The Implementation and Maintenance of a Behavioral Safety Process in a Petroleum Refinery |
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| Authors: | Wanda V. Myers † Terry E. McSween Rixio E. Medina Kristen Rost |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Quality Safety Edge , Montgomery, Texas, USA;2. CITGO Petroleum Corporation , Houston, Texas, USA;3. Queens College , Flushing, New York;4. Graduate Center of the City University of New York , New York, New York, USA |
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| Abstract: | A values-centered and team-based behavioral safety process was implemented in a petroleum oil refinery. Employee teams defined the refinery's safety values and related practices, which were used to guide the process design and implementation. The process included (a) a safety assessment; (b) the clarification of safety-related values and related practices; (c) process design and executive overview; (d) safety-observation training; (e) feedback, recognition, and celebration; and (f) process maintenance. Data that span 20 years are presented to show the long-term impact on recordable incidents, lost-time cases, and direct costs of injuries. The implementation was associated with an 81% decrease in recordable incidents, a 79% decrease in lost-time cases, and a 97% savings in annual workers' compensation costs over an eight-year period. An interview with the vice president of the refinery is presented to highlight the process's influence on the refinery's safety culture. |
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| Keywords: | behavioral safety safety observations long-term effects |
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