immediate attention
design of storage in vans may lead to improper body mechanics
MDT positioning leads to added stress on body
repetition of non-optimal body mechanics that add up to injury (e.g.,
entering/exiting vehicle, overreaching to remove tools & materials from van)
•Topics related to Strain / Sprain prevention in H&S Plans No specific action in relation to strain / sprains prevention
Reference to activities that can support prevention efforts
> ergonomics
> exercise programs
> Root Cause Analyses
• Use of Pro-Activity
Pro-Activity underutilized
Could pro-actively provide expertise to support reduction in strains
and sprains
• Evaluate Equipment / Work Practices > Evaluate, Pilot & Deploy Tools & Equipment
Evaluate, pilot & deploy as appropriate wrench extenders for use in piping work - Evaluate, pilot & deploy as appropriate backpacks and specialized materials bags Evaluate, pilot & deploy as appropriate portable platforms for various work
> Re-evaluate ergonomic MDT positioning mounts
> Evaluate purchase of taller vans such as Dodge Sprinter
> Housekeeping / 3 Points of Contact
Improve housekeeping / organization of tools & materials in vans Technicians to ask customer to descend stairs first, use 3 points of contact while ascending /
descending stairs
> Provide information on new appliances Develop & Implement advanced training on new appliances Provide MDT access to internet / intranet sites on appliance service by Technicians
Recommended Actions
• Increase knowledge on body mechanics and ergonomics Develop & annually present awareness video(s) (similar to AMEREN) on proper
body mechanics (e.g., use of wrenches), stretching, tightening of fittings, etc. Develop & annually present awareness video on working around appliance
service vans to ease stress on body Adjuncts & ProActivity to work with Training Committee to include principles
of correct body mechanics, body movement /use of power zone, and stretching program into Session I and II training and Operator Qualifications (Include similar concepts in Bundled Training) include use of proper size wrenches
Develop and promote a Gas Appliance Service Stretching Program with reference wallet card for use before jobs
• Communication to Customers
Revise the script in the Davox system to inform homeowners to keep stairs and
areas around appliances and meters in good condition, clear of obstacles, provide good lighting.
Use Bill Stuffer as another means of communication to customers
Recommended Actions
• Include specific actions to reduce strain / sprain injuries in 2012 H&S Plans
Scheduling visits by Pro-Activity to Appliance Service Districts 4 times per year
with increased focus on body mechanics & stretching
Job Hazard Analysis program (that include councils, safety professionals, ProActivity, and Corporate Ergonomics Team) on work around vehicles, meter set work, and appliance repair work to identify improved work practices / body mechanics / tools / stretching exercise routines (and incorporate info into training and work practices)
Recommended Actions
• Communicate better practices of Harrison, Orange and Plainfield that have resulted in no FA/OR strain/sprain (S/S) injuries in 2011 YTD
• Develop an addendum to the Field Incident Report for use by
Appliance Service supervision to obtain more complete information about incidents
• Increase use of the Root Cause Analyses process to investigate serious or potentially serious Strain / Sprain incidents and increase communication of lessons learned to personnel
OTHER RECOMMENDED ACTIONS
ACTION PLAN
Action Lead Due Date
Evaluate Equipment / Work Practices
1. Evaluate, Pilot & Deploy Tools & Equipment
2. Re-evaluate ergonomic MDT positioning mounts
3. Evaluate purchase of taller vans such as Dodge
Sprinter
4. Housekeeping / 3 Points of Contact
5. Provide Information on New Appliances
1. Paul Pirro
2. Neal Davis
3. Joe Martillotti
4. Supervisors &
H&S Councils
5. Paul Pirro /
Ross
Romano /
Alice McPhee
1st quarter
2012
Increase knowledge on body mechanics and
ergonomics
Tom Curry 1st quarter
2012
Communication to Customers Bob Egner December
2011
Include specific actions to reduce strain / sprain
injuries in 2012 H&S Plans
Neal Davis
Chris Edman
December
2011
ACTION PLAN
Action Lead Due Date
Other Actions:
1) Revise the Field Incident Report Form for
use by supervision to obtain more complete
information about incidents
2) Increase use of the Root Cause Analyses
process to investigate serious or potentially
serious S/S incidents & communicate
3) Communicate better practices that have
resulted in no FA/OR strain/sprain (S/S)
injuries in 2011 YTD
1. Bob
Egner
2. Mike
Schmid &
Safety
Pro’s
3. Jules
Kaczor
1. Nov
2011
2. Jan
2012
3. Dec
2011
Track recommended Action Plan to ensure
implementation and evaluate effectiveness. Start
with 1st checkpoint in December, 2011.
Tom Robinson
with Data
Analysis Team
Start Dec
2011
What the Team Did
• Validated that strains and sprain (S/S) injuries were most
prevalent in 2011 and would be the focus of this analysis
• Reviewed 50 S/S injuries and classified them in various ways
including job task or circumstance, incident type (e.g., slip/trip/fall),
OSHA recordkeeping classification, and primary systemic or
human factor cause
• Brainstormed the most prevalent common causes and trends
(opportunities for improvement) and developed recommended
actions focused at mitigating the prevalent common causes
• Benchmarked outside organizations (Ameren, National Grid) for
actions they took to reduce strain and sprain injuries
What the Team Did
• Researched various tools and equipment that would assist
Technicians in reducing overexertion and awkward body
movement / positioning
• Reviewed the Local & LOB Council and District H&S Plans for
planned actions that to reduce Strain / Sprain (S/S) injuries
• Surveyed Districts for actions that may help reduce S/S injuries
• Met with Pro-Activity to review general Gas Delivery health and
wellness trends, Pro-Activity work in Gas Districts, and body
mechanics concepts
SUMMARY
• Follow-up on action items
• Continue to monitor strains and sprain injuries
• Encourage employees to stretch several times a day
• Engage supervisors in the programs
• Continue to tweak the program with new ergonomic
tools
• Keep employees at all levels updated on the
progress of the program.