practical guide to safety leadership

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Implementing A Construction Safety Competency Framework

A Practical Guide to Safety Leadership


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CRC for Construction Innovation participants

Industry

Government

Research

Participants list correct at time of printing.


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Step 1: Understand safety culture 1

Implementing A Construction Safety Competency Framework

A Practical Guide to Safety LeadershipHerbert C Biggs

Donald P Dingsdag

Colette R Roos


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Icon.Net Pty Ltd 2008

Cooperative Research Centre orConstruction Innovation

9th Floor, L Block, QUT Gardens Point

2 George Street, Brisbane, Qld, 4000 Australia

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Email: [email protected]

Web: www.construction-innovation.ino

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o the inormation in this work. To the extent permissible by law, the aorementioned persons exclude all implied conditions

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inormation in this book.

First published 2008 by Cooperative Research Centre orConstruction Innovation, or Icon.Net Pty Ltd.

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For urther inormation on our publications, please visit our website: www.construction-innovation.ino

ISBN 978-0-9804262-4-3

June 2008

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80% recycled bre rom post-consumer waste and 20% totally chlorine ree pulp. It is ISO 14001 accredited and FSC(Forest Stewardship Council) certied.

This publication has been printed using soy-based inks.


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Contents

Preace v

Acknowledgments

Denitions and acronyms vii

Introduction 1

Step 1: Understand saety culture 3

Step 2: Identiy saety critical positions 10

Step 3: Customise the Task and Position Competency Matrix 12(Including Blank Matrix)

Step 4: Adapt the competency specications 18

Step 5: Plan 20

Step 6: Use a step-wise approach and Step 7: Implement within your company 23

Step 8: Show continuous improvement 26

Appendix: Case studies


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Preface

The Cooperative Research Centre orConstruction Innovation is committed to leading the Australian property, design,

construction and acility management industry in collaboration and innovation. We are dedicated to disseminating practical

research outcomes to improve business practice and enhance the competitiveness o our industry.

Saety is one o our key research areas. Improving worker saety in the workplace with an emphasis on cooperation at the

individual workplace is critical to improving health and saety in our industry.

A Practical Guide to Saety Leadership is a ollow-up toA Construction Saety Competency Framework: Improving OH&S

perormance by creating and maintaining a saety culture, launched in 2006. Each o these is the culmination o signicant

input rom the broader construction industry represented by employers and employees. Congratulations and thanks must go

to the team o the original project, industry led by Dean Cipolla, Group Saety Manager, John Holland Group, and comprising

Wayne Artuso (Department o Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, Oce o the Federal Saety Commissioner),

Dr Herbert Biggs and Vaughn Sheahan (QUT) and Dr Don Dingsdag (University o Western Sydney).

Saety needs to be embraced by all levels o an organisation. The guide is intended to provide a practical tool or ollowing

the competency ramework, or use across industry by CEOs and senior managers through to project managers, site

oremen and OH&S managers and advisors.

We look orward to developing tangible outcomes and working together to enhance the uture o Australias construction

industry and to develop a new era o enhanced business practices, saety and innovation.

Mr John McCarthy Dr Keith Hampson

Chair Chie Executive Ocer

CRC orConstruction Innovation CRC orConstruction Innovation

Preface v


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vi A Practical Guide to Safety Leadership: Implementing A Construction Safety Competency Framework

Acknowledgments

A Practical Guide to Saety Leadership by Dr Herbert C Biggs, Dr Donald P Dingsdag, and Dr Colette R Roos, is based on the

outcomes o the CRC orConstruction Innovation research project Construction Site Saety Culture.

The Construction Innovation project team members or the development o the guide were:

Dr Herbert Biggs (Team Leader) Queensland University o Technology

Dr Donald Dingsdag Adjunct Queensland University o Technology

Dr Colette Roos Queensland University o Technology

Ms Joanne Greig Oce o the Federal Saety Commissioner

The project team would like to thank and acknowledge Lyn Pearson (CRC or Construction Innovation) and Mel Kettle

(Mel Kettle Consulting) or their highly proessional management o the development and publication oA Practical Guide

to Saety Leadership.

Without the nancial and collaborative eorts bringing together industry, government and applied researchers, this valuable

inormation may not have been successully delivered to our industry.

Thank you to the Oce o the Federal Saety Commissioner or providing signicant unding or this project.

Project participantsThe involvement o and consultation with major industry stakeholders has been vital to the success o this project. The ollowing

organisations have had signicant involvement in the collection o data (participating in ocus groups, interviews and surveys) and

the generation o research outputs used in the guide:

AbiGroup

Australian Constructors Association

Baulderstone Hornibrook

Bovis Lend Lease

Clough

CFMEU

Department o Employment and Industrial Relations QueenslandJohn Holland Group

Joss Group

Laing ORourke

Leighton Contractors

Master Builders Queensland

St Hilliers Contracting


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Definitions and acronyms vii

Definitions and acronyms

competency ramework the components oA Construction Saety Competency Frameworkthat identiy (1) those

responsible or saety management tasks and (2) the knowledge, skills and behaviour that are required to complete the task

eectively

saety behaviour the behaviour required to complete an activity saely

saety competency the capability to complete a saety task eectively

saety management task (SMT) a denable activity, action or process such as carrying out project risk assessments,

delivering OH&S training in the workplace or evaluating OH&S perormance o subcontractors

saety culture a term used to describe the saety belies, values and attitudes that are shared by the majority o people

within an organisation or workplace (the way we do things around here)

saety critical position an identied management position that has an important and ongoing saety leadership role

CEO Chie Executive OcerCRC Cooperative Research Centre

JSA job saety analysis

OH&S occupational health and saety

SMT saety management task (see denition above)

SWMS sae work method statements


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Introduction

Saety perormance is a challenge or everyone in the construction industry. Australia has a poor saety record, with injury and

atality rates within the building and construction industry being the ourth highest across all industries.

All levels o management need to provide on-site workers, arguably those at the greatest risk o injury, with the consistent

and clear message that saety is critical and sae behaviour needs to be consistently adopted throughout the industry. It is

suggested that high injury and atality rates are due to on-site workers not being advised o these messages in a consistent

way, which is in part due to:

theongoingmovementofthesubcontractorsandworkforcebetweenconstructioncompanies,projectsandsites,

making it dicult or any one company to consistently infuence the attitudes and behaviours o this mobile workorce

thelackofaconsistentindustry-wideunderstandingofthemeaningofsafetycompetency,withthesectortraditionally

not recognising behaviours such as communication and leadership as integral to saety competency.

The construction industry has been identied as a priority industry or saety improvement under the National OHS Strategy

20022012, which provides a basis or developing sustainable, sae and healthy work environments and or reducing the

number o people injured or killed at work.

The Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) orConstruction Innovation developedA Construction Saety Competency Framework:

Improving OH&S perormance by creating and maintaining a saety culture, a key outcome o the CRCs Construction Site Saety

Culture Project. It provides recommendations or companies to customise the competency ramework to meet their individual

and unique organisational needs, situations and the stage o their saety culture and saety management development.

A Practical Guide to Saety Leadership is the ollow-up resource. This practical guide, designed to be used in conjunction with

A Construction Saety Competency Framework, is a useul tool to help industry apply the principles o saety culture within their

organisations.

The guide examines the saety critical positions and the saety management tasks outlined in the competency ramework

and combines practical examples and case studies to help companies in identiying behaviours and attitudes which need

improvement.

It is designed or use by saety proessionals rom the ront-line to the boardroom and demonstrates how to create and maintain

a positive saety culture.

How to use the guideA Practical Guide to Saety Leadership builds on the saety critical positions and saety management tasks inA Construction

Saety Competency Framework. It is a useul tool to help industry apply the principles o saety culture within their organisation.

The guide looks at saety critical positions and saety management tasks that companies should implement to have a positive

saety culture. It is based on a fowchart taken rom page 11 oA Construction Saety Competency Framework. The fowchart

has eight steps outlining the process an organisation should ollow when incorporating the material in the ramework into theirorganisation.

The guide examines each o the eight steps in the fowchart and provides practical inormation and examples to help companies

better understand how they can implement each step. Each step o the fowchart is divided into three sections:

1. why this step is important

2. how you can implement it in your company a checklist o practical steps that can be ollowed so that large and small

companies can customise this material to meet individual organisational needs, situations and the stage o saety culture

and saety management development

3. industry case studies to illustrate how companies have implemented the competency ramework.

Workplace Relations Ministers Council, Comparative Perormance Monitoring Report, 9th ed February 2008.

1

1


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2 A Practical Guide to Safety Leadership: Implementing A Construction Safety Competency Framework

The guide includes:

A Practical Guide to Saety Leadership book

A Construction Saety Competency Framework: Improving OH&S perormance by creating and maintaining a saety culture book

AnImplementationChecklistforeachofthestepscontainedwithinA Practical Guide to Saety Leadership

AblankTaskandPositionCompetencyMatrixforcompaniestoadapttosuittheirorganisationalrequirements

ACDfeaturingPDFversionsoftheabovedocuments.

The saety competency ramework fowchartThe fowchart below orms the basis o A Practical Guide to Saety Leadership. By ollowing the steps outlined within, you will be

better equipped to implement a saety culture within your company.

Show continuous improvement

Evaluate, review and reect on strategy.Continuously improve strategy and

implementation.

Implement

Implement strategy and material.

Use a step-wise approach

Break the implementation o this material

into small steps reduce culture shock

and allow or early success to build

support and momentum.

Identiy saety critical positions

Customise the saety critical position list

or your organisation and identiy who

currently holds these positions.

Customise the Task andPosition Competency Matrix

Customise the matrix to align with your organisation

and map the competency requirements o your

saety critical position holders.

Adapt thecompetency specications

Review the processes, knowledge, skills and

behaviours listed or each individual saety task

and adapt to your organisational context.

Understand saety culture

Understand how a saety culture can be built and

maintained through sta competencies and actions.

This approach should be linked to your organisational

strategies and objectives.

Plan

Plan how material can be used in training,

education and development, perormance

management, and recruitment and

selection activities.

Introduction


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Introduction 3

Step 1: Understand safety culture

Why is this step important?A saety culture is an organisational culture that places a high level o importance on saety belies, values and attitudes and these

are shared by the majority o people within the company or workplace. It can be characterised as the way we do things around

here. A positive saety culture can result in improved occupational health and saety (OH&S) and organisational perormance.

For a saety culture to be successul it needs to be led rom the top that is, saety culture needs to be embraced and practised

by the CEO and senior managers. Their behaviour is directly related to saety perormance as it demonstrates by example to

employees what actions will be rewarded, tolerated or punished, which in turn infuences what actions and behaviour employees

initiate and maintain.

The rst part o management commitment is to examine individual attitudes towards saety. Senior managers need to ask

themselves:

howimportantissafety?

issafetyimportantmostofthetimeorallofthetime?

isitOKtocompromiseonsafetyifitsgoingtobemoreexpensive?

Companies that want to have a positive saety culture, which everyone owns, should develop and promote managers with

the right knowledge, skills and attitudes to successully undertake the responsibilities o the saety critical positions identied in

Step 2 o the fowchart.

A Construction Saety Competency Framework identied nine broad behaviours, or culture actions, that are considered essential

to the development o a positive saety culture. These are:

1. Communicate company values

2. Demonstrate leadership

3. Clariy required and expected behaviour

4. Personalise saety outcomes

5. Develop positive saety attitudes

6. Engage and own saety responsibilities and accountabilities

7. Increase hazard/risk awareness and preventive behaviours

8. Improve understanding and eective implementation o saety management systems

9. Monitor, review and refect on personal eectiveness.

The culture actions can easily be implemented by any company regardless o its size, and most o them can be introduced with

little or no direct nancial cost to the company. Each o the nine culture actions are outlined below.

Culture action 1Communicate company valuesRelate behaviours, decisions and attitudes that are expected, supported and valued by the company

Organisational saety values vary rom company to company. They can be based on zero incident programs or dened as

a general preventive statement (e.g. prevention o work-related injury and illness by providing a sae and healthy work

environment or a companys employees and subcontractors).

The real message or any saety values approach issaety frst. Saety should become a part o your everyday values and action,

and not be seen as an extra task.

Messages can be communicated and embedded via:

companyOH&Spolicystatements

safetyposters

toolboxtalks walk-aroundsbymanagement

regularreinforcementbyallnon-safetymanagers.


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Culture action 2Demonstrate leadershipAct to motivate and inspire others to work towards achieving a particular goal or outcome by sending clear and consistent

messages about the importance o OH&S

Leading rom the top down can be demonstrated by:

seekingstaffengagementandparticipationwhendevelopingsafetytools(e.g.checklistinspections,safeworkmethod

statements, job saety analyses)

wearingpersonalprotectiveequipmentwhenon-site

conductingperiodicchecklistinspections

conductingperiodicriskassessments

conductingperiodictoolboxtalks.

Leadership attributes can also be ostered among all people on-site based on developing ownership. Consider seeking sta

engagement and participation when developing saety tools such as checklist inspections or sae work method statements/job

saety analyses (SWMSs/JSAs). Compliance with these is more likely i the individual has a sense o ownership o the task.

Culture action 3Clariy required and expected behavioursClariy to immediate employees the specifc behaviours required and expected o them

Develop and standardise behaviours and actions by clearly communicating via:

emails

memos

informalconversations

toolboxtalks

othercommunicationprocessesusedinyourcompany

addressinginappropriatebehaviours,actionsorlackofaction

reinforcingappropriatebehavioursandactionswithpraiseorthanks.

Culture action 4Personalise saety outcomesMake OH&S more obvious, relevant and emotional or the individual to personalise their role in preventing and eliminating

risks and hazards

Managers can personalise the impact o an employee injury or death by communicating:

thepersonalimpactoftherisksofaprocessordistincttaskwhenanindividualisinjuredorbecomesill;orifhisorheractions (or lack o them) cause injury, illness or death to a workmate

whyitisimportanttotheindividualandtheprojectthatemployeesensuretheirownsafetyandhealthandthatofothers

thebehavioursyourcompanyexpectseveryonetoconsistentlyadopt.

The impact o a death on-site can be personalised by relating that the deceased is not just an anonymous atality statistic

reported in annual workers compensation reports, but a workmate who has a name, a partner, children, parents and siblings.

Emphasise that the construction industry still has ar too many avoidable injuries and atalities, and that in some Australian OH&S

jurisdictions, individuals may be held accountable under reckless conduct or workplace death provisions. Consequences o this

accountability could include heavy nes and/or imprisonment.



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Culture action 5Develop positive saety attitudesFoster the development o attitudes and belies that support sae behaviour

The signicance o driving down the saety culture to the site or project, where the risk exposure is the greatest, cannot

be overestimated. Companies that encourage managers, employees and subcontractors to challenge unsae behaviours

and attitudes in others, and to also recognise and encourage those who have shown a positive attitude towards saety, will

maximise the likelihood o positive attitudes and belies becoming shared values, resulting in a positive saety culture.

By developing positive behaviours and encouraging open and inormed conversations, managers are creating an environment

where it is OK or anyone to challenge unsae behaviours and attitudes in others. The absence o saety policies and procedures

or a lack o commitment to saety makes it more dicult to develop and maintain a positive saety culture.

Some overall values, belies and attitudes that should be ostered and regularly reinorced as personally relevant are:

values

o workmates lives and wellbeing are important people should go home in the same condition they came to work in o doing the right thing is important.

belies

o speaking up about saety wont threaten my job

o i I do speak out, something will be done

o i I dont act, I would be responsible i something happened

o good construction is about working saely it is not a separate concern.

attitudes

o my personal saety is more important than money

o wellbeing and personal saety in the workplace are more important than money.

Culture action 6Engage and own saety responsibilities and accountabilitiesIncrease input, actions and involvement in the saety management process by individuals

On a sae site people will:

understandwhattheyneedtodoandwhytheyneedtodoit

thinkaboutwhattheyaredoingbeforetheydoit

lookforhazardsproactivelyandmanagerisksbeforetheycauseharm

takecareofhazardsthemselveswithoutneedingpolicing

believetheyareresponsibleandaccountableformakingsurethattheyandtheirworkmatesremainhealthyandsafe

followsiterules.

Ownership is one o the indispensable cornerstones o a successul saety culture. To encourage or develop ownership,

managers can oster and maintain the ollowing:

Engaging employees:

o obtaining employee input into saety management on a daily basis not just through OH&S committees or

other ormal means

o reducing the us versus them mentality through building trust

o involving all site management in the planning process

o sharing the inormation with on-site workers.

Building relationships: o creating a sense o belonging through team building

o providing opportunities or people to meet socially (e.g. BBQs)

o having regular conversations at a social level (e.g. enquiring about things important in colleagues lives)


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o generating conversations about saety subtle weaving o saety into general conversation

o providing good site amenities that promote interaction and show that management cares or the wellbeing o site

employees (e.g. clean and tidy crib rooms, tea, coee and hand washing acilities and clean toilets).

Demonstrating support:

o trusting peoples judgments on saety and opinions on work matters

o having an open-door policy by encouraging people to speak openly about saety breaches

o empowering by rewarding those who raise saety issues and helping them to progress and resolve issues.

Culture action 7Increase hazard/risk awareness and preventive behavioursIncrease the individuals (site and ofce based) understanding o the OH&S outcomes associated with their decisions,

behaviours and actions

Meaningul two-way communication is key to heightening hazard and risk awareness as it enables necessary preventive

behaviours to be generated among employees and contractors. Proactive identication and controlling o hazards and riskexposure are required under OH&S laws, but are also cornerstones o a productive saety culture that take saety beyond

legal compliance.

Managers ability to communicate clearly and concisely in oral and written ormat or ormal and inormal occasions is vital in

ensuring the management o OH&S perormance. Eective communication or managers is a skill that is based on eective

awareness raising, giving eedback and interpersonal skills. Pages 5253 o the competency ramework outline three

communication competencies:

groupcommunication

givingfeedback

interpersonalskills.

Companies that encourage management to obtain these communication competencies will increase their likelihood o

successully increasing hazard/risk awareness and preventive behaviours.

Well planned communication is critical i a company wants to increase awareness, and when speaking with people about

changing or improving their behaviour. It can also help build mutual trust between management and the site workorce.

Eective communication should:

beclearanddirect

berelevanttothosereceivingthemessage

avoidblame(asthisislikelytocreatedefensivenessandthemessagewillnotbeheard)

emphasisethepersonalimpactoftheactionordecision.

Communicators are also active listeners. Active listening means really hearing what the speaker is saying, not just waiting or

your turn to speak. By conrming the listener understands what is being said, there is an increased likelihood o the speaker and

listener having a shared understanding o the matter. An important oshoot o good communication is creating an environment

where messages can be listened to and heard. Active and better listening can happen by:

mirroring(matching/copyinglanguageandbodylanguage)

reecting(conrmingunderstandingbyrepeatingkeypointsinsendersmessage)

paraphrasing(summarisingwhathasbeensaidtoconrmsharedunderstanding).

Regardless o the circumstances or the language used, the consistentmessage is always that saety is a shared responsibility.



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Saety ocused managers will provide:

consistentcommunicationoftheconsequencesofatriskbehavioursandwhytheyshouldbeavoidedunderall

circumstances

consistentcommunicationofthecompanysvalues,policiesandproceduresthroughouttheproject/site,including

management, workorce, contractors and subcontractors

asharedunderstandingofkeyhazardsandtheirrisks,andengagementbyeveryonethroughoutthesiteandthe

company to achieve solutions

hazard-specictrainingtotheirworkforce

acollaborativeapproachtohazardidentication/riskassessmentandcontrol.

Culture action 8Improve understanding and eective implementation o saety management systemsEnable individuals to increase their knowledge o specifc ways in which hazards are managed, as well as their ability to apply

and implement the actual OH&S processes

Managers can improve their OH&S knowledge by getting involved with the people who are doing the actual work or specic

tasks. Increased knowledge should result in:

theabilitytoidentifyunsafeworkpracticesandunsafebehaviours

theabilitytodothingsbetter(e.g.saferworkmethodsbasedoncontinuouslyimprovedJSAsorSWMS)

theabilitytoproblemsolvetoachievesaferworkpracticesandsaferbehaviours.

To increase uniormity, predictability and understanding o saety behaviours and their elements, many companies base their

saety systems on Australian/NZ Standards (or equivalent tools). Regardless o the developmental stage o your company or

the tools it currently uses, it is important that there is the ability to systematically:

analyseandinspecttheentireworkingenvironmenttoidentifyandassessrisksaswellasdesignandimplement

appropriate saety management systems and evaluate their eectiveness

assesstheresourcesneededtoestablishandmaintainsafetymanagementsystems

prioritisehazardsandappropriatecontrolsaccordingtoassessmentandevaluationofrisks

considerarangeofcontrolmeasurestoaddresspossibleinadequacies

considerwhentoseekexpertadvice.

Companies can demonstrate their commitment to saety by having senior managers periodically on-site, and taking an active

interest in OH&S. This, in conjunction with the systems outlined in this and the other culture actions, can develop engagement

and ownership o saety responsibilities and accountabilities.

Culture action 9

Monitor, review and reect on personal eectivenessFrequently use various sources o inormation to gain eedback on the eectiveness o culture actions and other saety

related behaviours

This culture action enables managers to ne tune and continually improve their ability and eectiveness in completing the other

eight listed culture actions, through the use o various sources o inormation and communication to gain eedback on the

eectiveness o culture actions and other saety-related behaviours.

Leadership style is also important in developing and maintaining a positive site saety culture. Central to any leadership approach

is the ability to oster good relationships with other managers and the workorce. Better relationships increase the likelihood that

people will behave in a way that will achieve the saety goals articulated in the company values. I managers have good relationships

with their employees, contractors and subcontractors, and they behave in a manner that promotes working saely, those working

on-site are more likely to behave saely. For positive relationships, seek to develop a style that promotes close involvement withsite employees to build trust and respect, while still maintaining authority and adherence to the saety processes.



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How do I implement this step in my company?To complete Step 1: Understand saety culture, it is recommended the ollowing actions are undertaken.

when completed

Establish your companys saety values and whether you and your senior leaders are committed to them

Measure where your company is at with regards to living and applying these values

Identiy what actions the senior leaders need to take to drive, communicate and display the saety values

Communicate these saety values to your employees

Encourage senior management to lead by example to demonstrate your companys saety values

Develop and communicate standard procedures and instructions/standards to all employees so they understand the

specic behaviours required and expected o them to achieve the company values

Include and communicate company values in subcontractor, tender and contract inormation

Make sure ALL your contractors and subcontractors adhere to these site/project requirements and have:

a thorough understanding o the site-specic hazards and risks associated with their activities based on the

implementation o SWMSs and JSAs

established systems or managing their ongoing OH&S risks

their employees appropriately trained, and with competencies and licences required or the contract work

their plant and equipment appropriately licensed or registered and maintained/inspected regularly

their plant and equipment operators ully trained, competent and certied where relevant

Personalise the importance o your employees role in preventing and eliminating risks and hazards

Motivate your workorce to think and act saely by encouraging worker involvement and collaboration, developing

relationships and supporting your workorce

Increase your employees awareness o hazards and risks

Train your managers to communicate more eectively including becoming better listeners

Review and improve the OH&S knowledge o your managers by providing training where appropriate

Encourage your managers to:

continuously monitor, communicate and review all procedures and related saety perormance

achieve continuous improvement based on realistic and realisable saety perormance indicators

oster workorce engagement and collaboration with the development, practice and maintenance o saety reviews

regularly promote the signicance o ownership, a sense o belonging, the meaningul involvement o the siteworkorce in saety procedures and the advantages o sharing inormation

reinorce the personal importance o saety

embody saety behaviours in all procedures and written and oral instructions

review the eectiveness o procedures and instructions

check the understanding o instructions by the workorce at regular intervals

ensure that educational and OH&S objectives underpin procedures and instructions

communicate and reinorce corrective actions necessary to remedy at risk behaviours, attitudes and actions

provide regular and consistent positive armation and reinorcement o good saety practices/attitudes

relate and share with the workorce the impact o negative and positive outcomes

ensure that task and work competencies and other required OH&S procedures are standardised, andassessment procedures communicated to the workorce and all levels o management throughout the project/site including contractors and subcontractors

clariy and consistently reinorce and communicate required task competencies, associated OH&S behaviours

and why competent execution is important

seek and use eedback obtained rom consultations, walk arounds, collaborative decision making, sel-refectionand perormance management to gauge personal eectiveness.



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Industry examplesThe two case study excerpts provide an example o how Step 1: Understand saety culture can be implemented within a

company. The complete case studies can be ound in the Appendix at the end o the guide.


Excerpt 1 (rom case study 4 on page 31)Linking theA Construction Saety Competency Frameworkwith developing saety culture in an organisation

A Construction Saety Competency Frameworkprovides tools or companies to develop strategies to drive desirable

behaviours and enable individuals to develop competencies. While they can be acquired using traditional training

methods, they may be realised by establishing benchmarks.

Baulderstone Hornibrook recognises that the key to developing and sustaining a strong saety culture is the development

and reinorcement o strong saety belies, values and positive attitudes across their organisation. It used the competency

ramework to ocus on values and competencies, and to set benchmarks against its current competency statements.

These were then refned so they aligned with existing saety culture development activities, enabling management to

better identiy necessary development activities or new and existing sta as part o the cycle o personal development

reviews. By using a combination o theoretical, philosophical and practical methods, Baulderstone Hornibrook was

able to manage and improve its saety culture.

Excerpt 2 (rom case study 5 on page 31)Linking competencies with current internal organisational documentation

The St Hilliers Skills Matrix, developed by St Hilliers Contracting, is an internal competency and skills assessment

ramework that orms the oundation or the selection, training, development and perormance management o sta.

It was developed in response to managements commitment to developing a saety culture, and its acknowledgment

that it needed to manage its culture beore developing training programs.

The matrix comprises nine competency clusters, which include the technical and interpersonal skills required or all

project-based sta.A Construction Saety Competency Frameworkwas used to orm the basis o the environment,

systems and saety competency cluster in the matrix. It provides a tool to measure the skills, knowledge and behaviours

o construction project sta and will be incorporated into all human resource and people management systems.


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Industry examplesThe two case study excerpts provide an example o how Step 2: Identiy saety critical positions can be implemented within a


Step 2: Identify safety critical positions

Step 2: Identify safety critical positions 11

Excerpt 3 (rom case study 1 on page 28)Identiying all roles in the organisation with a direct or indirect impact on saety

The John Holland Groups vision o No harm is underpinned by its occupational health, saety and workers

compensation (OHS&WC) improvement strategy and its Passport to Saety Excellence program. The initial step

o the OHS&WC initiative involved the identifcation o saety critical positions within the company; a saety critical

position being defned as one that has a direct or indirect impact on OH&S in the workplace. Fourteen saety

critical positions were identifed within the company ranging rom the Managing Director to Leading Hand.

Excerpt 4 (rom case study 2 on page 29)Using peer groups to stimulate discussion about role responsibility

Bovis Lend Lease had some gaps in expectations between job titles and position descriptions. To address this anomaly,

the company held discussions within its various peer groups to determine which roles should be required to attain

Level 1 (Full Understanding required) or Level 2 (Working Knowledge required) competencies. As a result o these

discussions the company began a comprehensive review o all environmental, health and saety (EH&S) content in

the roles and responsibility descriptions to ensure compatibility with the competency ramework. By customisingA

Construction Saety Competency Frameworkto integrate OH&S with its environmental management system, Bovis

Lend Lease now has a global EH&S management system.


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Why is this step important?Step 3 is to customise the Task and Position Competency Matrix. This matrix displays the competency requirements or each

o the identied saety critical positions, as identied in Step 2.

The matrix also identies 39 saety management tasks (SMTs) that can be undertaken by the relevant saety critical position

holders. These can be ound inA Construction Saety Competency Frameworkon page 7, and in detail on pages 1351.

The 39 tasks all under seven categories seen as critical to the management o OH&S perormance:

a. proactively identiy, assess and determine appropriate controls or OH&S hazards and risks

b. eectively communicate and consult with stakeholders regarding OH&S risks

c. monitor, report, review and evaluate saety program eectiveness

d. engage with subcontractors in OH&S perormance management

e. identiy and implement relevant components o the OH&S and workers compensation management system

. understand and apply workers compensation and case management principles

g. provide leadership and manage sta and subcontractor OH&S perormance.

Each saety critical position has a number o competency requirements. The level o competency can be either:

fullcompetencytoundertakeorsuperviseaparticularsafetymanagementtask(scoredasa1),or

aworkingknowledgeofthesafetymanagementtask(scoredasa2).

The sample Task and Position Competency Matrix on page 7 oA Construction Saety Competency Frameworkprovides

an example o how a company can complete the matrix by identiying saety management tasks and competencies or each

saety critical position.

For those companies at the early stages o their saety cultural development, it is important to determine a starting point or

minimum competency requirements. I your company is intent on improving saety perormance by introducing or enhancing

its current saety culture program you should at a minimum (as well as meeting legal obligations) implement competency

requirements or the ollowing 13 SMTs. These were identied during the development o the competency ramework as

the most important activities or reducing injury and incidents in the workplace:

SMT 1 Carry out project risk assessments

SMT 6 Carry out workplace and task hazard identication, risk assessments and controls (JSAs and SWMSs)

SMT 13 Plan and deliver toolbox talks

SMT 16 Consult on and resolve OH&S issues

SMT 18 Challenge unsae behaviour/attitude at any level when encountered

SMT 19 Make site visits where a site worker is spoken to directly about OH&S in the workplace

SMT 20 Recognise and reward people who have positively impacted on OH&S

SMT 22 Carry out ormal incident investigations

SMT 24 Carry out ormal inspections o workplace and work tasksSMT 26 Monitor subcontractor activities

SMT 29 Understand and apply general legislative OH&S requirements

SMT 33 Understand and apply general regulatory workers compensation requirements

SMT 36 Work with sta to solve saety problems

The completed matrix should identiy who needs to be able to do what. It is important to identiy the saety critical position

holders and the SMTs that those position holders need to perorm competently and eectively.

Once customised, the matrix can then be integrated to existing business and OH&S management manuals and plans with

the aim o achieving an improvement in culture and perormance through ull integration o the approach into the way you

do business. For example, matrix data would be used or the development and prioritisation o training and could also be

incorporated into the sta development and approval processes. It could also be incorporated into position statements oruse in recruitment and selection processes.

Step 3: Customise theTask and Position Competency Matrix


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The ollowing examples look at two saety critical positions within a company. The saety management tasks and required

competency levels or each link back to the matrix. These task lists demonstrate possible responsibilities that could be identied

by your company once you have identied saety critical positions.

By enabling the position holders to become competent to complete the relevant tasks, your company can maximise the likelihoodthat sta will undertake the actions that lead to a positive saety culture. By customising the matrix, your company can refect your

organisational and regional requirements.


dPositionCompeten

cyMatrix

1

1

1

1

1

2

1

1

1

1

2

1

2

1

1

2

2

2

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

2

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1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

2

1

1

1

1

1

2

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

2

1

1

2

1

1

2

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

2

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

2

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

2

2

2

2

1

1

2

1

1

2

2

1

1

1

2

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1

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1

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1

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1

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1

1

2

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2

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2

2

2

2

2

2

1

2

1

1

1

Competencylegend

1 =fullunderstan

ding

required

2 =working

knowledge

andawareness

required

Snapshot o the top o the matrix rom A Construction Saety Competency Framework

Step 3: Customise the Task and Position Competency Matrix 13


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These two examples reect the saety management tasks or two roles as indicated in the Task andPosition Competency Matrix on page 7 oA Construction Saety Competency Framework.

Role 1: Managing Director/CEO/General Manager

Full understanding





SMT 24 Carry out ormal inspections o workplace and work tasks

SMT 34 Mentor sta and ollow their progress

SMT 35 Conduct employee perormance appraisals

SMT 38 Recruit and select new sta

Working knowledge/awareness


SMT 5 Develop OH&S procedures and instructions

SMT 6 Carry out workplace and task hazard identifcation, risk assessments and control (JSAs/SWMSs)

SMT 8 Provide general OH&S inormation and provide basic OH&S instruction

SMT 10 Deliver site/workplace-specifc induction

SMT 11 Facilitate group/work team OH&S discussions and meetings

SMT 12 Initiate and coordinate OH&S awareness activities or presentations


SMT 17 Speak to senior management about OH&S issues in the workplace

SMT 26 Monitor subcontractor activities

SMT 27 Identiy and include suitable OH&S requirements into subcontractor packages

SMT 28 Evaluate OH&S perormance o subcontractors


SMT 31 Apply ull working knowledge o the organisations saety management system


SMT 37 Discipline sta or poor OH&S behaviour/attitude


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Step 3: Customise the Task and Position Competency Matrix 15


Role 2: Regional Saety Manager

Full understanding


SMT 4 Develop project saety management plans

SMT 5 Develop OH&S procedures and instructions

SMT 6 Carry out workplace and task hazard identifcation, risk assessments and control (JSAs/SWMSs)

SMT 8 Provide general OH&S inormation and provide basic OH&S instruction

SMT 10 Deliver site/workplace-specifc induction

SMT 11 Facilitate group/work team OH&S discussions and meetings

SMT 12 Initiate and coordinate OH&S awareness activities or presentations



SMT 17 Speak to senior management about OH&S issues in the workplace




SMT 21 Deliver OH&S training in the workplace

SMT 22 Carry out ormal incident investigations

SMT 23 Carry out basic project OH&S system element audits

SMT 24 Carry out ormal inspections o workplace and work tasks

SMT 25 Research and prepare reports on OH&S issues, perormance and improvement strategies

SMT 26 Monitor subcontractor activities

SMT 27 Identiy and include suitable OH&S requirements into subcontractor packages

SMT 28 Evaluate OH&S perormance o subcontractors


SMT 31 Apply ull working knowledge o the organisations saety management system

SMT 32 Assist with return to work and rehabilitation processes

SMT 33 Understand and apply general regulatory workers compensation requirements


Working knowledge/awareness

SMT 14 Give ormal OH&S presentations to management

SMT 15 Participate in site saety committee

SMT 34 Mentor sta and ollow their progress

SMT 37 Discipline sta or poor OH&S behaviour/attitude


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How do I implement this step in my company?To complete Step 3: Customise the Task and Position Competency Matrix, it is recommended thefollowing actions are undertaken.

when completed

Perorm a quick health check on your companys current position in regard to the saety critical positions and saety

management tasks indicated in the competency ramework

This guide includes an additional copy o the matrix that can be customised to align with your companys needs.

Implementing the competency ramework into your daily business practices may seem a challenging task. To begin,

you may fnd it useul to ollow these steps:

Internal documentationThe simplest way to start is to systematically go through the 39 saety management tasks (SMTs) in the blank matrixand indicate with yes or no which o these tasks are already in your companys saety management system

documentation/matrices/required activities.

Role responsibility

The second step would include reviewing the 39 SMTs and identiying with yes or no whether a specifc role or

position in your company is clearly responsible or this task. You should also identiy i there are other tasks specifc to

your organisation that may not be listed in the 39 SMTs.

Training and development

The third step requires you to review the 39 SMTs and identiy with yes or no whether your company has a specifc

training program or module that delivers skill and behavioural competencies required to eectively undertake each

task.

Prioritising missing SMTs

In the ourth step you need to identiy which o the 39 SMTs you answered no to or each o the questions, and

prioritise these as H, M or L (High, Medium or Low priority) or uture inclusion as a required activity.

This simple our-step process will enable you to identiy any SMTs that are relevant to your company and whether they

are or are not currently in your companys saety management system. It also allows you to identiy who, i anyone, in

your company is responsible or particular SMTs. This process will also highlight where additional training packages

may need to be developed and delivered to employees.

Use the blank matrix listing the SMTs to align the roles that are responsible or each o the SMTs in your company sothey align with what your company currently has in its operations.

Following this activity you should be able to identiy strengths:

the SMTs that are already in your companys requirements

the SMTs that have a strong link to responsibility in a role

the SMTs that have current training modules

and also identiy opportunities or improvement:

the SMTs that are not currently in your companys requirements

the SMTs that have a very weak or non-existent link to role responsibility the SMTs that are not currently included in training for employees.


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Industry examplesThe three case study excerpts provide an example o how Step 3: Customise the Task and Position Competency Matrixcan be

implemented within a company. The complete case studies can be ound in the Appendix at the end o the guide.

Step 3: Customise the Task and Position Competency Matrix

Excerpt 5 (rom case study 1 on page 28)Initial identifcation o the saety management tasks

John Holland initially determined the OH&S activities that needed to be undertaken by each identifed saety position

in order to achieve best practice saety standards in the workplace. This analysis resulted in 39 identifed saety critical

activities. John Holland then developed skill and behavioural competencies necessary to eectively undertake all

identifed saety critical OH&S activities, which is expected to result in improved saety.

Excerpt 6 (rom case study 5 on page 31)First steps in identiying saety critical positions in your company

St Hilliers Contracting usedA Construction Saety Competency Frameworkto audit position descriptions and site

saety management plans to ensure all appropriate saety management tasks were incorporated. First it modifed

the saety critical position titles rom the competency ramework to align with current internal positions.

Next it identifed the saety critical positions to veriy that all saety management tasks, as identifed by the competency

ramework, all within someones scope o accountability, either within the position descriptions or the site saety

management plans. It is proving to be a useul tool to dierentiate the levels o responsibility and competence

required o their employees.

Excerpt 7 (rom case study 2 on page 29)Customising the saety critical position list or your company

Bovis Lend Lease (BLL) customised the saety critical positions outlined inA Construction Saety Competency

Frameworkto add in cost planners and contract or fnance managers as a discrete group within the system, as they

are also considered to be critical to saety perormance. BLL directly employs construction workers, unlike some

principal contractors who might rely entirely on subcontractors or labour hire workers, and included this group in

their saety critical positions.

You may begin to determine which, i not all, o the 39 SMTs your company will ocus on implementing or improving.

For example, the embedding o SMTs to role responsibilities can occur through position statements, competencies,

recruitment and selection criteria, and evaluations.

It is important to note that the task competency allocation used in the matrix in the competency ramework is indicative.

As companies have individual needs, and will be at dierent stages o cultural development and OH&S maturity, the

matrix should be used as a guide to meet your companys individual needs. Thus the scoring will refect the stage

o development o your companys saety culture and saety management system.


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Step 4: Adapt the competency specifications

Why is this step important?Step 4 involves reviewing the processes, knowledge, skills and behaviours listed or each individual saety task and adapting

these to your organisational context.

Pages 1351 oA Construction Saety Competency Frameworkoutline the process steps, knowledge, skills and behaviours

(KSBs) and culture outcomes or each saety management task (SMT). These are also available in a Word document on the

enclosed CD or customisation by your company.

When you review each SMT process step, it may become evident that your company has already identied some o these

processes and is using them in training programs, human resource processes or skills development.

For example, in SMT 20Recognise and reward people who have positively impacted on OH&S, your company may have already

identied and communicated the behaviour requiring recognition, but not perhaps ormalised the public recognition process.

I your company has not identied these processes, then the process steps can act as a prompt to start implementing the

relevant SMTs.

By examining the KSBs or each SMT, you may nd common KSBs that can be interchanged or combined within existing

company programs. For example, your company may not provide specic training on current OH&S legislation, regulations or

codes o practice to all sta, however you may distribute inormation about OH&S legislation updates through general internal

media postings (email, memos, toolbox talks) or relevant employees.

Process steps Knowledge, skill and behaviour Culture outco

SMT 4. Develop project OH&S management plans

Processsteps

Knowledge,skillandb

ehaviourCultureout

comes

SMT4.DevelopprojectOH&Sman

agementplans

Snapshot o page 16 o the A Construction Saety Competency Framework


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Step 4: Adapt the competency specifications

How do I implement this step in my company?To complete Step 4: Adapt the competency specifcations, it is recommended the ollowing actions areundertaken.

when completed

Industry examples

The two case study excerpts provide an example o how Step 4: Adapt the competency specifcations can be implementedwithin a company. The complete case studies can be ound in the Appendix at the end o the guide.

Step 4: Adapt the competency specifications 19

Review the processes, knowledge, skills and behaviours listed or each individual saety task

Gain eedback and input rom people who are currently in saety critical roles and required to undertake SMTsand identiy what changes need to be made to ensure the process steps and competencies are company specicand relevant

Adapt the competency specications to suit the specic needs o your company.

Excerpt 8 (rom case study 5 on page 31)Using knowledge, skills and behaviour to create a saety competency cluster in your company

To achieve an organisational ft, St Hilliers Contracting reviewed the knowledge, skill and behaviour (KSB) statements

romA Construction Saety Competency Frameworkby identiying and incorporating 10 common KSB statements

across the 39 saety management tasks. These common KSB statements became the basis or the Environment,

Systems and Saety cluster in St Hilliers internal competency and skills assessment ramework. They are measured

by a variety o means including observation, perormance data, project outcomes and knowledge assessment.

Excerpt 9 (rom case study 2 on page 29)Expanding the process steps involved in the knowledge, skills and behaviour criteria.

Mapping Bovis Lend Leases (BLL) senior management team against all the requirements o its environmental health

and saety (EH&S) and quality management systems required an expansion o the knowledge, skills and behaviour

criteria in the process steps identifed byA Construction Saety Competency Frameworks 39 saety management

tasks, and some expansion o the process steps themselves.

Following discussions regarding competency requirements, BLL began a comprehensive review o all EH&S content

in the roles and responsibility descriptions to ensure compatibility with the new ramework. This led to the identifcation

o eight priority EH&S competencies and the production o training modules and assessment criteria to achieve the

required competency at these levels.


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Step 5: Plan

Why is this step important?This step involves planning how the inormation competency ramework can be used in training, education and development,

perormance management, and recruitment and selection activities. Some suggestions or incorporation are outlined below.

Recruitment and selectionRecruitment and selection o the best person or the job can be a dicult task!

Developing a job description or the vacant position can help you and candidates understand what you are looking or. In addition

to the inormation you would normally include in a job description (job title, reporting arrangements, company background, job

requirements, qualications and experience required), you also need to include saety competencies such as:

occupationalhealthandsafety

leadership

riskmanagement

skil ls,knowledgeandabil ities

relevantbehaviouralcompetencies.

Structure the assessment process around key competencies, as this will allow you to gain insight or evidence during the interviews

to better identiy which candidates are the most suitable, and which are more likely to have a negative impact on saety culture.

This could be done by using scenario or case study based questions at the interview, and by asking a series o questions that

align to your internal competency requirements and key result areas. Possible questions could include when you see unsae

actionsintheworkplacewhatdoyoudo?,howdoyouensureyourworkplaceissafeforvisitors?.

Consider candidates who have the competencies and saety values required to successully maintain and develop an appropriate

saety culture. For example, a construction company seeking an engineer may assess candidates or communication, leadership

styles, attitudes and values in saety.

Training, education and developmentThe skill and saety competency levels o existing employees are key issues or their training, education and development.

Thereore, a robust training plan is recommended.

A set o saety competencies should clearly identiy the dierence between an employees current behavioural competencies

and the behaviour that is required. By implementing a training needs analysis and generating a training plan to develop the skills,

abilities and behaviours required by employees, it is possible to positively aect saety culture.

Encouraging the uptake o standardised saety culture competencies by individual companies can also help improve uniorm

saety practice across the industry.

Perormance managementIt is important you promote the desired behaviours to your employees.

Promoting and encouraging desired behaviours does not have to be dicult. Ways this can be achieved include:

seniorandmiddlemanagementleadingbyexample

linkingbehaviourstoexistingperformancemanagementandappropriaterewardsystems

displayingsignageon-sitetoshowhowmanyinjury-freedaysyouhavehad

celebratingachievementswithactivitiessuchasaBBQattendedbyallmanagement,employeesandsubcontractors

focusingonexamplesofbestpracticeinthecompanynewsletterandcompanyaddressesgivenbymanagement

thankingyouremployeesforengaginginsafebehaviourdonttakeitforgranted.

Incorporating saety competency and demonstrated saety perormance improvement in perormance appraisals reinorces

organisational values, while also giving incentive to individuals to ocus on saety as part o their everyday actions.


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Step 5: Plan 21

Step 5: Plan

How do I implement this step in my company?To complete Step 5: Plan, it is recommended the ollowing actions are undertaken.

when completed Develop job descriptions or each position in your company that include the identied SMTs relevant to each position

start with any positions that are currently vacant

When recruiting, structure your assessment process around key competencies

Undertake a training needs analysis

A training needs analysis is a method to identiy what training sta have undergone versus what the company requiresor job eectiveness and eective delivery o the SMTs. It can be used to identiy the training needs o a whole

company, a department, a project team or an individual position. Consider the ollowing steps:

decidethescopeofyourtrainingneedsanalysise.g.anindividual,aprojectteam,thewholecompany

or any other group identifytheprimaryandsecondarybusinessobjectivesforthegrouporindividualundertakingthe

training needs analysis.

Consider its purpose in the company and its goals and objectives. Consider how this relates to your companysstrategic or business plan, as all your activities should relate back to the overarching plan or the company:

identifytheexperienceandskillsthatarerequiredandranktheminorderofimportance(e.g.giveeacha rank o H, M or L (High, Medium and Low priority)

identifytheindividualswhofallwithinthetrainingneedsanalysisandwhattheircurrentskillsandexperience are

identifygapsbetweenwhatyouhaveandwhatyourequire

developatrainingplantomeettheneedsthathavebeenidentiedbythetrainingneedsanalysis.

Develop a training plan

A training plan can be developed or a company as a whole, a business unit or an individual. It outlines the negotiateddelivery o competencies by your company to acilitate learning and development. A good training plan will:

provideanopportunitytoselectwhat,how,whereandwhenskillswillbeachievedidentiy a measure to assess the progress o those undertaking the training plan

determine a timerame by which skills must be demonstrateddetailthetrainingmethodstobeundertakenandthemonitoringarrangements

(i.e. how and when assessment will occur)identifycompetenciesthatwillbeachievedinaworkenvironmentspecifymonitoringandcontactarrangementsandobligations

specifystartandenddatesforcompletion,demonstrationandassessmentforeachcompetencyofonand o-the-job skills.(Source: www.trainandemploy.qld.gov.au)

Promote and encourage desired employee behaviours

Incorporate saety competency and demonstrated saety perormance improvement in employee perormance appraisals

Acknowledge and reward where appropriate, the positive behaviours o your employees.


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Industry exampleThe case study excerpt provides an example o how Step 5: Plan can be implemented within a company. The complete case

studies can be ound in the Appendix at the end o the guide.

** Note this case study example is suited to larger companies.


Excerpt 10** (rom case study 1 on page 28)Developing a national training program

The John Holland Group identifed and specifed those saety critical positions and associated saety critical behaviours

rom the competency ramework that it wanted across the company. The company developed competency-based

adult training and assessment modules to deliver the necessary OH&S training to the whole company across Australia,

as a program called Passport to Saety Excellence (PSE).

The PSE program has been nationally accredited as a Certifcate IV in Saety Leadership Construction throughout

Australia. It provides a number o objectives or the saety critical position holders in:

a. providing knowledge o the core tasks required to meet group and Australian legislative requirements

b. providing an understanding o why, how and to what perormance standard each task needs to meet to

achieve required outcomes

c. providing specifc training and management support to meet the needs o individual position holders

d. establishing proo o competency which is portable throughout the group and eventually throughout other

companies within the sector

e. providing national training body recognition.

The John Holland Group PSE program during the next ew years will deliver 7000 training days to more than 1000

employees. In addition, the program is being made progressively available to clients, subcontractors and other

construction sector companies and relevant institutions.

Step 5: Plan


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Step 6: Use a step-wise approach,and Step 7: Implement within your company 23

Step 6: Use a step-wise approach, andStep 7: Implement within your company

Why are these steps important?Steps 6 and 7 have been combined. Both examine how to implement the competency ramework within your company.

It is recommended the implementation o new saety competencies and guidelines be introduced to sta in small steps, as this

will help employees to absorb any new ideas and allow or early success to gain support and momentum.

Once your company has customised the Task and Position Competency Matrix (Step 3) by identiying who needs to be able to

do what, you will be in a good position to drive competency improvements through the entire hierarchy.

Reer back to Step 4 or the steps and processes to ollow to complete a saety management task and the related knowledge,

skills and behaviours required to achieve saety culture outcomes or your company.

Allocating resources to allow your company to implement the SMTs displays your companys commitment and desire to improve

its saety culture and saety perormance. In an evolved saety culture, the undertaking o the majority o activities will orm a

natural part o each line management role, rather than being regarded as an added duty and/or cost. Implementing the SMTsshould be thought o as an investment in achieving successul project outcomes.

As discussed in Step 3 consider your organisations level o cultural development and determine a starting point or minimum

competency requirements. Developing and implementing new saety competencies and guidelines may be a new way o

doing things or many people in your company, and changes o this nature can be problematic or some. Clear and requent

communication will be critical to the success o your saety plan. Make sure you clearly communicate your plan to those who

are directly and indirectly involved. This should include:

whatyouaredoing

whythechangeishappening,includingthehistoryandcontextforthedecision

whoisinvolved

howlongyouexpecti ttotake

howitwillimpactonyouandothers

theexpectedoutcomes

howyouwil lkeeppeopleupdated

howyoullknowyourgoalshavebeenachieved.

Keeping people updated will help you maintain momentum throughout the implementation process. Some o these suggested

ways to update people are suitable or the head oce, others are site-based:

emailsandmemos

companynewsletter

companyintranet

toolboxtalksandotherface-to-faceinformationsessions

staffmeetings posters

factsheets.

Critical to the success oA Construction Saety Competency Framework is how it is implemented within your company.

A number o recommendations have been made throughout this guide, and inA Construction Saety Competency Framework,

as to how companies can customise this material to meet their unique organisational needs, according to the stage o your

saety culture and saety management development.

When to implement, how much, who does what and how, can only be decided by senior management determined to make a

change in saety culture and saety perormance. Simply put, no matter the size or the capital resource base o the company,

there are certain sta behaviours and saety management tasks the company must implement.


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How do I implement these steps in my company?To complete Step 6: Use a step-wise approach and Step 7: Implement within your company, it isrecommended the ollowing actions are undertaken.

when completed

Industry examplesThe three case study excerpts provide an example o how Step 6: Use a step-wise approach and Step 7: Implement within

your companycan be implemented within a company. The complete case studies can be ound in the Appendix at the end o

the guide.


Excerpt 11 (rom case study 4 on page 31)

Developing training programs by identiying current gaps betweenA Construction Saety CompetencyFrameworkand current organisational practice

Baulderstone Hornibrooks approach to puttingA Construction Saety Competency Frameworkto use within the

company was to frst undertake a gap analysis o current training and sta development activities, on a national

level, against the ramework.

This exercise was carried out during a workshop session with state saety managers. From this initial exercise,

an additional 13 distinct training modules were identifed in order or the company to deliver on all the identifed

competencies in the ramework. The majority o these training modules were developed and delivered in-house,

with a ew provided by external training providers. Three modules are currently under development.

For each training module there is a training activity plan (TAP) which identifes the specifc details or each training

activity, the subjects covered, the learning outcomes and the competencies achieved. The TAP is now beingaligned withA Construction Saety Competency Framework.

Allocate resources or the implementation o the SMTs

Develop a plan to communicate the changes to your workorce

Review the recommendations in this guide andA Construction Saety Competency Frameworkto determine how toappropriately implement the competency ramework in your company

Talk to your human resources department about including saety competencies in job descriptions andperormance appraisals

Incorporate your saety competencies and guidelines into your training program.


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Step 6: Use a step-wise approach,and Step 7: Implement within your company 25

Excerpt 13 (rom case study 3 on page 30)Developing training programs by mappingA Construction Saety Competency Frameworkand the

Certifcate IV in Business, majoring in OH&S

Laing ORourke reviewed its minimum training requirements or its company beore mapping these against the

structured training rameworks identifed in the Certifcate IV in Business, majoring in OH&S, and A ConstructionSaety Competency Framework. This process identifed the tasks each role holder must be competent to complete.

By customising the competency ramework they were able to identiy specifc training requirements or the

individuals in these roles.

During this process, Laing ORourke partnered with a registered training organisation to develop a program based

on existing internally run skill development courses (e.g. communication skills), prescribed training and nationally

recognised units o competency. However, a training only solution was not deemed to be sufcient to meet the

requirements o the company, as classroom learning does not always lead to behaviour change on-site.

Consequently, a skills portolio supervision system and a sae behaviours program were developed to support

this behaviour change and to ormalise the skills and competency o the employees.

Excerpt 12 (rom case study 2 on page 29)Developing training programs by prioritising saety management tasks

Bovis Lend Lease (BLL) identifed eight priority environment health and saety SMTs (SMT numbers 1, 6, 18, 23,

26, 27, 31 and 39 oA Construction Saety Competency Framework). These were identifed by assessing where

the most Level 1 competencies on the matrix ell across the most saety critical roles, or areas o high risk such

as frst aid and emergency procedures. As a result, the company has produced training modules and assessment

criteria to achieve the required competency at these levels, and has commenced training and assessment activities.

These support materials are also being progressively developed and implemented or the remaining SMTs. This

process has also identifed some SMTs that can be bundled into single training modules.

Looking to the uture, BLL hopes to partner with a registered training organisation to align the BLL ramework

with the Australian Certifcate IV in Business, majoring in OH&S qualifcation, so that progressing through the BLL

competency matrix creates a pathway to the award o this national qualifcation. BLL is also examining how it canmonitor and evaluate sta periodically to ensure the competencies are kept current.


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Step 8: Show continuous improvement

Why is this step important?Continuous improvement is critical throughout this whole process as it enables companies to evaluate, review and refect on

strategy, which allows or improved strategies and implementation processes.

Achievement o continuous improvement should be based on realistic and realisable saety perormance indicators. Some ways

to improve current practices may be to:

establishaninitialbenchmarkforinjuryguressoyoucanlookathowitchangesafterimplementation

evaluateandimproveOH&Ssystemsandequipment

evaluateandimproveperformanceappraisalprocesses.

Use various inormation sources to monitor and review, and to gain eedback on the eectiveness o culture actions and

other saety-related behaviours. This will help individuals ne tune and continually improve their ability and eectiveness when

completing the culture actions. For example, sta can seek and use eedback obtained rom consultations, walk-arounds,

collaborative decision making, sel-refection and perormance management.

One opportunity to show and evaluate continuous improvement is at employees perormance development reviews. For example,employees can demonstrate their current and uture training requirements and completed training can be acknowledged.

How do I implement these steps in my company?To complete Step 8: Show continuous improvement, it is recommended the ollowing actions areundertaken.

when completed

Industry exampleThe case study excerpt provides an example o how Step 8: Show continuous improvementcan be implemented within a


Excerpt 14 (rom case study 3 on page 30)One way to provide eedback and demonstrate continuous improvement on the employee level.

Laing ORourke has developed a skills portolio which is similar to a logbook as it requires the employees supervisor

(typically a regional saety coordinator) to observe employees on a number o occasions undertaking a particular saety

management task. The skills portolio clearly communicates the behaviour and the steps associated with the task (as

derived romA Construction Saety Competency Framework), thus reinorcing and building the skills and behaviours

required to be eective saety leaders. By regularly reviewing outcomes and successes, and quickly reinorcing

learnings in the feld, Laing ORourke is ollowing a process o continuous improvement.

Determine the methods you will use to evaluate the success o implementation o the competency ramework

Establish saety benchmarks so you can evaluate changes over time

Regularly review the 8 steps o the fowchart to improve your saety strategy and implementation plans.


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Appendix 27

Appendix

Case studiesIt has been demonstrated that most companies are committed to saety and improving the saety culture within their organisation.

A Construction Safety Competency Framework: Improving OH&S performance by creating and maintaining a safety culture has

provided a tool with which companies can align and structure their saety dynamics to suit their organisational requirements.

The competency ramework can be implemented using dierent approaches to align it to existing saety structures, and

to enhance and develop individual saety programs. Five case studies highlighting dierent companies approaches when

implementing the competency ramework appear in the guide.

Note that even though the case studies are provided by large companies, the lessons learned and the principles within can

be applied to small and medium companies.

John Holland has based its integrated saety approach on the competencies identied in the ramework, using it to help align

a range o knowledge, skills and behaviours associated with each saety management task. John Holland has also developed

competency-based adult training and assessment modules to deliver training to more than 1,500 employees.

Bovis Lend Lease ully endorses the competency ramework and has adapted it to its own environment health and saetymanagement system. The competency ramework has been applied to improve inclusion o various roles in the saety matrix,

denitions o roles and responsibilities and intensive training development.

Laing ORourke used the competency ramework as the basis o training and development programs or sta in saety critical

roles. A skills portolio has been created in order to build behaviour change and ultimately a culture change.

Baulderstone Hornibrook undertook a gap analysis, enabling it to develop training packages to address key areas. Its training

activity plans are being aligned with the competency ramework and improvement is underway or developing strategies that

drive saety culture.

Finally, St Hilliers mapped the competency ramework competencies to its own Skills Matrix or use in selection, training,

development and perormance management. In addition, the competency ramework competencies are being used to audit

position descriptions and site saety management plans.

Case study 1:John Holland Group: Occupational health, saety and workers compensation improvement strategyand Passport to Saety Excellence Training ProgramThe John Holland Groups vision o No harm is underpinned by its occupational health, saety and workers compensation

(OHS&WC) improvement strategy and its Passport to Saety Excellence (PSE) Program.

TheinitialstepoftheOHS&WCinitiativeinvolvedtheidenticationofsafetycriticalpositionswithinthecompany;asafetycritical

position being dened as one that has a direct or indirect impact on OHS in the workplace. Fourteen saety critical positions were

identied within the company ranging rom the Managing Director to Leading Hand.

The next step involved the determination o the OH&S management activities that needed to be undertaken by each identied

position in order to achieve best practice saety standards in the workplace. This analysis identied 36 saety critical activities.

John Holland then developed skill and behavioural competencies necessary to eectively undertake all 36 identied saety

critical OH&S management activities.

Once the John Holland Group identied and specied the saety critical positions and associated saety critical behaviours, it

developed competency-based adult training and assessment modules to deliver the necessary OH&S training to the whole

organisation throughout Australia.

This training program, the Passport to Saety Excellence (PSE), has been nationally accredited as a Certicate IV in Saety

Leadership Construction throughout Australia. The program serves a number o objectives or the saety critical position

holders in:a. providing knowledge o the core tasks required to meet Group and Australian legislative requirements

b. providing an understanding o why, how and to what perormance standard each task needs to meet to achieve

required outcomes


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c. provision o specic training and management support to meet the needs o individual position holders

d. establishing proo o competency which is portable throughout the Group and by other companies within the sector

e. provision o national training body recognition.

Over the next ew years, the John Holland Group PSE program will deliver 12,000 training days to more than 1,500 employees.

In addition, the program is being made progressively available to clients, subcontractors and other construction sector companies

and relevant institutions.

With the successul establishment o the PSE program, the John Holland Group is now working on developing the next stage,

which will see the core principles o the existing program expanded to blue collar and subcontractor roles.

Case study 2:Bovis Lend Lease: Environment health and saety competency rameworkBovis Lend Lease (BLL) endorsesA Construction Safety Competency Framework. It has been adapted to suit BLLs environment

health and saety (EH&S) management system and the responsibilities o people identied as holding posts critical to the

companys EH&S perormance. The competency ramework is being used to improve and standardise the current approach

to EH&S training, ensuring consistency in both training outcomes and management system application.

BLL customised the competency ramework in several ways. In keeping with an integ

practical guide to safety leadership

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