Handbook for Process Safety in Laboratories and Pilot Plants

8 Workforce Involvement and Stakeholder Outreach in the LAPP

8.1 RBPS Element 4: Workforce Involvement

Workforce involvement helps ensure ongoing communication between management and workers at all levels of the organization. Involving the workforce provides a formalized mechanism for tapping into valuable expertise and ensures that workers can access the information they need to perform their jobs safely. It provides methods for workers to be directly involved in safety activities and in protecting themselves and their co‐workers.

Organizations should establish a systematic, documented approach for active participation of employees and key contractors in the design, development, implementation, and continuous improvement of the risk management system. Everyone within the organization should be aware of responsibilities and opportunities to contribute to ensuring the safety of all in the organization.

Effective workforce involvement starts with developing a written plan of action for worker participation, consulting with workers on the development of each element of the RBPS management system, and providing workers access to all information developed under the RBPS management system.

Workforce involvement influences these essential features of a sound process safety culture:

• Empower Individuals. Workforce involvement provides explicit roles, responsibilities, and authorities for workers in the planning, implementation, and improvement of the risk management system. To be empowered, ...