MODULE 2: ACCOUNTABILITY

Elements of an Effective Accountability System

Element 6. Effective Evaluation of the Accountability System.

Accountability System Evaluation Checklist. (continued)

An effective accountability system is required to ensure compliance with required employer safety standards. Here's a simple checklist your safety committee can use to evaluate your organization's accountability system. (0= Not present 3=Needs Improvement 5=Effective)

4. Effective consequences. Without effective consequences, improvement of behaviors and performance will not occur.

o Is discipline for noncompliance expected?
o Does discipline occur soon after justification is established?
o Do employees know exactly why they are being disciplined (given the facts)?
o Are the motives for disciplining perceived as sincere attempt to help, not hurt?
o Do disciplinary procedures change behavior/performance in the desired direction?
o Is discipline progressively more significant for repeated noncompliance?
o Does management first make sure that their obligations to employees are have been fulfilled before disciplining? (clear expectations, resources, training, enforcement, example).
o Does discipline occur as a result of failure to comply with safety policies and rules, (behaviors), rather than "having an accident", (results)?
o Are employees automatically disqualified from safety recognition/rewards if they have an accident?
o Is discipline consistently applied throughout the organization - top to bottom and across functions?
o Is the purpose of discipline to improve performance rather than merely to punish?
o Is recognition occurring more often than discipline?
o Is discipline appropriate to the severity of the infraction?
o Is discipline appropriate to the negative impact the infraction has on the company?