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Analysis of Observation Data

Judy Stowe
Quality Safety Edge

Once observations are underway, the team begins the process of data gathering and analysis. The process Design Team usually carries this forward as a Steering Committee for at least the first few months. This gives the process designers feedback on how their design is working and helps them:

• Identify where they might improve the system,
• Develop action plans for addressing major concerns, and
• Evaluate their initial celebration plans.

Data tracking and analysis is a key element of behavioral safety and one of the most challenging tasks for a young Steering Committee. The data should therefore be tracked and reviewed at least monthly and portrayed with simple graphs or bar charts that might include:

• number of observations conducted (by area or department)
• percentage if employees conducting observations
• percentage and number of concerns by category
• Content of comments (for clarification and detail)

Graphing data weekly or monthly allows the Steering Committee to look at both process and safety issues. The Committee can establish and maintain recognition and celebration targets for individual and group involvement with data on participation. Achieving maximal participation is a major key to success of Behavioral Safety Processes and requires considerable attention throughout the life of the process. The Team has to establish milestones for celebration of participation while taking care to avoid reinforcement that might encourage employees to submit falsified observation forms.

Tracking Safe Concerns on bar charts allows problem solving of areas where concerns are frequent and/or high-risk as well as tracking improvements. The Steering Committee closes the "feedback loop" to employees by sharing these summary results plant-wide each month in safety meetings. In this way, they encourage further problem solving and involvement of area teams action planning for continuous improvement. In addition, the Steering Committee develops action plans to address the primary concerns. These action plans will often include engineering and maintenance to address the physical conditions that contribute to unsafe acts.

The ultimate test of any safety effort is to make sure the process is indeed having an impact on safety. As the process matures, the Steering Committee must compare the observation data to actual site safety results to make sure observers are truly looking at the behaviors contributing to accidents and injuries. This provides a check on the accuracy and quality of the observations.

The observations and feedback are instrumental in achieving the initial safety improvements that result from behavioral change. The Steering Committee’s ongoing use of the observation data to maintain the process, and the implementation of action items to address concerns, are the keys to the longer term success and continual improvement.