Worker Participation

Worker participation should be strongly encouraged by management because workers can provide valuable information about the issues being considered and because participation establishes ownership of safe behavior at the execution level, where it is most appropriate.

• Safety Reviews - Workers should participate in safety planning and prestart-up safety reviews as well as Management of Change reviews (see Management of Change).
• Safety Walk-Arounds - Periodic unannounced inspections and observation by peers and/or management should offer an opportunity for a "second set of eyes" to uncover potential risks.
• Scheduled Inspections - Walk-throughs by management, peers, and subject matter experts should be performed on a regular (e.g., monthly) basis to promote continued attention to safe operation. Safety walk-throughs should include an organization’s senior leaders, management, and workers. See Safety Culture for more information.
• Formulation of Safety Procedures - Because workers will ultimately be the ones to implement safety procedures in the workplace, they should play a role in developing those procedures.