Bryan Haywood

Weekly thought on human errors

The significance (or severity) of an event depends upon the consequences suffered and not on the error that initiates it. The error that triggers a serious accident … and the error that is one of hundreds with no consequences… can be the same error.   Human Error, James Reason, Department of Psychology University of Manchester, […]

Maybe I’m just old school (SOPs/SWPs)

Maybe I’m just old school, but is it just too much to ask for: a well-written safety procedure, one that is written and analyzed with a safety pro and the worker(s) who do the actual work, that management will fully support the procedures everyday-everytime, including on holidays that fall on a Sunday, and employees will

Human Errors are …

I thought I had shared this image before, but I could not find it. I did NOT create this image but have had it since 1994. It came from my first HF Engineering Course in preparation for Process Safety, specifically the HFA part of a PHA.

Rail Car Incident Response for Crude, Ethanol & Other Flammable Liquids

April 8, 2023 — Quinnesec, Michigan The All Hazards Training Center at The University of Findlay has developed the Rail Car Incident Response for Crude, Ethanol, and Other Flammable Liquids training course for the U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (DOT PHMSA) to educate emergency responders on freight rail car incidents

Safety works from both angles!

A big mistake many make with Behavior Based Safety is focusing on people and their behaviors while the physical workplace goes to crap! We have to MANAGE BOTH to be successful! An old boss told me, “we have to take care of the house if we expect the kids to clean their rooms!” Claude Bloom

Do you have a safety management system?

We often hear it: “We have a world-class safety management system.”  They are proud of what they have.  They have worked hard to get where they are.  But most of the time, they do NOT have a safety management system (SMS).  What they have is a safety “compliance manual.”  A binder that holds dozens of

Safety Thought for the Week… Injury rates are not an indicator of safety presence

Since this week is OSHA log posting week, I thought it was fitting to remind everyone…   When safety is measured solely by lagging indicators, we put good men and women in situations where they are faced with making bad decisions.    Setting a numerical end goal without providing a playbook, skills, resources, and tools

James Reason on Routine Violations

It does not matter how good a facility is in safety; I can assure everyone that within that facility, there are “routine violations.”  Even in facilities with a very mature culture where safety has become a value (rather than a priority), we can find “routine violations.”  So don’t be surprised or saddened that you discover

Scroll to Top