Traditionally, job descriptions have been a tool of limited utility for risk managers for five reasons. First, most job descriptions fail to realistically define work. They usually contain only a short list of task or product expectations. Second, what is described is incomplete, often failing to even partially address safe practices of essential functions.  Job descriptions have tended to ignore safety as a categorical competence. The third reason is focus. Job descriptions are written assuming that education and experience are the best predictors of performance with less emphasis on the biomechanical, sensory, and psychological competencies required for true excellence. Fourth is timing and organizational utility. Job descriptions are used at the front end of employment (hiring) and risk management has been an “ after the fact “ statistical practice using job titles with associated hazards rather than full descriptions to assign risk.  Fifth, is bias.  Job descriptions are perceived to be a human resource tool that is written with a necessary bias toward the twenty-one fair employment practice laws. For a risk manager, these laws reduce a job descriptions utility. There is no clarity of intention e.g. civil rights (ADA) versus occupational safety  (OSHA). Overall, traditional job descriptions have failed to be a true utility of communication, which has reduced both the effectiveness of hiring decisions and risk management strategies. Hiring “good fit” employees in many industries is given no more than a 60 /40 chance according to American Management Association and Human Resource Society of America. Risk management has been understandably affected by job descriptions that are limited organizational tools.

.

Risk Management Professionals and Job Descriptions

Risk management professionals are employed with three major objectives: risk assessment, relationship building and risk reduction. All three are more easily met by using job descriptions as a critical database. Most underwriters want to bind coverage on an account that is likely to result in minimal losses for the insurer. Risk assessment is the first step.  Before coverage is bound, a risk manager visits a customer site, reviews the list of job titles, audits its safety program, reviews accident records, tours the facility, and prepares a risk assessment report. The report usually includes the clients safety related strengths and weaknesses. The report is a major factor in the risk selection process for the insurance company. Sorely lacking in the assessment process is a review of actual job descriptions. Significant data is missed on job demands, competencies, behavioral based safety issues, and functional capacity expectations of employees, related training, engineering, and accommodation needs.  Therefore, recommendations issued to help the customer reduce the number and severity of actual losses, falls short. The recommendations lack the specific job competency related information needed to implement good safety practices and comply with existing or proposed safety, health and environmental regulations. 

Relationship Building and Job Descriptions

The second principle objective for the risk manager is to develop a relationship with the insured.  During this process, a thorough knowledge of the insured’s operations, as well as, specifics of the industry is developed. At this juncture, reviewing job descriptions can serve several purposes. Job descriptions illuminate the organizational culture. For example, is the emphasis on supervisors with clinical, engineering or management backgrounds?  Are jobs technology focused or hands on? How thorough are job descriptions written? Is safety knowledge an expected competency?  Over time, using job descriptions and observing individual performers, a risk manager can develop a keen sense of issues that might go unnoticed by someone in day-to-day operations. This vital familiarity promotes risk management. As customer trust builds, based on reality, risk management strategies that may begin as short term fixes can be developed into long term problem solving. A change of focus from “fixing “ hazards related to job titles to using job descriptions, as a risk management tool is one of those long-term solutions.  The role of the risk manager is best served when they can apply a wide range of safety related disciplines, which include complimenting human resource management. Job descriptions, which may start out as a database of risk management information can, become a risk management/change agent of engineering solutions, accommodation, and training guidelines. 

Risk Reduction and Job Descriptions

Typically risk reduction has been a combination of analysis of significant potential or actual losses. These are then written into safety programs with hazards controls. The most critical improvement needs are identified and service plans and programs are implemented to address problem areas.  The goal is to reduce the frequency and severity of losses. The expectation is that losses can be reduced over time. As risk managers know, it can take a considerable amount of time and effort to teach customers who want to implement risk management strategies.  A two to five year program is a usual period.  Yet many organizations still simply do not know what makes up a quality safety, health, and environmental or accident prevention program. This is evidenced by the Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index (1999-2002), which identifies the top ten causes of workplace injuries and their costs. Workplace injuries produced $40.1 billion in direct costs to injured workers and their medical providers with indirect costs for lost productivity of between $80 to $200 billion. The consistently leading causes of accidents continue to be overexertion, falls, and repetitive motion. They occur in a wide range of job titles much beyond the traditional villain, material handling.

It is now time for risk management professionals to take a new tact. Despite the critical information base that job descriptions could provide, job descriptions are rarely reviewed during risk assessment. Nor are they cited as part of the recommendations for intervention. Risk managers have an underutilized tool in job descriptions that can contribute to long-term problem solving solutions. Job descriptions have successfully contributed to risk reduction for three risk responsive organizations. Changing assumptions was the key to commitment to the cost of analysis and the benefits. The implementation of the program included building a team of safety, human resources, risk management, occupational health, department-by-department supervisors and employees. The team then created job descriptions that went from a list of tasks (essential functions) to competencies in knowledge, biomechanics, psychology, sensory, safety and quality. Developing safety competencies in particular were done using the databases of job descriptions, material safety data sheets, and accident and incident reports. Risk analysis from a universe of 37 categories was conducted. Data on 770 plus factors were gathered and ranked for hazard probability. Competency based job descriptions with strong safety competencies then guided the interviewing, pre-employment screening, training, hazard engineering, and accommodation process. Costs of production and worker compensation rates were contained.  Job descriptions became job smart, a set of full service documents that were specifically developed as a risk management tool that succeeded.  

CHANGE YOUR ASSUMPTIONS AND IMPLEMENT A JOB SMART STRATEGY

Traditional Assumption 1: The modified workers compensation premium (experience modification factor) of an organization is more important than the manual premium. The identified loss leaders or experience modification factored jobs should be the focus of workers compensation reduction.

Job Smart Assumption 1: The manual premium, which is based on the aggregate loss experience for the type of jobs people work, is often viewed as a "tax" the organization cannot do anything about so why bother. It is true that insurers use both class and class code to classify specific job types so that some degree of comparison can be made on loss experience between states developing rates. For example, a file clerk works in a class of employment known as clerical and the loss experience associated with that class is generally very favorable. In contrast, a delivery person who works in a class of employment known as trucker has a loss experience associated with that class that is generally less favorable. Based purely on these rates, premiums are usually far less for an employer who employs mostly clerical staff, than for those who employ mostly delivery people. However, as we know in the last 10 years there has been a significant jump in occupational injuries of clerical people that develop computer related injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome. Paying attention to the biomechanical competencies required of all jobs, irrespective of class, is more likely to result in lowered worker compensation liability.

Job Smart Strategy 1: Write competency based job descriptions for all jobs, regardless of perceived industry risk. Define essential functions in terms of knowledge, psychology, biomechanics, sensory, quality, and safety competencies. Professionals in organizations such as physicians are one of the most underserved groups in terms of risk analysis. They are perceived as "physician" heal thyself!

Traditional Assumption 2: Risk is defined as the product of the frequency or severity of loss. The best way to analyze risk is to review safety records, OSHA 200 logs, workers compensation reports, injury forms, reports from insurers on similar industry comp experience, number of near misses, and severity (lost work days and dollars of claims).

Job Smart Assumption 2:  Incorporating job descriptions into risk analysis strategies are a valuable addition to risk assessment. It is the next logical step.  Since the early 1930's, studies have been done to determine the relationship between on the job property damage, accidents/minor injury, and disabling conditions.  Although the precise ratios vary,  (500:100:1 Bird and German) one point is clear - a large proportion of accidents, 80% or better, are neglected if risk management professionals respond only to injury producing events.

Job Smart Strategy 2: One of the most valuable risk assessment tools is a safety based competency job description because they support the job safety analysis and hazard engineering process. Why does only one (1) person in a job, performed by ten (10) people, get hurt? Is it that one in 10 has the complications of age, previous injury, disease, or disability?  Job descriptions, which define biomechanical and sensory demand, can help risk managers identify which part of the job is the problem and how to solve it. Job descriptions allow you to determine whether observed variations within the safety process are common causes (all employees) or assignable causation (one employee). Common cause variations are inherent to a process when it is operating as designed. Assignable cause variations are unnatural variations within a process.

Safety based competency job descriptions allow comparison of both quantitative and qualitative data with in the same job. It is a risk management tool, since it evaluates both the severity potential  (a priori, empirical and subjective) and frequency of an incident or hazard (records of incidence). If risk is the product of the frequency or severity of loss, then one way to categorize risk is using job descriptions. By defining essential functions into competencies, the appropriate severity and weight of the risk can be assigned. For example, a steel workers welding on skyscrapers, has a very high severity potential and industry frequency of death or loss of function. While, steel workers, welding in an automotive plant, have a severity potential and industry frequency of death or loss of function as potentially only high/medium. When only job titles (steelworker) are used, risk data is lost because differing methods, materials, equipment, and environments were not weighed correctly. Often underrated for risk is “clerical “ staff .Yet both the biomechanical and psychological stress can be very severe. For example, in the same organization, one clerical person may work under constant stress (document control for production) another may work at his or her own pace (purchasing assistant). The same jobs represent both quantitative and qualitative difference in risk.

Traditional Assumption 3: Job descriptions are a human resource tool for recruitment and hiring.

Job Smart Assumption 3: Job Descriptions are an organizational tool, which creates a consistency of communication throughout the organization.

Job Smart Strategy 3: Change assumptions about job descriptions from an "it’s just a hiring tool" to job descriptions are a working document of communication. What and to whom should a job description communicate? First, a comprehensive job description is one that describes competencies in six areas knowledge, psychology, biomechanics (strength), sensory, quality and safety. With safety competencies built into job descriptions, performance appraisals and corrective action are done with consistent ease. This communicates job performance criteria and expectations and reduces risk. Second, job descriptions guide recruitment, hiring and beyond. Potential and permanent employees gain understanding of performance expectations from the point of application through the interview, pre-employment screening to training, hazard engineering and accommodation. Third, job descriptions create an unbiased consistency of communication to employees, labor and management, and professional support staff (safety manager, plant manager, attorneys, occupational health providers, architects, insurance providers) as an aid to risk management planning and implementation.

Traditional Assumption 4: Job descriptions are hard to write and use in risk management because of fair employment law practices.

Job Smart Strategy 4: Competency based job descriptions are an efficient employee management tool. They benefit the organization at all levels by providing a prompt, economical, selection of the best person for the job (inside or outside). Job descriptions keep an organization running smoothly, encourage innovation, and maintain a competitive edge. Incomplete job descriptions contribute to risk. Safety competencies can be simply and specifically denoted to applicable OSHA standards and used effectively in the recruit, select, prescreening, and retention process. The competencies of knowledge, psychology, biomechanics, sensory, and quality all compliment the job description validity.

Traditional Assumption 5: Interviews questions are hard to design and use for risk management because of fair employment law practices.

Job Smart Strategy 5: Comprehensive job descriptions that detail competencies automatically link essential functions to interview questions that can reduce the risk of workers compensation liability.  Specifying the biomechanical competency of a job, based on the typical work demands, allows the right lead interview questions to be asked. For example, one can ask a potential delivery person " Can you safely lift and carry up to 100 pounds?" Can you do that 20 times per hour? When fine motor requirements for a seamstress position are specified, one can ask, "Can you thread a needle and pin a seam?" Can you pin sailcloth for 30 yards?  Or to a carpenter one might ask,” Can you explain how to safely operate a table saw?" These types of interview questions provide information from which to make appropriate hiring decisions that incorporate knowledge and risk into safety competencies.  Attorneys recommend and legal precedents show that, the more comprehensive the job description, the less risk of charges brought by applicants or employees who may charge discrimination, failure to provide a safe work place or accommodation suits.

Traditional Assumption 6: Essential functions of the job are difficult to translate into competencies particularly safety because it is time consuming and costly to develop the categories of risk assessment.

Job Smart Assumption 6: There is a fixed (and expanding) universe of basic, valid, and reliable risk categories that define essential functions of a job into safety competencies. For example, machinist supervisor requires competencies such as knowledge of product production sequence, biomechanical positioning to equipment used, psychology of teams, sensory acuities such as tactile discrimination, use of personal protection for safety (glasses), and quality inspection techniques.

Job Smart Strategy 6:

Here is a summary of the 37 risk categories that have been validated and found to best describe work risks. These categories are reflective of the competencies knowledge, psychology, biomechanics, sensory, strength, quality, and safety. Step 1 is to define the job by defining the attributes of these categories. Step 2 is to assign the level of risk.

Actions of work / Human Factor Systems / Internal Systems / Neuro/Muscular/Skeletal / Senses / Physical Body / Biomechanical Effort / Biomechanical Movement / Biomechanical Peak Force

Biomechanical Transition / Ergonomic Hazard Probability /Ergonomic Hazard Protections Personal Protective Equipment / Initiative / Know How / Knowledge / Language / Problem Solving / Project Management / Psychological Knowledge / Quality Knowledge / Reasoning / Safety knowledge

Sensory Knowledge / Sensory Demand / Technology / Time and Effort / Working Conditions

Working Environment / Work Equipment / Work Guards / Work Instruments / Work Tools

Work Machines / Work Materials properties / Work Material Handling Containers / Work Material Handling Equipment / Work Organizational Requirements / Work Recommendations / Work Risks

 Step 2: Each of the 37 categories once defined are assigned a risk level

nEstablish Risk Levels  

nHazard Catastrophic: May cause death, severe loss of function as in total disability or fatality daily

nHazard Maximum: Probability of partially incapacitating injury or exposure to a severe health hazard with potentially long term debilitating effects daily  

nHazard Moderate: Probability of injury for lost time could occur annually for fracture, sprain, strain severe cut burn or sensory injury (foreign object in the eye exposure to a health hazard daily 

nHazard Minor: Minor cuts abrasions or bruises daily

nHazard Remote: unlikely < 5% monthly

Traditional Assumption 7: It is hard to know where to start, what to bring, and on whom to rely on this journey of a 1000 miles.

Job Smart Strategy 7: The hardest journey starts with the first step. Take what exists as a baseline of information .  It is easy to begin, since most organizations have a set of job titles with a basic listing of tasks, often labor approved. From that existing foundation competency-based job descriptions can be built that realistically represent work performance, safety, and quality standards. To change a culture, you have to start with knowing the language. Job descriptions are built from what currently exists in the organization. Essential functions of jobs are translated into six competencies (knowledge, psychology, biomechanical, sensory, safety, quality). You can create an excel matrix as a computerized approach to begin by matching valid and reliable action verbs of work to risk validated competency statements. Examples of a quality technician's competencies are interprets statistical data, moves 45 pounds from floor to bench, and discriminates color patterns in product.  From essential functions to competencies, employers, employees, and their labor, representation can easily expand the use of job descriptions from a human resource tool to a full use organizational tool. When used consistently job descriptions can serve all parts of an organizations strategic plan (fiscal to architectural).

Traditional Assumption 8: Recruitment and application processes screen applicants appropriately for interviewing. Recruitment, interviewing (hire or promote) and selection of employees on a knowledge and experience base is more important than asking questions about competencies in biomechanics, psychology, safety, and quality during the application process.

Job Smart Assumption 8: A frequent source of frustration in risk management is that recruitment at the application level is done based on a poor analysis of the essential functions of the job. A candidate is chosen who matches the formal written job description of the job but only half the time is a good fit to the job. The safety risks go up from there.  Using competency based application process, interviewing people is done more realistically to productivity, safety, and quality standards of performance. It is too common to overvalue resumes citing education when knowledge seldom represents the full set of competencies necessary to do a job. Psychologically, emotional intelligence in safety decisions is often a critical competency.

Job Smart Strategy 8: Create an application and resume process that has the candidate rank their specific attributes to guide the initial screening of applicants

30 most valued categories of Resume Categories

Accountability               Authority             Behavioral Knowledge             Biomechanical Effort

Business Contacts            Customer Contacts                                           Communication

Direction                      Education             Experience                               Hazards

Initiative                        Know How             Language Knowledge             Problem Solving Knowledge

Damage Operations    Project Management                                         Psychological Knowledge

Quality Knowledge     Reasoning             Responsibility Managerial             Responsibility Quality

Responsibility Safety  Safety Knowledge                                           Sensory Demand

Supervision                   Supervision             Technology                               Time and Effort at Projects

Working Conditions Experience

Traditional Assumption 9: A job is the accomplishment of a set of tasks within a timeline and often with a quality standard.

Job Smart Strategy 9:  Productivity, Safety, and Quality can only happen when the essential functions of the job are translated into the competencies.  This integrates the competencies required to perform productivity with safety and quality. The real work of a job is knowledge, psychological, biomechanical, sensory, safety and quality capabilities. Is a customer service persons job to resolve customer complaints or is it the application of competencies. For example, a customer service representative has to have product knowledge, the ability to remain calm under pressure, maintain speech while reviewing computerized customer documents, and often create a quality solution to resolve a complaint.  Real performance is done using the mind, body, and senses. Work gets done in a posture, using eye hand coordination, in close contact with other people by adhering to productivity, safety and quality standards. Risk management is creating a culture of competencies. 

Traditional Assumption 10: Pre-employment Screening and Functional Capacity Testing is too expensive. This is a cost versus value assumption.

Job Smart Assumption 10: Screen to intervene is the key.  It is estimated that there are over 11 million work related injuries per year requiring the comp system to provide over 40.1 billion dollars for medical expenses and lost wages.  The Bureau of Labor statistics continues to report upwards of 3 million Workers Comp claims for Repetitive Stress Injuries, adding up to more than 20 billion, with ten times as much indirect impact in that employers had to replace injured workers and suffer reduced productivity. The average RSI claim is about $10,000 or twice the average comp claim. RSI injuries continue to be on the rise. The vast majority were either back injuries (65%) or injuries to arms and hands (32%).

Job Smart Strategy 10: Pre-employment screening and functional capacity evaluation are a cost effective investment. Screening to exact competencies provides a valid and reliable report on the capability of person to perform the essential functions of a job. It is legitimate to have a potential employee or one returning to work tested to see if they have relevant skills. Using competency based job descriptions creates a direct link from the essential functions of the job by competencies to valid, relevant testing.  Job descriptions that detail the exact conditions of a job allow for simulations of capability to be tested and reduce the cost of testing that is not relevant. It allows employers to pay for just what is needed and create a database from which to deny, hire, reclassify, train, or accommodate a person. Some notable statistics to keep in mind: (1) The mean age of the American worker is 40 years old (2). Orthopedic impairments including arthritis affect over 20% of the population (3). Heart disease and hypertension are affect over 15 % of the population. (4). Sensory impairments affect over 12 % of the population. National Health Interview Survey, LaPlante, 1998b

Traditional Assumption 11: Engineering pays off safety dividends only on the high-risk jobs.

Job Smart Assumption 11: Engineering controls pay off on productivity, safety, and quality. If the organization is ANSI/ISQ/ASQC Q 9001-2000 certified, engineering pays off in consistency and continuous improvement.  Job descriptions support 6.2.1 of the Q9001-2000 standard by specifying that personnel performing work-affecting quality shall be competent on the basis of appropriate education, training, skills and experience. Engineering which includes quality competencies will likely incorporate a broader range of productivity and safety demands, which pays off in lowered risk.

Job Smart Strategy 11: Engineering controls are designed from job descriptions with a   productivity, safety, and quality initiative. The goal is cost containment in line with production standards. To manage the best use of human energy a risk and waste analysis is done to qualify which areas of production need value added competencies to contain costs. The cost analysis areas are production flow (stops and starts), over-production cells, pace times (hurry up and wait points), transport costs, damage to product, just in time input and output to inventory, paper work, and the interdepartmental flow (cell to cell) flow. Costs and risks are controlled by continuous improvement of job descriptions as a guide to hazard engineering, training and accommodation.

Traditional Assumption 12: Training is just one more requirement that costs and does not pay back.

Job Smart Assumption 12: Many of the OSHA general industry rules refer to training of employees, for instance those that deal with PPE working with hazardous materials, operating power equipment, and upgrading technology in the workplace (robotics). The OSHA construction standards impose training requirements about tool use, avoiding falls, using heavy equipment, and using explosives safely. Although training can be expensive, if done by competency, it provides immediate dividends in the form of increased efficiency and reduced waste.

Job Smart Strategy 12: Many OSHA standards explicitly require the employer to train employees in the safety and health aspects of their jobs. Other OSHA standards make it the employer's responsibility to limit certain job assignments to employees who are "certified", competent or qualified. This means that they have had special previous training in or out of the work place. The term designated personnel means selected or assigned by the employer or the employer’s representative as being qualified to perform specific duties. These requirements reflect OSHA’s belief that training is an essential part of every employer’s safety and health program for protecting workers from occupational illness and injury. Research has shown that those who are new on a job have a higher incidence of accidents and injuries than more experienced workers. Therefore, job competencies are critical to define, to determine training strategies. Equally important, OSHA data has also shown that most workers have "near misses" as often as once a week on the job. The most common OSHA violations for general industry include hazard communication, machine guarding, and lock out tag out, respiratory protection, and electrical safety. These become safety competencies in job smart job descriptions. Job descriptions allow the integration of training requirements across all organizational and safety   standards. Job descriptions guide training to meet the general duty clause requirements with ergonomic interventions. Well-trained employees expand their competencies, increase efficiency, and avoid costly mistakes.

Job Smart Strategy 12: Training can be cost effectively done using creativity and technology to deliver training that is self-paced for the learner to maximize their experience. Testing for learning styles allows trainers to develop presentations that communicate information in the best formats            (graphics rich, language and culture specific, reinforcement of concepts in multimedia or simulation) E-learning allows pre and post testing and delivery of knowledge for some trainees who need a self pace strategy.

Traditional Assumption 13: Accommodation is only for qualified disabled individuals who have physical or mental disabilities like walking, hearing, or seeing.  Additionally, most disabled people present a safety risk or create undue hardship.

Job Smart Assumption 13: Individuals in the American workforce are aging, injured, diseased, and disabled. All employees are aging, usually have sustained some injury in their lives, and may have a disease and or a disability. Accommodation for all employees makes sense given the statistics. The average age of the American worker is 40 years old. This means that just to support changes in eyesight, to enhance visual acuity, accommodations should be made to support individual’s needs for lighting on their work tasks.  With most people over 40 wearing corrective lenses (bifocal or trifocal) and 70 percent of them using computers the increase in the reports of neck strain are not surprising. Accommodations to computer monitor such, as adjusting their height on the work surface is becoming a standard ergonomic intervention.

Job Smart Strategy 13: A 45 factor accommodation analysis tool was used to determine what interventions were necessary for the three organizations that participated. Their strategic plan was to use risk analysis to write job descriptions and intervene on jobs consistently. Job descriptions with safety competencies are a strategic management plan. These factors of intervention represent a cost benefit analysis that not only returned on investment but met the requirements of American with Disabilities Act, OSHA, and ANSI/ISO/Q 9001-2000. The factors analyzed were

Accessibility /  Engineering /  Maintenance External /  Adaptability / Equipment                             

Material Handling  / Software / Temperature / Air Quality / Finishes / Mat. Resource Conserve            Tools / Benchmarks  / Furnishings  / Noise / Trainings / Comfort /  Housekeeping                          Passages  / Transport / Communication  / Image  / Pick Patterns / Vendors Controls                       Instruments / Planning / Waste Management / Cost Effectiveness  / Interplant Transfer                    Quality / Windows / Density of Space / Landscaping / Recycle / Design of Space / Legibility of Forms /  Relocation / Division of Space /   Lighting /  Safety / Energy  /  Maintenance Internal / Signage

Essential functions of the job can be accommodated for individuals using, in particular, biomechanical and sensory competencies validated by pre-employment screening. This supports the person productivity, safety, and quality using the methods and materials of their job, machines, equipment, tools, and instruments in their work areas.

Conclusion: In order to reduce the liability for work related injuries to employees in all industries we must change our assumptions use the tools of risk analysis to write competency based job descriptions. This provides us with a risk management strategy from which to recruit, select and retain safety competent employees. With competency based job descriptions, that include safety competencies, we can accommodate most individuals with training and engineering solutions that return on investment.

Contact Us Today 

Dr. Deborah Kearney dk@recruitselectretain.com  is a human factors engineer with 30 years experience creating safe work environments. She helps organizations to meet compliance with fair employment law practices, OSHA, and their productivity, safety, and quality goals. International Facilities Management Association named her distinguished author for her book on the Americans with Disabilities Act. She is known for her work in organizational and ergonomic design work in hospitals, manufacturing, and service industries.

 Email Us:   info@recruitselectretain.com

   Offices:  Pittsburgh, PA  412.854.1573   Brooklyn, NY  718.975.7272   New York, NY  917.753.7505