Safety Thought of the Week

If we wish to find out why accidents occurred and find ways of preventing them from happening again, we need a sympathetic attitude towards people who have committed so-called violations, have made slips, had lapses of attention, or not learnt what their training was supposed to teach them. It is a small price and is…...

If a facility spends hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars on paint the month before an audit… we may be doing “it” wrong! Early in my career, I sat in my weekly staff meeting when the plant manager announced our corporate safety and health audit. As in most organizations, these are “big deals”. A…...

It is important to note that preventive actions are not entirely the same for the different risk categories (minor, serious, or major): organizational failures generally play a much greater role in serious accidents than minor accidents. Indeed, a serious event usually implies the systemic failure of many barriers. The prevention of major accident hazards should,…...

It is important to note that preventive actions are not entirely the same for the different risk categories (minor, serious, or major): organizational failures generally play a much greater role in serious accidents than minor accidents. Indeed, a serious event usually implies the systemic failure of many barriers. The prevention of major accident hazards should,…...

“Kick Up The Arse” – KUTA principle Here is the rule Comply with the rule Enforce the rule Punish people who don’t comply Put a cop on every beat and police the rule We’ll catch you and watch out. Results? No ownership, limited maturity, and reporting goes “underground.” This thinking drives a “nanny” mindset: power…...

The leaders of an organization MUST be the drivers of the proverbial “safety vehicle.” They steer and control the acceleration and braking. They also choose where they want the organization to go and enter that info into the vehicle’s GPS…. Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member?...

Having a functional and mature Safety Management System (SMS) is ALL about decision-making. Thus, the SMS must be a safety decision-making tool, unlike the traditional safety “programs” that are usually separate from business and operational decision-making…. Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...

The appreciation that a person makes of the situation depends mainly on the following four (4) elements:… Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...

“A major flaw in our system of government, and even in industry, is the latitude allowed to do less than is necessary. Too often, officials are willing to accept and adapt to situations they know to be wrong. The tendency is to down-play problems instead of actively trying to correct them. Recognizing this, many subordinates…...

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…...