The topic of SMS in aviation has been around for more than 30 years. The FAA provides the following description of SMS and its principles: Technology and system improvements have made great contributions to safety. However, part of being safe is about attitudes and paying attention to what your surroundings are telling you. Whether through…...
Boeing Safety Assessment nuggets (Part 2) Read More »
I was reading through the Boeing Safety Assessment report and was so happy to see they used James Reason’s safety culture model, which consists of five components that collectively would cultivate a positive safety culture. The five (5) components include: Reporting Culture, Just Culture, Flexible Culture, Learning Culture, and Informed Culture SAFTENG members can read…...
Boeing Safety Assessment nuggets (Part 1) Read More »
One of the more widely found complaints regarding safety professionals is that “they don’t talk about safety in terms that management can understand/embrace.” Personally, as a safety professional, I find that an easy excuse not to embrace safety MANAGEMENT, but I may be a bit biased since I am a safety professional and I have…...
Talking management’s language in managing safety Read More »
Unfortunately, this economic image reminds me of some “safety programs” I have come across in my travels… The “program” looks great, sitting on the shelf in the fancy, shiny binder. But once we open the binder/package, we find a lot of “fluff” (i.e., air)! Let’s be serious… Safety is not a marketing or PR exercise…...
Is safety like bags of chips… half full of air? Read More »
Why is it that safety metrics always get such a bad wrap? We hear the voices from the back of the room… “what gets measured, gets manipulated,” so the outcry is that somehow measuring safety (other than the regulatory lagging indicators) is a waste of time and misleading. The funny thing is I never hear…...
Make safety data as coveted as financial data Read More »
One of the most recognizable safety devices in the world is a Fire Extinguisher, yet so many know so little about these devices. Let me be upfront with everyone; this article is for those safety pros working with a management team that WANTS to OWN the Safety Process/SMS. The actions I will offer in this…...
Using a common safety device to build the bridge for “management’s ownership” of safety Read More »
After 30+ years of OSHA’s PSM standard (1910.119), we still come across far too many businesses that just do not understand the difference between the “INVESTIGATION” and the “CASUAL ANALYSIS.” I use this image from my training course(s) to help them differentiate between the two INDIVIDUAL and SEPARATE steps in the Incident Investigation element (1910.119(m))…....
Why a “causal analysis” needs to be thorough (Things may not be as they appear) Read More »
My Dad had my brother and I set goals in our lives when we turned 16 years old. Financial, Professional, etc. At 16, we were too young to understand any of it, but he got us thinking. By 18, we started to have an idea of what we wanted when we “grew up”. Take for…...
What we measure and HOW we achieve our safety goals MATTERS! Read More »
I’m not asking for much, but before I leave this great and honorable profession, I just hope we can GET BACK TO THE FUNDAMENTALS! A great place to start would be to eradicate all these “Worked ____ Days” signs and progress to celebrate what got us those injury-free days. As I have said for decades……...
Literally, what it LOOKS like to leave blind luck behind and embrace LEADING INDICATORS Read More »
This was NOT intended to be directed at safety, but damn, if we look at all 13 through the lens of “barriers to world-class safety,” they sure do resonate. I have bolded my Top 3; which are your Top 3? 13 Brutal Truths Every Employer Needs to Know:… Membership Required You must be a member...
13 Brutal Truths Every Employer Needs to Know (Arpad Szakal, ACC) Read More »
I am never disappointed in social media’s ability to tell me daily just how bad traditional safety practices are. I am also wondering if there is an aspect of business management that gets beat up and denounced more than safety. It seems we are never without so many new options/directions in safety, and unfortunately, many…...
[My] Weekly Safety Thought – Give the traditional SMS a chance Read More »
This “process” must be in place within any SMS Incident Management Element, including a Process Safety Management System. This process is used for ALL UNPLANNED events, not just EHS-related events. Although this process appears simple, it can be full of challenges and very error-prone, eroding trust and credibility. There can be variations in each step…...
Reporting, Investigation, Causal Analysis, Corrective Actions, and Tracking Process Read More »
