How Should HR Set Realistic KRAs for Safety Officers in Manufacturing? Seeking Advice

Dear Sirs,

We are in the process of setting KRA in the manufacturing sector. A few months ago, we established the Safety department. We have assigned the KRA for the safety officer as "Achieve and maintain a Zero reportable accident status." Our safety officer is arguing how HR can assign this type of KRA to a single department or person. According to his statement, HR needs to assign KRAs that are 100% in his control and not on others.

I am now confused. Can anybody suggest KRAs for the safety department/safety officer? I am expecting that seniors will show me the way regarding this matter.

Thank you in advance,
Abhay

Dear Friends,

There are certain departments in an organization (industry) where KRA (Key Result Area) can be set. Department and individual efficiency can be measured with the results achieved against KRA. However, for certain departments and individuals, KRA is not workable. The set KRA should be achievable with the resources and the existing management systems. Here we have to keep in mind that while setting KRA, it is not to the whim of the one who sets it. KRA will only be set on consensus. Officers who are conversant with the functioning of various departments or individuals alone can set KRA. Fixing KRA for the safety department or safety officer is an example.

We work with men, materials, equipment, and the environment. It is only our dream to achieve and maintain zero accidents. It is only a slogan used by safety personnel to motivate workers/staff. The safety department functions in an advisory capacity. They have no role in the core business. It means the safety department has no control over most other functions.

Again, responsibility for accident prevention is not only with the safety officers. It is a collective job. From the CEO to the last-grade worker, everyone in the industry has a specific role in accident prevention. If you have to set "Achieve & maintain Zero reportable accident status" as KRA, it is applicable for the industry in total and not for the safety department or safety officer alone.

If it is necessary to set KRA for the safety department, it should be for the activities.

For example: We can set KRA on the number of inspections/auditing, safety meetings, safety training, mock drills, etc. and it is as simple as that.

Regards,

Kesava Pillai

Dear all,

Other key parameters for KRA can be:

1. LTIFR
2. Near miss reporting
3. Number of training sessions conducted
4. Reduction in fire incidents
5. Successful completion of critical tasks
6. Number of serious unsafe work incidents stopped in time
7. Innovations implemented
8. Improvement projects, etc.

Regards,
Hansa Vyas

Dear Mr. Abhay,

I am totally in agreement with Mr. Keshava Pillai's views. Along with that, I wish to highlight some more points:

As you have established the safety department recently, the Safety Officer's KRA has to be more focused on implementing a safety culture in your organization. For example, framing an HSE Policy in consultation with top management. The HSE policy must be specific, measurable, and achievable with risk assessments done for hazardous jobs.

Accordingly, you can frame his KRA to track the progress made in implementing the policy, preparing and implementing Safe Operating Procedures, HSE Manual preparation, etc.

Regards,
Firoz Khan
EHS

Your safety officer view is 100% correct. In our company, achieving zero reportable accidents is prioritized for front-line supervisors and shop floor managers. The following could be the KRA of safety officers:

1. Ensuring statutory compliance - testing and certification of equipment by a competent person.
2. Conducting safety training programs for all the workforce. XX mandays per employee.
3. Conducting various competitions and promotional activities to instill safety awareness among the workforce.
4. Implementing a permit-to-work system.
5. Guiding shop floor managers in selecting the right PPE.
6. Driving the safety committee, among other responsibilities.

Regards,
Durairaj.CR
Head of Safety
Titan Industries Limited
Hosur-635126

Zero reportable accidents teach us that accidents or incidents should not be hidden to achieve Key Result Areas (KRAs). Even management may support concealing incidents. Remember, safety Key Result Areas (KRAs) are crucial for the company's reputation.

It is corrected to - Aim for Zero Accidents. All incidents must be reported, and corrective actions need to be taken, not just corrections. As correctly stated by Mr. Feroz and Mr. Durairaj, focus initially on Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), Standard Operating Guidelines (SOGs), Occupational Safety and Environmental Management Procedures (OSEMP), and functional procedures such as the work permit system. Establish and execute these procedures first. Suggest pursuing more than 8 elements of Process Safety Management (PSM) this year, with the remaining 6 to be addressed next year. Engage with the Safety Head, as they are likely eager to implement safety standards and foster a safe working environment. Allow them to define their KRAs rather than preparing them for them. Request them to present their KRAs and a minimum of 5 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for each KRA.

Remember not to excessively interfere with Health, Safety, Environment, and Fire (HSEF) functions, as their planning is vital, given their professional qualifications and experience.

Regards

Dear,

In my opinion, your safety officer is very correct because he is not the person who has the overall control over the activity. A single person cannot be held responsible for the unsafe conditions present in the plant and the unsafe human behavior of a person.

Secondly, as per the Factories Act 1948, the role of a safety officer is only an advisory role. He can be aware, identify, and advise about the potential hazards which can lead to any mishap. Implementation is not his responsibility.

Regards,
S. Singh

@ Abhay

My comments on your posting:

You must take safety as a part of KRA for both Safety Professionals as well as Line Engineers/Managers, as it's the responsibility of all—not only the job of a safety officer.

For Safety Professionals, you can set the following KRAs:

1. Assisting management in preventing accidents (Give different ratings for fatal, reportable, etc.).

2. Assisting management in the investigation of all incidents, report making, and ensuring the implementation of recommendations.

3. Giving training on HSE (Make an action plan for all required training at the beginning of the financial year. At year-end, compare it with actual training provided and give ratings accordingly).

4. Assisting the management in maintaining a safe working environment at the plant (Audit of the entire plant—maybe once every six months or annually, site inspections, etc.).

5. Statutory compliance of the entire plant.

6. Strengthening the safety management system by placing necessary visuals at strategic locations, ensuring testing of all lifting tools and tackles, etc.

7. Strengthening the contract safety management by adhering to site-specific guidelines, etc.

For line engineers:

1. Self-conducting internal audits of their sections, identifying and rectifying points (specify a timeframe, e.g., monthly, and give ratings accordingly).

2. Number of incidents at the site: Give ratings based on the following classification:

2.1 Near miss

2.2 First Aid

2.3 Non-reportable

2.4 Reportable

2.5 Fatal

3. Reporting incidents. If anyone fails to report, give a rating accordingly.

4. Creating Safe Operating Procedures in coordination with the safety department and displaying them at the site (Set targets and give ratings by analyzing targets versus completion).

5. Conducting Toolbox Talks regularly, etc.

With regards,

Dipil Kumar V

Dear All,

Thank you very much. Your posts will help me a lot. One doubt in my mind is how I can measure safety culture. If one of the Key Result Areas (KRAs) is "Develop Safety Culture in Plant," is accident frequency the only measuring tool used?

Waiting for a kind reply.

Regards,
Abhay

Set the KRAs for individuals as follows:

1. One individual will be responsible for overseeing the fire extinguishers.
2. Another individual will be in charge of minor accidents and their maintenance. Their KRA will involve reducing the frequency of minor accidents through corrective actions.
3. The Safety Head will oversee major accidents by conducting investigations and timely meetings. Ratings will be based on the corrective actions taken, and the target will be to decrease the frequency of such accidents.

Ensure there is a single line break between paragraphs.

Hi,

I am forwarding the KRA format used by me in our company. I hope it will help you.

Mr. Kesava Pillai is right in saying safety in any organization is a collective job. However, the safety department also has to be assigned Key Responsibility Areas (KRAs). The KRA that you have suggested is correct, but if he is not agreeing to it, then ask for his suggestions and consider what he wants.

Regards,

Sunita Mehta

Very good interaction. Achieve and maintain zero reportable accidents should be the KRA of line managers or department heads. If this is the KRA for safety professionals, they should be omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent.

Job of the Safety Pros:

Assisting management to prepare safe goals, objectives, and safety management programs.

Assisting management to identify hazards and risks.

Quantifying the risk and suggesting to line managers the type of control measures to be adopted to bring down the risk to an acceptable level from an unacceptable level.

Assisting line managers to develop safe job procedures.

Developing safety rules.

Assisting line managers in carrying out incident investigations to identify root causes of all factors (physical, systemic, and human), and determining corrective and preventive actions required to prevent recurrence.

Conducting audits to identify gaps and areas for improvement in various safety management systems.

Initiating safety programs and activities.

Identifying correct and good quality personal protective equipment (PPEs).

Training line managers in their safety responsibilities.

Coordinating and assisting site heads to conduct safety meetings.

Providing resource information on safety to management and line personnel to carry out activities safely.

Analyzing injuries, incidents, and near misses, and highlighting focus areas to management.

Coordinating with statutory and government authorities to fulfill area-specific legal requirements.

Planning for expected emergencies and training all personnel to carry out their roles to minimize losses.

If you are in Tamil Nadu, please refer to "The Tamilnadu Safety Officers (Duties, Qualifications, and Conditions of Service) Rules, 2005."

Point No. 8 Duties of Safety Officers (i) to (xiii):

He is an advisor and assists the management in the fulfillment of its obligations, statutory or otherwise, concerning prevention of personal injuries and maintaining a safe work environment.

Line managers are to be made responsible for carrying out all activities safely if the organization wants to achieve zero incidents (even for achieving and maintaining zero reportable accidents).

Regards,

Partha.

One doubt in my mind is how I can measure safety culture. If one of the Key Result Areas (KRA) is "Develop Safety culture in the plant," is only accident frequency used as a measuring tool?

Waiting for a kind reply.

Abhay

Dear Abhay,

For measuring your KRA, i.e., "Develop Safety culture in the plant," first, you need to decide the standard you want to achieve in safety. Then, think about the ways you can achieve this. Make each of those "whys" into a quantifiable action point. Look for proactive actions to implement on your site to achieve safety excellence.

With regards,
Dipil Kumar V

Re: Safety - KRA

Your Safety Officer is correct. The responsibility for safety lies with everybody in the organization, especially with line management. The support of top management is essential for the success of any accident prevention program. The Safety Officer is expected to advise the line management on how potential hazards can be eliminated safely and effectively, and how works and operations can be carried out by applying techniques to identify and prevent hazards.

The Safety Officer need not be an expert in all activities within your industry. Therefore, a joint effort is necessary to prevent accidents in the workplace and reduce the frequency and severity of accidents to a minimum.

With regards,

Rajendran. J

Key Responsibilities for Safety Officers

- Identification and reporting of unsafe acts and situations in a timely manner.
- Maintain licensing/regulatory issues.
- Maintenance of safety equipment.
- Emergency preparedness.
- Imparting safety culture among the employees.
- Incident control.
- System management.
- Audit and inspection capability.
- Solution focus, not a problem focus.
- Selection of PPE and their use.
- Investigation and reporting.
- Adherence to the permit systems.
- Training and awareness.
- Administration and personnel qualities.
- Self-development.

Regards,

KRA Standards and Feedback Request

All are correct as per their organization standards for KRA. Please find the attached file for your consideration. I am the HOD - EHS and am creating KRAs for my subordinates for the performance year. Please provide your comments.

Regards,
Shailesh Mistry