November 1, 2011

DEQ'S EMERGENCY RESPONSE EYES EFFICIENCIES

Utah DEQ Newsletter
The Division of Environmental Response and Remediation (DERR) is engaging in a fast-paced effort to scrutinize its response to emergencies by joining other Divisions and Offices within the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to utilize "Lean Six Sigma" to better protect Utah's health and environment.

Over the past year Amanda Smith, executive director of DEQ, working with her management team, has used Lean improvement methods to assess Radiation Control, Air Quality and Finance to dramatically improve the quality, transparency, and speed of their processes.

"Lean government enables environmental agencies, like DEQ, to work more effectively and efficiently by eliminating waste in government processes," Smith said. "We expect to be more efficient in how we do business with the result of higher quality work and more responsive to our customers."

Throughout time DERR has made modifications to the way it notifies agencies and the public when such incidents like chemicals are released into the environment. But it may not be perfect.

"We can make it better," said Brent Everett, director of DERR. "We have an outstanding group of people who can bring valuable ideas to the table and create a plan that improves what we do."

Everett is part of the management team that met with business consultant Steve Avery to define the scope of the project. The team decided to focus on evaluating the current "Emergency Incident Notification Process" and its protocols that DERR has managed since the 1990s. Currently, upon notification of an incident involving chemical or other releases to the environment, DERR's duty officers compile a report to notify responding agencies, the first step in clean up and remediation.

"Coordination and communications is absolutely critical," said Brad Johnson, deputy director of DEQ. "Poor coordination and communication significantly hampers our ability to properly respond to an incident."

Last year's major crude oil spills—Chevron-related pipeline releases into Red Butte Creek and clandestine dumping into Strawberry River—have heightened the public's awareness of these incidents so the project team decided to take a hard look at ways to improve agency coordination and public notification.

"The Lean Six Sigma is a business improvement process that doesn't try to fix something that isn't broken but allows us to take it apart, examine it to see what we can do to make it better," said Avery, executive vice president of Business Process Improvement with Promontory Management Group.

For three days (Oct. 31-Nov. 2) the project team, which comprised of DEQ staff and industry representatives, engaged in a marathon session, called a "Kaizen" event - which means - "to take apart and make good." The team then will spend the next few months mapping out a plan to make improvements that will be implemented by March 1, 2012.

"It's an ambitious undertaking but that's what Lean Six Sigma is all about—streamlining the process to make it more efficient and effective," Avery said.

UTAH WORKPLACE FATALITIES FALL AGAIN IN 2010
Utah Labor Commission UOSH Safetyline
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the number of work‐related fatalities in Utah decreased in 2010 by six from 2009. In fact, the 42 fatalities in 2010 was the lowest total in a 19 year history. Highway accidents were the most frequent type of workplace fatality in 2010, accounting for seven deaths; down 14 from 2009.

Fatalities due to falls to a lower level rose to six from four in 2009 and made up 14percent of all fatalities. Work fatalities resulting from being struck by an object or equipment were responsible for five workers deaths in 2010.

Some characteristics about Utah fatalities include:
• Males accounted for 35 out of 42 fatalities at 83%. Female deaths increased from three in 2009 to seven in 2010.
• Workers 25‐54 years old ‐ the prime working age group accounted for 26 or 62% of the fatalities. The age group 24‐34 increased 50% from 2009 making up 33% of the accidents.
• The construction sector had the largest number of fatalities (seven). Falls accounted for three of those deaths. Local government followed with five.
• Transportation and material moving occupations had the highest number of workplace fatalities (11), with heavy and tractor‐ trailer truck drivers accounting for four of these deaths.
• Workers in construction and extraction occupations had the second highest fatality count at ten.
• Exposures to harmful substances increased from zero to four and fire and explosion deaths decreased from six to zero.

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