HEALTH AND SAFETY - PRACTICE 2

Safety

WHAT

TVA's safety program is designed to help the agency conduct all of its programs and operations in a manner which protects the safety and health of employees.

WHO

• All employees

WHY

TVA has a responsibility to prevent personal injuries, occupational-related illnesses and diseases, and property damage accidents including fire-related losses resulting from its activities.

HOW

Safety is a shared responsibility among all TVA employees. The Board designates an individual with sufficient authority and responsibility to represent effectively their interest in the management and administration of the company's occupational safety and health program. This Designated Agency Safety and Health Official (DASHO) along with a professional Safety staff provide guidance and assistance to TVA managers, labor officials, and employees on program execution. In carrying out daily operations, line managers and supervisors are delegated the authority to develop, implement, and maintain programs in their respective organizations to ensure that this responsibility is carried out.

The program's highlights include:

Workplace Standards

Standards, work rules, and other practices developed by regulatory agencies and by TVA provide employees direction on safe work practices, working conditions, and acceptable levels of property protection. Annual goal setting and evaluations are utilized to assess the effectiveness of these standards and overall safety performance.

Planning

• Job Safety Planning
  All jobs undertaken are planned by those involved in sufficient detail to ensure that hazards are identified and eliminated or controlled to an acceptable level.
• Pre-Fire Planning
  Facilities, operations, and equipment are planned to address fire hazards, fire safety features, fire suppression, and fire response to ensure safety to life, the control of damage to property, and continuity of operations.

Training

Each organization provides for job training to improve the safety knowledge and skills of employees and to enable them to perform their jobs in a safe and healthful manner.

Employee Involvement

TVA's success in protecting people and property from accidental harm depends on the involvement of all employees in its safety program.

Employees are encouraged to be actively involved in the development and implementation of workplace standards and other program activities to minimize unsafe acts and conditions through participation on safety and health committees and through interaction with management and fellow employees.

Workplace Inspections, Monitoring, and Audits

Workplaces are regularly inspected and monitored to ensure that they meet regulatory and agency requirements.

Regular audits assess the effectiveness of inspection and monitoring programs as well as activities to prevent accidents and illnesses. These audits provide the feedback necessary to ensure control of workplace hazards and keep efforts focused on continuous improvement.

Accident Reporting and Investigation

• All accidents including fires are reported and investigated by management.
• Root causes are identified.
• Corrective action to prevent future accidents is recommended.
• Fire and other accident data are analyzed for trends to help direct future safety program efforts.
• Information is shared throughout TVA to support the accident prevention efforts of other organizations.

Contracts

• Contracts with outside vendors or contractors include necessary safety and property protection provisions.
• Contractor operations are monitored to ensure the operations are conducted in a safe and healthful manner and that they meet contract requirements.
• Contracts for facility design include provisions for all TVA fire protection codes, standards, and industrial practices.

ROLES

All Employees

• Abide by program requirements.
• Participate in any required training programs.
• Identify unsafe behaviors, conditions, or property damage potentials and correct them if possible.
• Report unsafe behaviors, conditions, or property damage potentials they cannot address to management.

Managers

• Provide a safe and healthful workplace.
• Develop and implement safety and property protection programs for their operations.
• Provide the necessary training and other resources to implement these programs.

Board of Directors

• Establishes and maintains an effective safety program which is consistent with the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 and other federal requirements.
• Designates an agency safety and health official with the authority to assist TVA's Board in carrying out this responsibility.

Designated Agency Safety and Health Official (DASHO)

The DASHO assists the agency in establishing:

• A comprehensive safety program.
• Adequate resources for implementation.
• Goals and objectives for reducing work related injuries and illnesses.
• Plans for evaluating the safety program.

Corporate Safety Staff

• Develops and recommends policy and program direction.
• Develops workplace standard and criteria.
• Assists TVA organizations with program implementation.
• Provides for management information systems that provide the necessary data to support the effective implementation of the program.
• Oversees the program and reports on program performance to management.

TVA Joint Union/Management Health and Safety Committee

• Monitors the performance of the agency's program.
• Supports and assists local committees in carrying out their roles and responsibilities.
• Reviews the findings of serious accident reports and offers recommendations for corrective measures.

 

RESOURCES

• Safety staffs.
• Fire protection staffs.
• Local Safety Committees

 

Last Revised 1/99