Safety is integral to our Company culture and is RPG’s number one core value.
RPG has successfully embraced a zero safety incident workplace, which establishes clear and achievable standards for realizing safety goals. The result is excellent safety performance yielding one of the best safety records in the industry.
RPG’s Senior Leadership believes that a successful safety program and culture begin at the highest level of an organization. Setting the priority at the top ensures safety participation across the entire organization, creating a dynamic process of continuous engagement.
RPG creates environments that provide for the safety and well-being of our employees which also encompasses the safety of our customers. As we deliver construction and maintenance services, we work proactively with our clients to jointly sponsor safety as our number one value, and to promote on-site environments conducive to the successful implementation of our combined safety programs. Our executives, management and on-site personnel are responsible for implementing our safety program. Supervisor Safety Education training is conducted for our supervisors and craft foremen prior to mobilizing. This is done to clearly communicate the commitment and expectation we have to ensure every worker’s safety.
Safety Program
Our safety plan identifies safety personnel, strategy, toolbox/tailgate discussions, and a general description of our approach to safety for the project. RPG will provide our Safety Plan template upon request to potential customers and customize to scope of work and client safety standards.
RPG has modeled its program after Traits of a Healthy Nuclear Safety Culture (INPO Document 12-012) as the foundation for Nuclear Safety culture. RPG utilizes the document to create a framework for open discussion and the continuing evolution of safety culture throughout the commercial nuclear energy industry in areas where we provide service.
To better partner with customers RPG ensures our leaders are familiarized with nuclear safety behaviors and actions that contribute to a healthy safety culture by organizational level―executive/senior manager, manager, supervisor, and individual contributor. RPG provides additional focus on Supplemental workers which are included in the individual contributor level. Attributes contained in these documents are embedded into RPG’s Continuous Improvement Process.
RPG embraces the integrated leadership culture. The best results are achieved when we integrate our client’s programs within RPG’s communications, metrics, and process structure to contribute to a winning team.
Examples of positive safety performance results include:
- Assisting clients within the nuclear industry as well as clients in other environments with structuring their safety program elements and the application of Human Performance (HU).
- Frequent consultations on case management best practices
- Our cultural safety programing, Critical Moments in “Safety Awareness” is shared across our industry.
Human Performance Program Overview
The purpose of the RPG Human Performance (HU) Program is to improve safety and quality through the application of HU principles to achieve the vision of Zero events. To encourage individual and organizational excellence; RPG blends a traditional focus on Human Performance with a program designed to heighten the individual’s level of awareness. While helpful and expected, it is not enough to rely on the application of traditional HU tools. RPG goes “Beyond the Tools” to provide explanations and motivation on why the traditional tools exist and how they can be applied to raise our “Levels of Awareness”. This unique approach is designed to remove barriers to the application of the tools by providing focused instruction that there is always a correct tool for the job. This approach engages our workforce in a manner no other program can, with quantifiable results.
Application of the tools is only one part of the equation to achieve the vision of zero events. RPG believes that defenses must first be effectively managed. The first step is the application of hard barriers to remove the error likely situation. Instruction is provided to our supervision and craft on the importance of robust managed defenses and their roles in creating those defenses.
RPG believes and maintains program elements that reflect and value the 5 principles of Human Performance:
- People are fallible, and even the best people make mistakes.
- Risky situations are predictable, manageable, and preventable.
- Organizational processes and values influence individual behavior.
- People achieve high levels of performance due largely to the encouragement and reinforcement received from leaders, peers, and subordinates.
- Understanding the reasons mistakes occur and applying the lessons learned from past events or errors can prevent such errors from reoccurring.
The application of HU principles is tangibly reflected in our HU Training, our focus on managed defenses and positive recognition programs. Principles 1, 2, and 5 are reflected in RPG’s HU event review process and implemented in concert with our clients. All lessons learned are sought and communicated internally and externally. RPG believes the vision of zero events cannot be separated from a disciplined and intentional approach to pursuing excellence through continuous learning.
RPG believes that the HU tools are not only valuable for reducing errors but also needed to raise our level of awareness (situational) and to increase our ability to identify hazards. While the tools are important, so are managed defenses. Through continuous learning, sharing of OE, and evaluating injuries and mistakes from an organizational perspective, RPG’s programs are focused on improving processes and programs (managing our defenses) to reduce our risk.