Trend change

With only one ‘day away from work accident’, 2008 proved to be substantially safer than previous years. This improved result was one of the three main objectives in 2008: ‘Proviron must do better than the industry’s average’. The frequency rate figure is a suitable instrument to check this as it indicates the number of accidents per million hours of exposure. The chemical industry data for 2008 are not yet known, but will probably be situated between 9 and 10. Traditionally, Proviron’s figures were higher than this and had been for the last eight years, with 28 as a negative peak in 2007. In 2008 however, the company managed a radical and very positive change with a frequency rate of just 2.4.

Follow the rules

‘What magic formula did the management conjure up for that?’ one might ask. The reality is simple though: the ‘revolutionary’ methods applied are mainly: follow the set rules and adhere to existing procedures. Apart from that HAZOPs (hazard and operability studies) were revised, MOC procedures (management of change) were applied more stringently, and many TRAs (Task Risk Analysis) were executed. Other techniques are the reporting of temporary modifications and the near-miss registration.

Walk the talk

In order to facilitate this change of mentality, the safety department provided a lot of training. As a communication enhancing tool, the recently introduced electronic report book chipped in too. Finally, a more visible leadership offered a clearer picture of the organisation’s objectives. When management sets an example – walks the talk – and when it isn’t shy to make adjustments if necessary, the chance of success is seriously enhanced.

Zero accidents

The safety target for 2009 remains simple: zero accidents. The turnabout that was started last year must now be confirmed. Or, to throw in another cliché: to get to this level isn’t easy, but to stay there is a lot more difficult. That will be one of the main challenges for 2009.