We live in a world that attaches numbers and metrics to virtually every facet of our lives. We are assessed and graded constantly and fear being on the “losing side.” Intrinsic to human nature is the desire to be viewed … Read More
SafetyCary
The Value of Including Safe Observations
The safety profession has an unhealthy fixation on measurements based purely on negative values. OSHA recordable and lost time injuries are the first such statistics that spring to mind (both lagging and—I would suggest—negative indicators). Once they occur, they cannot … Read More
The Uncertainty of Safety Metrics
The trouble […] is that you are trying to get out of your statistics something that you cannot get. No statistics will automatically do your safety job for you. They merely show you what sort of accidents you are having … Read More
Safety Observation Training – The Feedback Conversation
When a safety system is built around simply observing and recording results, it can create a culture where workers experience inspectors as ‘unwelcome outsiders’ rather than ‘trusted partners.’ In a previous article, Safety Observation Program Defined, certain observation approaches that … Read More
Incident Management Best Practices
Incident Management and incident investigations are a core function of a safety management system. In this four-part series, several key concepts have been previously discussed. First, the purpose of incident management should be to learn and improve. Second, avoiding blame … Read More
Proactive Incident Management – Do Not Wait for an Injury to Act!
In the previous Incident Management and Incident Investigations articles, we focused on two primary objectives. The first was the purpose – to learn and improve instead of blaming and punishing. The findings from an event can prove to be valuable … Read More
