I will use one of the last tests when a facility has hit home runs in managing its Hazardous Communications program.  They are great with their container labeling, pipe labeling, training, etc.  They even could provide an SDS for all their significant chemicals; however, only a tiny percentage of these facilities can do this… … HomeRead More »

On Friday, January 28, 2022, at about 6:37 a.m. eastern standard time, the Fern Hollow Bridge, which carried Forbes Avenue over the north side of Frick Park in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, experienced a structural failure. As a result, the 447-foot-long bridge fell about 100 feet into the park below. The collapse began when the transverse tie plate on the southwest bridge leg failed...

It comes from this requirement in OSHA’s HAZWOPER standard and has sound logic behind it… (emphasis by me) 1910.120(q)(3)(iv) Employees engaged in emergency response and exposed to hazardous substances presenting an inhalation hazard or potential inhalation hazard shall wear positive pressure self-contained breathing apparatus while engaged in emergency response, until such time that the...

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 CAPs get written and managed to closure.  But his analogy of what he expected of me stuck with me to this...

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, environment, and business. The...

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 in non-compliance...

The source is unknown, but this is hilarious.  The supporting actor gets my vote for an Oscar.

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, “It did not work for us” after a year of trying....

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 event occurred,...

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 hate to be the one to say it, but usually, I’m one of the few who will say it, but this problem/frustration...

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 structure. To some extent, Boeing also...

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 data or through the input of employees and others, recognizing...