Effective workers participation, a clue for improving safety at work: experiences and results

Introduction
Transformation of workers´ attitudes and behaviors into safer and healthier ones, constitute a challenge especially in high-risk activities such as mining and oil production. These industries have been growing during the last years and consequently have a big social and economic impact on worker´s health and safety. The improving of working practices and conditions require strategies that promote learning and changing through effective participation.

Methods
An intervention study was conducted in two companies: one mining and one of oil production. The research began with the identification of safety culture characteristics and the analysis of accidents occurred in previous years. A more comprehensive methodology for presenting working procedures was designed as a part of the strategy. Besides, employees were trained in behavior observation and modification by using feedback with other coworkers. Training process strength was the methodology for developing three skills: tasks observation, hazard recognition, and effective feedback. The information obtained through observation was used by workers and supervisors in order to improve working conditions and control the root causes of unsafe behaviors. The strategy was implemented and validated during more than seven years with 1445 operation and production workers, supervisors and managers.

Results
After seven years of intervention in the mining company and ten years in the oil company, the accident rate decreased in a 46% and 72% respectively; and safe behaviors increased in a 75% (mining industry) and 42% (oil industry). Several changes in working conditions, managing, safety policies and workers behaviors also were obtained.

Discussion
The results obtained in this project reflect the importance of the employees and supervisors participation, to make possible working conditions and behaviors improvements. The development of an organizational structure that encourages individual and collective responsibility for health and safety, proved to be a necessary condition to achieve sustainable results.