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Peer Observation Improves Safety
If an employee working on a ChevronTexaco offshore platform in the Gulf of Mexico happens to rush up a ladder one-handed, rest a hand near moving equipment, or merely lift a box without bending at the knees, he or she is very likely to inspire a gentle correction from a concerned coworker.
A successful program called Generating Awareness Through Observation and Review, or GATOR, trains people to recognize all manner of workplace hazards and avoid behaviors that put them at risk of injury. Employees on these offshore platforms routinely fill out "observation cards" that give feedback to coworkers - issuing compliments when a job is done right and suggestions when it could be done more safely. The feedback reinforces safe behaviors and suggests alternatives when something is unsafe. After six years of GATOR, nearly all the employees take part, and the program has been particularly successful in the Western Shelf Profit Center where approximately 460 employees churn out about 5,000 observations each month.
Not surprisingly, injuries have declined dramatically as the number of observations has grown. Lost-time incidents in the Western Shelf's organization fell from 12 per year in 1998 and 1999 to zero in 2002. A companion program, launched recently to increase contractor participation, is yielding similar results. Workers believe that GATOR has led to their best safety performance on record for their unit, which covers about 45 offshore platforms. As of midyear 2003, the unit has worked more than two years without an employee lost-time injury, and more than 200 days with a contractor lost-time injury.
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