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Rebuilding safety trust
August 1, 2009 By: Jay Johnston LPGasAfter hearing the perspective of a plaintiff’s attorney on liability obligations, many marketers are shaking their heads saying, “Are they for real? What else can we do?” Their level of trust has been shaken.
On the other hand, those marketers who have been involved in a serious accident involving death or injury are constantly looking deeper for solutions that can rebuild safety trust.
One such marketer lost 30 percent of his business after an accident. The company was tried in the news, so to speak, and customers began calling to have their tanks picked up. When you add name-calling and rumors, the level of panic and helplessness can be overwhelming.
“We were not prepared for the onslaught of negative publicity and unfounded allegations,” one owner shared. “It was like a nightmare in slow motion.”
While that legal case lingers, the company has been actively retrenching its efforts at documenting safe practices and rebuilding safety trust.
Subjected to scrutiny
Anytime you have a burn victim or death, the press will lead with that story in your community, your state and even neighboring states. Everything from past Occupational Safety and Health Administration violations to safety training records will be subject to scrutiny.
Depending on the initial cause and origin determinations from jurisdictions having authority, their findings, assumptions and opinions can indicate their level of trust or distrust in your safety practices. Reports such as the CSB Ghent, W.Va., investigation may be published and lawmakers may pursue further regulation of the industry and its processes.
Trust can really be broken when authorities taint evidence at the accident scene, causing suppliers and manufacturers to be excused from the case.
Speaking of suppliers, everyone in the liability food chain will be considered fair game when it comes to assigning blame and looking for insurance limits.
Unfounded as the allegations may be, relationships with your suppliers will be strained when they must notify their insurance company about being named as a defendant. When it comes to suppliers and vendors, those relationships are only as strong as their weakest common link.
How do we rebuild safety trust?
• It starts with a general commitment to teach, train and sell safety to all stakeholders in the process, including employee training and management verification that compliance is being consistently achieved.
• Consider an agreement with your suppliers on mutual adherence to safety compliance at the plant and in the field. After all, you both have a stake in the process. I have seen supplier transports or contract haulers violate safety procedures and compliance issues while transferring product at a marketer’s plant. Never allow a supplier to violate safety procedures on your property, especially in front of your employees. A rule broken quickly becomes an accepted exception.
• Consider a job safety analysis of each new installation or project for the day. Supervisors may want to consider mapping out the day’s jobs and safety issues. Always document such efforts because, in addition to helping prevent accidents and build team trust, such records will help defend your process and reinforce trust in your procedures.
• Talk about specific safety issues as they relate to that particular job. It may be a routine tank set or it may involve product transfer on site. Issues such as code compliance, leak or gas system checks, external and internal safety shutoff function during product transfer and the use of personal protection equipment are just a few topics for the day’s list of jobs.
• Maintain a healthy, ongoing relationship with emergency responders in your area. The time you spend teaching and training about propane safety will be a great investment in building trust.
‘Take notice’
One owner tried by fire and currently rebuilding trust said: “They will never realize how bad it can be until they get there! The rumor mill is almost impossible to stop or control. Hopefully some marketers will take notice.”
Whether your level of safety trust has been broken, in the name of accident prevention and self-preservation, I suggest you discuss rebuilding safety trust at your next safety meeting.