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Occupational Health and Safety Briefing Report (Presented by Risk Analyst Jim Robbins)
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ACTION FOR CONSIDERATION:
Receive report on Occupational Health and Safety activities from January 1, 2017 to March 31, 2017.
BACKGROUND:
The following is a brief overview of health and safety activities and incidents in the past quarter.
Occupational Safety
1) Training and Support
a) A quarterly meeting with the Countywide Safety Coordinators was convened on March 13, 2017. Topics discussed included:
1. Informed the committee that the suggestion to discuss slips, trips, and falls with the Countywide Safety and Health Board was taken and was well received.
2. Discussed data on Workers Compensation claims that will be provided to the safety coordinators to help identify where injuries and illnesses are occurring in their departments to focus attention on addressing safety concerns.
3. Risk Management shared that a “Safety 101” class is being developed, and that once the outline was completed it would be shared with the safety coordinators for feedback.
4. The topic of how to make the safety coordinators more effective was discussed. All the safety coordinators were challenged to come up with goals the safety committee could strive for in the next fiscal year.
b) Occupational Health and Safety teamed with Wellness at three events this quarter to provide information on the programs and demonstrate ergonomic considerations in office environments.
2) Cal/OSHA Inspections/Citations
There were no Cal/OSHA inspections or citations reported during the reporting period from January 1 to March 31 2017.
3) Employer Pull Notice Program
The amended Driver Authorization and Driver Performance Policy was approved by the Board of Supervisors on February 7, 2017, and roll out of the Employer Pull Notice (EPN) Program is fully in progress. A-Check reports 922 drivers enrolled as of 3/30/17. Risk Management is responding to questions from department EPN coordinators and staff regarding the pull notice program as they arise.
4) Ergonomic Evaluations
a) 39 ergonomic evaluations were conducted at the following departments:
1. 1 Board of Supervisors
2. 1 District Attorney
3. 1 Child Support Services
4. 34 Health and Social Services
5. 1 Human Resources
6. 1 Probation
The ergonomics lab in General Services has been used to perform 26 chair fittings to date.
5) Respirator fit testing (Respiratory Protection)
Beginning March 2017, respirator fit testing is being provided by Risk Management for County departments and will continue to be scheduled over the next 3 months. This will be an annual process, including training.
6) Status of Departmental Safety Programs
Attached is the current listing of each department’s safety program as reported to Risk Management as of March 23, 2017.
Wellness
1) My Well Site and the Beat Goes On Wellness Challenge launched February 14, 2017
My Well Site, the new Solano County wellness platform, was launched Countywide with a heart health employee wellness challenge called “The Beat Goes On” on February 14, Valentine’s Day. So far, the site has 223 employees registered on the site. A “pilot” challenge, “No Time Like the Pleasant”, focusing on relaxation, was held in January with five departments/divisions. The challenges have had 41 to 62 participants in each. It is expected that participation in My Well Site will grow as we offer a variety of employee wellness challenges throughout the year and as we continue to market the service.
2) Strategy for Increasing Engagement in Wellness Program
The Wellness Program has been reaching its goals of increasing program offerings and levels of employee participation over time. During the last year, accomplishments included the development of integrated program components that have been instrumental for increasing the effectiveness and scope of promotions and to increase engagement. These strategies are recognized as effective workplace wellness components by Wellness Council of America, American Heart Association, Kaiser Permanente and others. They include:
a) The Wellness Ambassador program, launched in February 2016 with 32 Ambassadors, now has 41 Ambassadors who have increased visibility and added localized wellness opportunities.
b) The acquisition and launch of the My Well Site platform to offer employee wellness challenges, fitness tracking, health tips and social media for participants.
c) The development and implementation of an annual Wellness and Safety Promotion Calendar, in conjunction with Occupational Health, to guide, organize and coordinate resources and employee wellness challenges for greater impact.
d) Targeting health issues and risks that are County leading indicators and relevant to employees; such as ergonomic health, stress and resiliency, nutrition and physical activity.
e) The coordinated utilization of leveraged resources from wellness partners, such as Kaiser Permanente, to support and enhance promotions and employee wellness challenges.
Future plans include:
a) Continued evaluation and improvement of communication and marketing of wellness messages, services and activities.
b) Conducting more department and division/location based wellness promotions, challenges, classes and events adapted to the needs of the department. My Well Site is designed to support this; with the ability to target departments individually.
c) Utilizing Wellness Ambassadors for input and feedback to determine the most appropriate design for wellness offerings that are well matched to the employees and work environment Countywide or in a specific department.
d) Continued improvement in measuring participation and wellness engagement of all types.
Medical Services
Attached is a summary of Occupational Health medical services. Services include additional clinics provided for the Sheriff’s Office to accommodate shifts with the goal of ensuring compliance.