Bryan Haywood

Defending H. W. Heinrich’s work… Unsafe Acts

“Proximate Causes and Subcauses (Personal).— In connection with the unsafe acts of persons (which are the direct causes of the majority of accidents) the immediately preceding subcauses are of great value in determining the most practical remedy. For example, it is not always enough to know merely that a machine operator oiled his machine while…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

Defending H. W. Heinrich’s work… Did Heinrich lay the blame for accidents at the feet of the workers?

H. W. Heinrich, Assistant Superintendent Engineering and Inspection Division, The Travelers Insurance Company is best known as the “Father of Industrial Safety”.  Much of what he developed in the 1920s-1950s can still be applied today.  He was a true pioneer in our profession, but it seems there are some in the profession today that want…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

Defending H. W. Heinrich’s work… unsafe acts and the “vital significance” of what drove that behavior

Heinrich’s take on unsafe acts and the “vital significance” of what drove that behavior. He clearly believed that unsafe acts were a reflection of MANAGEMENT and not solely the worker. “Proximate Causes and Subcauses (Personal).— In connection with the unsafe acts of persons (which are the direct causes of the majority of accidents) the immediately…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

Defending H. W. Heinrich’s work… The role of the Safety Engineer

“The safety engineer referred to in this discussion is the industrial safety engineer who is employed by management. He is representative of and a part of the managerial and supervisory staff that directs the work of employees, and he, therefore, shares the responsibility of management for accident prevention as already described. Being specially qualified in…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

Defending H. W. Heinrich’s work… Management’s Responsibility for Safety (1941)

“Management’s responsibility for controlling the unsafe acts of employees exists chiefly because these unsafe acts occur in the course of employment that management creates and then directs. Management selects the persons upon whom it depends on carrying out industrial work. It may, if it so elects, choose persons who are experienced, capable of, and willing…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

Axioms of Industrial Safety (Heinrich)

H. W. Heinrich, Assistant Superintendent Engineering and Inspection Division of The Travelers Insurance Company, is known as the “Father of Industrial Safety.”  But today, there is a movement in the safety profession to denounce his work.  To me, this is just disrespectful; hell, most of us owe our professional safety careers to Heinrich.  The work…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

Risk Profiling

Every business needs to risk rank its businesses down to each process within each facility.  This “risk profiling” keeps safety matters and risks in perspective when you’re trying to manage a global operation.  This risk profiling MUST use accurate and verified data.  Lagging indicators can play a role, but they do not fully indicate risks…....

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

Who and When… (March 2023)

Who said the following, and what year was it said? “The prevention of accidents is a science, but it is not so recognized nor is it treated scientifically today. In our endeavors to solve other problems we proceed logically enough to find out what is wrong and then to make it right; but when it…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

OSHA PSM citations @ refinery (Flammables & $156K)

A federal investigation into two workers’ fatal burns at an Oregon, Ohio, refinery’s crude unit found its operator violated OSHA’s process safety procedures for highly hazardous materials and failed to train the workers adequately.   As the workers attempted to correct rising liquid levels in the fuel gas mix drum, a flammable vapor cloud formed, ignited,…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

Human Factors 101… when you see it

Another “when you see it” human factors screw up from a traveling SAFTENG Lifetime Member…. thanks Victor Dearman We want to wish you all the luck in getting out of that parking garage. ? At a mall in Louisiana, when you see it…… Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

Is “short-threading” and “3-threads showing” a thing of the past?

Whenever we are dealing with piping and vessels that use nuts and bolts as their joining method, there was always this “rule of thumb” about “short-threading” and “3-threads showing.”  But now these “rules of thumb” may be no more, based on ASME PCC-1–2019, 8.2 Bolt Lengths.   I was raised/trained in this as a fundamental in…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

EPA RMP Citations @ transmix refinery facility (NH3, SO2, H2, Flammable Mixtures & $299K)

At all times relevant to this CAFO, Respondent operated at a facility that refined transmix. Transmix is a mixture of refined products such as gasoline, diesel, and/or jet fuel that results when refined materials are transported in pipelines. The intermingling of products at portions of a pipeline stream can result in the material of an…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here
Scroll to Top