Safety Management Systems
Project Title
Consensus-Based Evaluation of Safety Management Systems: A Model and Pilot Studies in Oil Refining and Mining
Summary
This project consisted of two main components. The goal of the first component was to provide a better understanding of the regulatory context within which workplace health and safety systems operate and within which their design and performance should be evaluated, and to assess whether regulatory reform may be appropriate. This was accomplished through a comparative review of the safety and health regulatory frameworks covering oil refining and iron mining in Newfoundland and Labrador, other Canadian provinces, the US and the UK and an examination of possible regulatory reforms.
The goal of the second component was to develop and pilot-test a consensus-based evaluation program for safety and health management systems in oil refining and iron mining in Newfoundland and Labrador. To do this, preliminary workplace data on indicators of an effective safety management system were collected, and a workshop was held with both experts in SMS and stakeholder representatives from each of the participating firms. As an outcome of this workshop an advisory group was created, representative of all stakeholders, to work with the academic research team throughout the rest of the project. A pilot evaluation program capturing the identified indicators was then designed and tested at two workplaces, the Iron Ore Company of Canada’s open-pit mine and processing plants at Labrador City, and the North Atlantic Refining Limited’s refinery at Come by Chance. Lastly, a final workshop was held and, in consultation with the advisory group and based on the data collected during the pilot evaluation program, the design was modified to create a final draft evaluation program.
Lead Investigator
Susan Hart, Faculty of Business Administration, Memorial University of Newfoundland
Principal Investigators
Stephen Bornstein, SafetyNet, Memorial University of Newfoundland
Gregory Kealey, University of New Brunswick
Susan Hart, Faculty of Business Administration, Memorial University of Newfoundland
Co-Investigators
George Kean, President, United Steelworkers’ Local 5795
Greg Sinclair, General Manager, Environment Health & Safety, Iron Ore Company of Canada
G. Stacey
Outputs
Reports
Publications
Bornstein, S., & Hart, S. (2010). Evaluating occupational safety and health management systems: A collaborative approach. Policy and Practice in Health and Safety, 8(1), 61-76.
Contact Information
Stephen Bornstein, SafetyNet, Memorial University of Newfoundland
sbornste@mun.ca
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