Guidelines for Evaluating Safety Performance

A. Summary

UC Davis Policy and Procedure 290-15 and State law (Title 8 CCR, Section 3203) requires all members of the campus community be held accountable for injury and illness prevention. Department chairpersons and unit heads are required to maintain a safe work environment. This begins by ensuring the department has an active Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP), implemented effectively and reviewed annually, including developing safe work practices, job hazard assessments, and providing employees with methods to report hazards in the workplace. All supervisors are accountable for providing training on workplace hazards (i.e. review hazard assessments), safely operating equipment and using tools (i.e. by reviewing SOP’s or manuals), following safe work practices, and assuring all work is conducted safely. All employees are required to develop safe work habits to minimize injury/illness risk by following established safety procedures and practices, and by being proactive in managing their injury/illness risk in the performance of their duties.

B. Safety Performance Evaluations

Performance evaluations at all levels must include an assessment of the individual's commitment to, and performance of, the injury/illness prevention needs of his/her position. The following are examples of factors to consider when evaluating an employee's safety performance:

• Adherence to defined safety practices.
• Use of safety equipment (PPE, ladders, etc.).
• Reporting of workplace hazards, unsafe acts, conditions, and equipment.
• Offering suggestions or solutions to safety problems or concerns.
• Planning of work to include checking safety of equipment and procedures before starting work.
• Immediately reporting of illness or injury potentially arising from the job.
• Providing support to safety programs.

C. Special Requirements for Supervisors

• Provide safety leadership by coaching, motivating, and intervening when unsafe behavior is encountered.
• Provide workplace job, task, equipment, tool, or position hazard assessments for annual review by employees on hazards unique to their job assignments.
• Provide orientation to new employees on safety requirements before beginning work (combination of formal training, online and/or on the job training).
• Clearly inform employees of unsafe conditions and safety hazards.
• Consistently and effectively enforce the safety program, including disciplinary actions (required by Cal/OSHA) for employees who violate safety requirements.
• Ensure by observation that employees have work experience before they are allowed to perform hazardous operations on their own.
• Ensure rapid correction of identified safety hazards through adoption of interim solutions and permanent corrections.
• Provide early return-to-work opportunities and ensure compliance with medical limitations.