Electricity + Control November 2018

PLANT MAINTENANCE, TEST + MEASUREMENT

Next evolution plant safety

John McCormick, Fossil Operations

Although workplace safety within the power sector has plateaued over the past decade, and significant strides have been made to protect workers, the industry cannot claim victory until it can drive the injury rate to zero.

Take Note!

Top performing organisa- tion discuss accident and injury prevention. 2. They also need to an- alyse near misses and good catch trends. 1 2

S afety performance is heightened during plant outages, both planned and forced. At peak activity, it is common for plants to have hundreds of contract workers on site. Top contractors with experienced workers bring indus- try best practices that enhance a plant’s safety cul- ture. This is when an owner knows it has the right partner, one with aligned culture and values, and a comprehensive training programme. The next evolution of plant safety will be driven by increased engagement of plant workers, the use of data and technology to drive behaviours and a strengthening of cultures that prioritise safe- ty above all.

Start at the top Leadership may be the most influential factor in driving safety performance. The best-performing safety organisations typically have a great leader at the helm.What separates top performers from the rest of the pack is often the ‘it factor’, an intangible quality that draws people in and inspires them to do their best work. This ‘it factor’ comes down to a leader’s ability to engage and empathise with others. The best leaders don’t sit in their offices all day making plans and looking over budgets. They get to know their people. They engage with their workforce to make sure they have the resources they need. They work hard to get an understanding of the specific roles of all the people within their organisation. In plant operations, this translates to making sure leaders are out in the field on a regular basis. There is nothing quite as powerful for a frontline worker as seeing a site VP or company executive walking a site to see work being done and talk- ing with craft. It shows them you care and makes them want to work harder. By fostering high levels of engagement from workers, safety will improve. This is not a new concept, but it is one that will continue to be important if safety performance is going to improve. Organisations cannot lose sight of the fact that the people they put at the top will be a driving force of their overall success. Care to coach The manager role means different things to differ- ent people. Some believe it’s a manager’s job to tell other people what to do. The truth is, a good manager is a coach who cares about the team. Think about sporting events you have attended. There is constant encouragement, feedback, and

30 Electricity + Control

NOVEMBER 2018