I propose this simplified Root Cause Analysis worksheet to clients seeking structure for their 5-Why approach. it is a beginner’s tool, but it does an excellent job of asking a series of high-level questions to help identify direct causes, root cause(s), and contributing factors and how each identified opportunity gets a corrective action to lessen…...
Root Cause Analysis Template Read More »
If we look close enough, we can see OSHA’s approach to some of its more extensive standards through the lens of its fitting into a formal Safety Management System. The Control of Hazardous Energy (e.g., Lockout/Tagout) standard is one of these standards. Using the old Plan→Do→Check→Act SMS model, we can breakdown 1910.147 into this model,…...
Viewing OSHA’s Control of Hazardous Energy through the lens of an SMS Read More »
I post a lot about Human Factors (HF) and Human and Organizational Performance (HOP/HOF), and I get a lot of calls, emails, and texts every week asking more about these topics. But understand HF and HOP are simply approaches to managing safety and health. They must never be viewed as a “silver bullet” to fix…...
On June 27, 2022, an employee at a packaging plant was flushing a chlorine dioxide pump for maintenance when some of the chlorine dioxide escaped the process and he inhaled it. The employee was rushed to the hospital and later died…. Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member?...
Line Break gone bad (Fatal ClO₂) Read More »
With an apparent increase in the number of homes and businesses suffering from “gas service” explosions, I will ask the question: Should the USA adopt the UK’s regulatory approach to “gas service” construction and maintenance? I am used to working with flammable gas in chemical plants and we have layers of protection built-in to our…...
This is from a state OSHA plan that has released its State Emphasis Program (SEP) for Heat-Related Hazards. In this SEP there are some great questions we can ask of our own Heat-Related Injury and Illness Prevention Plans to see if our plan is meeting basic OSHA compliance. Here are a couple of KEY points…...
A look inside a State’s OSHA Heat Related Illness Inspection Plan Read More »
I am sure we could debate this topic all day, but it is a topic that “I do not play well with others” on. The idea is that if we shorten our written compliance programs or SMS elemental programs, it will cause more people to read them and use them more often. I say hogwash…...
Do shorter safety programs translate to more people using them? Read More »
Every business will eventually reorganize work teams to meet the business’s needs. Sometimes, this will involve laying off workers when previous growth decisions were over-estimated, or the economy pulls back, and demand for products falls. Whatever the reason(s), every business will go through this regularly. But for those businesses that tout “Safety is #1” or…...
Cuts so deep that workers can’t participate in their safety process Read More »
I came across this healthcare research paper touting the value of using Root Cause Analysis (RCA) to improve patient safety, with an emphasis on LATENT ORGANIZATIONAL factors that play a role in accidents. There were so many incredible tidbits in the paper that I have summarized them below. Many of you reading this are NOT…...
The value of the Root Cause Analysis Read More »
An SMS forces an organization to examine its operations and the decisions around those operations. An SMS allows an organization to adapt to change, increasing complexity, and limited resources. An SMS promotes the continuous improvement of safety through specific methods to predict hazards from employee reports and data collection. Organizations will then use this information…...
Safety Thought of the Week… What can an SMS do for us? Read More »
Scenario: In your letter, you state that your client’s driver was driving a company vehicle, on the clock, and traveling on a public roadway. The driver was traveling between service calls near an intersection when a four-car collision occurred as the result of another car coming from the wrong direction in the same lane. After…...
This safety and cultural assessment report documents FRA’s findings, recommendations, and methodologies resulting from the 60-Day Supplemental Safety & Cultural Assessment of Norfolk Southern Railway (NS). The Department of Transportation announced its intent to perform this assessment on March 7, 2023, in response to NS’s safety performance and the East Palestine, Ohio derailment which occurred…...
The first Class 1 Railroad Safety & Cultural Assessment is complete Read More »
