The Spiral: A Blog about Safety
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Paralysis by Analysis
I have been reading some thoughts about safety from Mike Rowe and his SWEAT pledge. Here are my thoughts: I cannot believe how wrong he is. Safety does not mean you do not do anything, it means you preserve capacity. The ability to enjoy life, work or do anything else you want. If your job…
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Site Orientation
Where do you go in an emergency? Who is your supervisor? Where do you lock out? What has been locked out? How do you report an incident or unsafe conditions? Where do you take your breaks? What Personal Protective Equipment(PPE) is required? What specialized PPE is needed? It you cannot answer these questions and more…
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“I don’t need any training to work there.”
Had someone take some training with me, they had taken some other training with someone else, sent those certificates to a prospective employer. The prospective told the student that those certifications were not good enough, The training and certificates had to be from a respected industry body. The student was upset, the had paid good…
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Capacity
Bad safety reduces capacity. Good safety maintains capacity. Great safety increases capacity.
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Safety (& Life?) Success
Can you describe your plan? Can you write it down? Can you recognize when something has changed? Can you describe the change? Can you adapt or change your plan? Can you write that down? Repeat.
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The Sleeping Bags in My Dad’s Truck
When I was a little kid my Dad worked as a pipeline superintendent. After he came on time my sister and I decided to check out his truck while he slept. There were always something new, toys, tools, etc. One time we found these nifty sleeping bags behind the seat, they had a zipper in…
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What I Look For
When I come on a job site a few things I look for, this is not a comprehensive list but if these things are not there or incomplete, it is time to start digging: 1. Keep a clean job site. There is no need to create unnecessary risks by having a job site covered in…
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Zones
There are three zones: White Grey Black White this is the work that is really clear that you can do safely, driving on public roads, most carpentry, etc. This is work that you need a safe work practice (SWP) for, there is no need step by step instructions. Black is no. You do not do…
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Hindsight Bias
Hindsight Bias(HB) makes us believe that an event is more predictable than it was in hindsight. He/She/I should have seen that coming. Why should they have seen it coming? You are not going to see it coming. In the accident investigations I have done, a common refrain during the interview is, “I didn’t know what…
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Informed Self Interest
Often when I tell people I am safety consultant and trainer they would have a dismissive reaction. “All that is just common sense.” At first this bothered and confused me, why wouldn’t you want someone looking out for the safety of yourself and others? When I got better at asking questions of these people, (when…
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