The Client and Its Challenge
In the course of evaluating rising workers' compensation costs, a large generic pharmaceutical manufacturer noticed an increasing number of employee injuries across various departments. The company realized that it could decrease workers' compensation costs by improving employee work safety. In addition, the company was convinced that a behavior-based safety process would significantly help reduce accidents.

As such, after a search for a behavior-based safety vendor, the company selected Marsh's Risk Consulting's behavioral risk improvement (BRI) process to assist in reducing employee injuries. A multisite organization, the company chose a small manufacturing department of 100 employees within a 1,000-employee plant for a pilot program implementation. The company not only sought to ensure that BRI achieved results, but also to integrate the process within its operations so that future implementations could be customized as needed.

The Risk Consulting Solution
The Marsh team developed and provided the necessary training for the pilot workgroup. All managers and supervisors within the work area were trained in behavioral principles and their roles in the BRI process. Then an initial group of 20 employees (20 percent of the pilot work-group population) were selected to attend "Core Team Training". The 20 core team members were employees from six different work areas and shifts. These core team members were trained to pinpoint safe behaviors on an ongoing basis, make daily observations, record daily scores, provide feedback and reinforcement to peers, and monitor progress over time. Marsh then provided materials for the management team to brief the rest of the employee population involved in the pilot program, so that they were aware of the new process and the core teams' roles.

Results
Within the first nine months of this pilot project, the test group improved on 25 behaviors, resulting in a 30 percent reduction in employee injuries within the test group, while the rest of the plant experienced a 25 percent increase in injuries during the same time period. At the same time, one of the supervisors within the test group noted a significant improvement in quality deviations (also measured for FDA requirements). Many of the safety issues directly correlated with quality behaviors as well. The management team and employees within the test group also reported other positive outcomes such as improved communications, more active employee participation, and a more positive work environment.

Considering these initial positive outcomes and the potential for even greater results in safety as well as quality, the organization decided to expand BRI to the rest of the plant, as well as implement BRI at five other U.S. sites, including Puerto Rico.

While the additional implementations are currently under way, the organization is expanding the BRI process to include operations and quality as well. Core Teams are now being trained to consider all behaviors that could have a positive impact on safety, quality and operations. Their customized BRI approach is leading the way for the entire organization to improve its results overall.