One of the top questions I get from “cold callers” or those who have joined SAFTENG and have digested my 400+ articles on Safety Management Systems and all their elements is: So, what does an SMS do for me and my facility? The best way to explain this is by an old scatter chart I…...
What does a formal SMS do for me? Read More »
We often refer to the ABC Model when discussing “Behavior Based Safety.” ABC stands for Antecedent ⇒ Behavior ⇒ Consequence An antecedent comes before a behavior and may trigger that behavior. A behavior is what/how the individual does an action. (good or bad). A consequence is something that follows the behavior (good or bad). So,…...
Do OSHA citations change management’s behavior (ABC Model)? Read More »
We discipline for the behavior – NOT for the result/outcome of that behavior. This is never more true in safety-related events. When we discipline a worker for an injury for not wearing their PPE. We just set the standard for NOT WEARING PPE! So the next time a worker fails to wear their prescribed PPE,…...
If we feel the need to discipline for a behavior, remember this… Read More »
I believe the most significant challenge we (safety professionals) face is those outside (and even some inside) our profession and their lack of understanding of RISKS. I am confident that any safety pro reading this has endured the old and tired argument… “We have been doing ________ that way for __________ years, and it has…...
Helping others understand RISKS may be our biggest obstacle Read More »
The dismissal of people and their behavior concerning risk as idiotic really doesn’t help much… Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...
This one is bound to offend some folks in the safety profession, but it was some very wise advice a dear friend and former boss gave me after I submitted my first Corrective Action Plan (CAP) to him after a corporate audit. Just 12 years into my career, I was taught the hard way how…...
Are we interior decorators or safety professionals? Read More »
A mature Safety Management System (SMS) will contain a Hazard Identification Element that identifies hazards that adversely affect safety. These HAZARD ID processes also provide practical and objective mechanisms to assess the risk presented by those identified hazards and implement ways to eliminate or mitigate the associated risks those hazards may pose to the worker,…...
Management’s Safety Dilemma (Reason’s “Safety Space”) Read More »
Effective SMS implementation heavily depends upon a clear, mutual understanding of ERRORS and VIOLATIONS and the differentiation between the two. The difference between ERRORS and VIOLATIONS lies in INTENT. While an error is unintentional, a violation is a deliberate act or omission to deviate from established procedures, protocols, norms, or practices. Errors or violations may result…...
Maybe 1% of businesses we come across are ready for something more than a fundamental approach to safety management. Most have not even given a formal and structured Safety Management System (SMS) a chance to work, or they have stripped down an already very basic SMS to nothing more than “window dressing” and then complained,…...
We have to stop the madness! Read More »
Yes, I am betting this same drum again. I believe in Reason’s SMS model, especially his Human Failure model of Errors, Mistakes, and Violations. This recent incident is a perfect example of management’s lack of understanding of SMS fundamentals and how LATENT ORGANIZATIONAL FAILURES result in horrible outcomes. Essentially, this is what happened: An LOPC…...
Latent Organizational Failure vs Active Failure (LOPC Event and suspending Operators) Read More »
As you know, I always like to go back in time and pass on what I learned from my former bosses and mentors. This one is a classic and is usually in the Top 5 frustrations of non-safety management personnel: The ever-changing safety programs and expectations every time we get a new safety leader I…...
As a ops or maintenance manager are you tired of all the safety changes? Read More »
These two (2) findings could almost be standard for most SMS assessments/audits. Two of the major failures in the implementation and day-to-day management of an immature SMS… (emphasis by me) Finding: Boeing primarily focused its SMS implementation efforts on safety risk management (SRM), which is only one fundamental pillar of the ICAO or Boeing SMS…...
Boeing Safety Assessment nuggets (Part 3) Read More »
