2.3: Worker Participation

To be effective, any safety and health program needs the meaningful participation of workers and their representatives. Workers have much to gain from a successful program, and the most to lose if the program fails. They also often know the most about potential hazards associated with their jobs. Successful programs tap into this knowledge base. Worker participation means participation in establishing, operating, evaluating, and improving the safety and health program. All workers at a worksite should participate.

Action items:

1. Encourage workers to participate in the program: By encouraging workers to participate in the program, management signals that it values their input into safety and health decisions. Give workers the necessary time and resources to participate in the program. Acknowledge and provide positive reinforcement to those who participate in the program. Maintain an open door policy that invites workers to talk to managers about safety and health and to make suggestions.

2. Encourage workers to report safety and health concerns: Workers are often best positioned to identify safety and health concerns and program shortcomings, such as emerging workplace hazards, unsafe conditions, close calls/near misses, and actual incidents. By encouraging reporting and following up promptly on all reports, employers can address issues before someone gets hurt or becomes ill. Establish a process for workers to report injuries, illnesses, close calls/near misses, hazards, and other safety and health concerns, and respond to reports promptly. Include an option for anonymous reporting to reduce fear of reprisal. Report back to workers routinely and frequently about action taken in response to their concerns and suggestions. Emphasize that management will use reported information only to improve workplace safety and health, and that no worker will experience retaliation for bringing such information to management’s attention. Empower all workers to initiate or request a temporary suspension or shutdown of any work activity or operation they believe to be unsafe. Involve workers in finding solutions to reported issues.

3. Give workers access to safety and health information: Sharing relevant safety and health information with workers fosters trust and helps organizations make more informed safety and health decisions. Give workers the information they need to understand safety and health hazards and control measures in the workplace. Some OSHA standards require employers to make specific types of information available to workers, such as: Safety Data Sheets (SDSs), injury and illness data (may need to be redacted and aggregated to eliminate personal identifiers), results of environmental exposure monitoring conducted in the workplace (prevent disclosure of sensitive and personal information as required). Other useful information for workers to review can include: workplace job hazard analyses, chemical and equipment manufacturer safety recommendations, workplace inspection reports, incident investigation reports (prevent disclosure of sensitive and personal information as required).

4. Involve workers in all aspects of the program: including worker input at every step of program design and implementation improves your ability to identify the presence and causes of workplace hazards, creates a sense of program ownership among workers, enhances their understanding of how the program works, and helps sustain the program over time. Provide opportunities for workers to participate in all aspects of the program, including, but not limited to helping: develop the program and set goals, report hazards and develop solutions that improve safety and health, analyze hazards in each step of routine and nonroutine jobs, tasks, and processes, define and document safe work practices, conduct site inspections, develop and revise safety procedures, participate in incident and close call/near miss investigations, train current coworkers and new hires, develop, implement, and evaluate training programs, evaluate program performance and identify ways to improve it, and take part in exposure monitoring and medical surveillance associated with health hazards.

5. Remove barriers to participation: To participate meaningfully in the program, workers must feel that their input is welcome, their voices will be heard, and they can access reporting mechanisms. Participation will be suppressed if language, education, or skill levels in the workplace are not considered, or if workers fear retaliation or discrimination for speaking up (for example, if investigations focus on blaming individuals rather than the underlying conditions that led to the incident, or if reporting an incident or concern could jeopardize the award of incentive-based prizes, rewards, or bonuses). Ensure that workers from all levels of the organization can participate regardless of their skill level, education, or language. Provide frequent and regular feedback to show employees that their safety and health concerns are being heard and addressed. Authorize sufficient time and resources to facilitate worker participation; for example, hold safety and health meetings during regular working hours. Ensure that the program protects workers from being retaliated against for reporting injuries, illnesses, and hazards; participating in the program; or exercising their safety and health rights. Ensure that other policies and programs do not discourage worker participation. Post the 11(c) fact sheet (found at www. whistleblowers.gov) in the workplace or otherwise make it available for easy access by workers.

Throughout these recommended practices, OSHA emphasizes the importance of worker participation in the safety and health program. For a program to succeed, workers (and, if applicable, their representatives) must participate in developing and implementing every element of the safety and health program. This emphasis on worker participation is consistent with the OSH Act, OSHA standards, and OSHA enforcement policies and procedures, which recognize the rights and roles of workers and their representatives in matters of workplace safety and health. Several action items described in these recommended practices rely on perspectives, expertise, and input that can come only from workers and their representatives.