Integrating occupational health and safety in operational risk management: A significant challenge altering organizational culture.

Transcription

1 NES2008_SNadeau 1 Integrating occupational health and safety in operational risk management: A significant challenge altering organizational culture. Sylvie Nadeau, Eng., Ph.D. École de technologie supérieure 1100 Notre-Dame West Montreal QC H3C 1K3 sylvie.nadeau@etsmtl.ca Abstract: Integrated risk management is difficult: Firms employ tools of varying sophistication. Business systems are increasingly complex and dynamic. In such an environment, how can we optimize manufacturing systems, yet assure a safe environment for workers? A number of paths have been explored that might lead to solutions in the integration of occupational health and safety (OHS) with respect to: Management of quality and the environment; Corporate management systems, while using total quality tools or remuneration models; Design of manufacturing systems; Organizational factors and the control of major risks; Planning of manufacturing systems. Outlined succinctly here are the results of three research projects and one didactic development project aimed at integrating OHS in the residential and commercial moving industry, in undertaking lockout/tagout procedures during maintenance shutdowns, in the inter-functional assessment carried out by auditors of manufacturing performance, and lastly, in the training of mechanical engineers in Quebec. Systematic analysis of these findings then leads us to identify ways to integrate the management of operational, health and safety risks. Introducing OHS first calls for a clear understanding of a client s needs and the development of an information system that addresses the risks to be managed. Teams given the task of conceiving a product or process must then be equipped and assisted in addressing the risks to be managed (whether financial, technological, operational, legal, environmental, social, regulatory, consumer oriented, fiscal or OHS in nature). Clearly, the training of those who will design products and processes needs to include knowledge of OHS that goes hand in hand with tools used to maintain quality. From the moment production planning of goods or services gets under way, analytical models integrating the management of OHS risks must be constructed and allied with classic manufacturing management tools. In so much as quality, health, safety and operations management problems are interrelated, it is as crucial as it is challenging to integrate these in the design and planning stages of manufacturing systems. To enhance OHS, while preserving or improving manufacturing productivity, must become an organizational culture. Keywords: risk management, occupational health and safety, operational risk, integration Topic: Risk assessment at work

2 NES2008_SNadeau 2 1. Purpose of the research Organizations are undergoing profound change in response to technological advances, global trade and deregulation. The organization of work has taken on new forms, notably through the creation of autonomous and polyvalent work teams (Hamon-Cholet 2001). Nowadays, workers evolve in increasingly integrated systems that produce high value and knowledge-based products (CST 2006). Increased information asymmetries and strategic behaviour, in particular moral hazard, have been observed to occur more frequently in such situations (Daubas-Létourneux and Thébaud-Mony 2001). Numerous studies have dealt with information asymmetries that lead to difficulties in managing staff, operations, even contracts. Their impact on health and safety risks is often ignored or neglected, however. Consequently, health and safety measures may be inadequate or absent altogether, placing workers at greater and unacceptable risk. Accordingly, analysis is urgently required to determine ways in which health and safety can be shared when it is available but cannot be communicated through traditional channels (employers, health and safety committees, prevention representatives), and where legislative bodies have yet to act in specific cases (Roy et al. 2000, Daubas-Letourneux and Thébaud-Mony 2001). A number of options have been set out in the literature with respect to integrating health and safety initiatives in the management of operations: Integrating quality, environment, health and safety management (Labodovà 2004); Integrating health and safety management (Garza and Fadier 2005), within a firm s management system (Walker 2006), using total quality (Zink 2005), or a remuneration model (Toupin and al. 2007); Integrating health, safety and operations management in manufacturing systems at the design stage (Winkel and Neumann 2005); Integrating organizational factors, safety management systems, human factor considerations and risk control in major hazard contexts (Bellamy and al. 2006). Recognizing that quality, health, safety and operations management problems are interrelated (Wilson 2005), it is essential that all these are integrated in the design (Drais 2005) and planning stages of manufacturing systems (Saurin et al. 2004, Hare et al. 2006), and to acknowledge difficulties inherent in attempting to integrate information in dispersed and complex systems (Le Coze 2005). How might we optimize manufacturing systems while assuring a safe environment for workers? The goal of this five (5) year research program was to identify ways to adapt management of an activity -- namely the design and planning of manufacturing systems -- to enhance health and safety, while preserving or improving efficiency, or productivity. 2. Method The proposed research resorts to risk management theory, decision theory (agency model, noncooperative game theory and multi-criteria decision analysis), logistic chains and a systemic approach to organizations, as well as multiple factor accident theory.

3 NES2008_SNadeau 3 The agency model recognizes individuals behave in ways highly oriented to meeting their personal interests (Hatchuel and Ponssard 1996). It will not only allow us to characterize the employer-employee relationships in autonomous and polyvalent work, but also to identify sources of strategic behaviours, cooperation and incentives problems. Individuals and groups throughout an organization are faced with health and safety issues. Such problems are often caused by failures in product design, process design, equipment design or operations management. If such health and safety issues are appropriately addressed, improved efficiency and productivity can result across the entire organizational system (Simard 2001). This is why our research efforts focus on the integration of these issues into the process design and operations management, without parcelling responsibilities out among various stakeholders, and without undermining control over health and safety risks or productivity. To generate a risk management model, we used a simultaneous deductive/inductive, qualitative/quantitative research strategy based on case studies. We used the data-flow model to analyze and design a prototype risk management model (information system and analytical risk model). 3. Major results 3.1 Case study: Residential and commercial moving industry This work encounters significant and complex operational constraints that vary with the type of client, time of year and service provided. The main occupational hazard is low back pain. Semi-steered interviews and direct observation of teams at work allowed us to collect the information needed for our analysis. We subsequently used influence diagrams and ranked the occupational risks identified hierarchically, to conduct our analysis. This case study illustrates the need to identify operational, health and safety risks systematically before any task or design is assigned to a team. More specifically, occupational risks are reduced or eliminated and occupational safety is correspondingly enhanced when greater integration or harmony exists in the organization of work, the supervision offered, the allocation of tasks among workers, and the relationships maintained with customers (Alexandru and Nadeau 2005). 3.2 Training of mechanical engineers The need to integrate health and safety skills in the undergraduate curriculum for mechanical engineers is now widely accepted among institutions engaged in occupational safety, organizations accrediting vocational training in engineering, those concerned with the practice as it relates to protecting the public, and still others involved in vocational education for engineers. We proposed a strategy for the creation of a community of researchers that will be supported by a Web portal. The strategy includes the creation of a collaborative web portal, exchanges through conferences or symposiums, the development of an online pedagogical workbook, a didactical databank and case studies.

4 NES2008_SNadeau 4 The main results of this project were a conceptual framework to integrate health and safety knowledge, a list of risk factors to be covered, a written consent among five institutions (universities and institutions in charge of occupational safety), framing the dissemination of material protected by copyright and didactic material to be shared (Hallé and al. 2008) 3.3 Case study: Lockout/tagout during maintenance shutdowns We considered a production problem in a manufacturing system subject to random failures and repairs. In such a system, all employees must be protected from injuries caused by inadvertent start-ups of machinery, or release of stored energy during service, repair, maintenance, operation and associated activities. The goal of this numerical analysis and simulation, based on a nonhomogeneous Markov process, was to find the optimal production rate, preventive maintenance rates and repair rates, to minimize operating costs, backlog costs, inventory costs and unforeseen costs (accidents). The effects of machine age-dependent preventive and corrective maintenance policies on optimal safety stock levels were considered. The control policy found has a hedging point structure. When we control safety measures, they can be carried out at times that are optimal in the production cycle (availability of machines, production and health and safety costs) (Charlot and al. 2006). 3.4 Case study: Inter-functional assessment by auditors of manufacturing performance A control list or questionnaire including hundreds perhaps thousands of questions is often used to audit the performance of a supplier. Results of the assessment can be used not only to choose a supplier but to improve its performance. Poor management of investments in ergonomics, health and safety has considerable impact on corporate performance. Based on this hypothesis, a review of the literature and fault tree analysis, we designed a logic tree to evaluate performance of an organization in ergonomics, health and safety. Analysis of the interrelationships among these factors has also been undertaken. Our study identified links with other corporate functions: Purchasing, engineering, personnel/human resources, transformation/conversion processes, accounting and maintenance (Julien et al. 2005). The aggregate result of our studies is a prototype management model (see figure 1 information system). Introducing OHS first calls for an understanding of the clients needs and development of an information system addressing the risks to be managed. It is needed to identify operational, health and safety risks systematically before any task or design is assigned to a team. Once the tasks of conceiving the product or process have been allocated to teams, these must be equipped and assisted in addressing the risks to be managed (whether financial, technological, operational, legal, environmental, social, regulatory, consumer market, fiscal or OHS). Clearly, the training of those who will design products and processes needs to include knowledge of OHS that goes hand in hand with tools used to maintain quality. From the moment production planning of goods or services gets under way, analytical models integrating the management of OHS risks must be constructed and allied with classic manufacturing management tools.

5 NES2008_SNadeau 5 Figure 1: Risk management model - autonomous and polyvalent work The challenge in integrating OHS and operational risks is that operational risks are mostly detailed and quantitative measures but occupational risks are a mix of quantitative and qualitative measures, more or less precise, depending on the nature of health and safety risk involved. 4. Implications The originality of this research resides in the integration of health and safety considerations and the introduction of prevention schemes adapted to increasingly prevalent new forms of organization and which have an impact on operations management. We are designing a new software decision tool, integrating health, safety and operational risk management for autonomous and polyvalent work. We are confident that the results of this study will be applicable to other fields facing similar concerns (i.e where autonomous and polyvalent work are the norm) and that it promises to benefit service operations, information technology, risk management and decision-making processes within new organizational systems. 5. Acknowledgments This work was made possible by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Sous-traitance Industrielle Québec (STIQ), Université du Québec (UQ), École de technologie supérieure (ETS), Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR), Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR), Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CSST), Pratt & Whitney Canada, Réseau de recherche en santé et en sécurité du travail du Québec (RRSSTQ), grants and the collaboration of several organizations (University of Sherbrooke, École Polytechnique, Institut de recherché Robert_sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST), Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec (OIQ), Jelco-Alubox and Dessau Soprin).

6 NES2008_SNadeau 6 6. Key references P. Alexandru and S. Nadeau, Modèle interrelationnel pour l intégration des aspects de santé et de sécurité à la gestion des opérations dans le travail autonome et polyvalent, Buletinul Institutului Politehnic Din lasi, Tomul L (LIV), Fasc Sectia Stiinta Si Ingineria Materialelor, , L. Bellamy, T.A.W. Geyer, and J.Wilkinson, Development of a Functional Model which Integrates Human Factors, Safety Management Systems and Wider Organisational Issues. Safety Science, E. Charlot, J.P. Kenné and S. Nadeau, Optimal production and lockout/tagout control policies in manufacturing systems, International Journal of Production Economics, 107, , Conseil de la science et de la technologie 2006, L utilisation des technologies de pointe dans le nouveau contexte de la production manufacturière. Quebec government. V. Daubas-Létourneux and A. Thébaud-Mony, Les angles morts de la connaissance des accidents du travail, Travail et emploi, 88, 25-43, C. De La Garza and E. Fadier, Towards Proactive Safety in Design : a Comparison of Safety Integration Approaches in Two Design Processes. Cogn Tech Work, 7, 51-62, E. Drais, La capacité prescriptive des systèmes de management de la sécurité : une comparaison dans le BTP, SELF congress, , S. Hallé, S. Nadeau, P. Déry, P. Doucet, R. Gilbert, L. Gratton, A.D. Ngô, J. Arteau, H.A. Bouzid, J. Brousseau, P. Dessureault, F. Gauthier, F. Laville, P. Le-Huy, F. Marchand, Y. Petit, D. Rodier, M. Thomas, L intégration de connaissances en santé et sécurité du travail en formation universitaire le cas du génie mécanique, accepted (Sepetmber 28th 2007) Hygiène et sécurité du travail, 2008 S. Hamon-Cholet, Autonomie et intensification: quelles conséquences pour les salariés? SELF- ACE Congress, October 3-5, Montreal, Canada, 2001 B. Hare, I. Cameron, and A. Roy Duff, Exploring the Integration of Health and Safety with Preconstruction Planning, Engineering, construction and architectural management, 13(5), , A. Hatchuel and J.P. Ponssard, J.P., Taylor et la théorie des incitations: quelques réflexions tirées de l histoire économique, France : École Polytechnique, Miméo Laboratoire d économètrie, July, B. Julien, S. Nadeau, N. Voyer and C. Roy, The Use of Logic Trees to Evaluate Corporate Performance in Ergonomics, Health and Safety, Ergonomics Society 2005 Annual Conference (5-7 April 2005, De Havilland Campus, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, UK), Contemporary Ergonomics, , 2005 A. Labodovà, Implementing integrated management systems using a risk analysis based approach, Journal of Cleaner Production, 12, , J.C. Le Coze, Are organisations too complex to be integrated in technical risk assessment and current safety auditing? Safety Science, 43, , M. Roy, J.-C. Guindon and C. Pelletier, Équipes semi-autonomes de travail. Description et préoccupations de 12 entreprises manufacturières québécoises, Rapport IRSST R-252 (Canada : IRSST), 65 pages, 2000.

7 NES2008_SNadeau 7 T.A. Saurin, C.T. Formoso and L.B.M Guimaraes, L.B.M., Safety and production: an integrated planning and control model, Construction Management and Economics, 22, , M. Simard, La prise de risques dans le travail, phénomène organisationnel. In Goguelin, P. and Cuny, X. La prise de risque dans le travail, Actes des journées d étude et de réflexion organisées par les Chaires de psychologie du travail et sécurité du travail, France : Octares, D. Toupin, L. LeBel, D. Dubeau, D. Imbeau and L. Bouthillier, Measuring the productivity and physical workload of brushcutters within the context of a production-based pay system, Forest Policy and Economics, 9, , D. Walker, Measuring Corporate Health and Safety Performance the Value of a Universal Indicator, Inst.Chem.Eng.Symp no 151, , R. Wilson, Guarding the line. Industrial Engineer, 37(4), 46-49, J. Winkel and P. Neumann, Ergonomics and effective production systems moving from reactive to proactive development, National Institute for Working Life, Info 2005:07, Sweden, K.J. Zinc, From Industrial Safety to Corporate Health Management, Ergonomics, 48(5), , 2005.