Todd Jerome Jenkins, MS, CSP, SMS, CHST, STSC

Safety Aficionado & Ph.D. Student

Do You Have An Incident Prevention Strategy?

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Why is an incident prevention strategy so important?

One significant contributor to serious incident illness or fatalities (SIIF) is an organization’s lack of effective incident prevention strategies.  Incidents can occur at any time and to anyone.  Most incidents occur when people are more likely to be exposed to various hazards, such as improperly loaded industrial trucks and working at elevations.  Human error, carelessness, malfunctioning equipment, inappropriate behavior, and uncontrolled hazardous conditions are contributing factors and root causes of SIIF incidents.

Predicting the next SIIF is improbable even with the best analytics.   However, taking steps to reduce potential hazards for specific tasks by implementing short interval planning can reduce incidents.  Short interval planning examines one work activity for a specific time frame, e.g., hanging exterior sheeting for six weeks.  It is crucial to identify any risk to the completion of the task, operational and safety and health risks, and other activities that can result in a SIIF incident.  Identified risk and control measures should include documented mitigation of each hazard.  The most effective approach is developing and implementing an incident prevention strategy.

Why is it essential to minimize incidents?

Incidents generally occur suddenly, frequently resulting in serious injury, illness, fatalities, and often economic losses.  An unexpected incident has inherent economic, psychological, and physical risks.  Incidents have the potential to impact every aspect of a person’s life.  Even witnessing a SIIF incent may have lasting psychological effects, e.g., being near the impact of a person that experiences a fatal fall from elevations.  Being involved in an incident may affect an individual’s ability to work.  A permanent disability is likely to have a devastating impact on the individual’s entire family, especially when the individual is the primary wage earner.

Incidents have a significant impact on operations as well.   Direct costs, including medical bills, long-term care, rehabilitation, impact on human capital, insurance costs, and other unexpected expenditures, affect an organization’s bottom line.  Therefore, it is beneficial to minimize the impact of human error within the system than to address the consequences of a significant incident.

What Exactly is an Incident Prevention Strategy?

Incident prevention strategies are designed to control identified hazards.  An incident prevention strategy includes examining all the steps in a task, identifying potential risks to completing the task, and developing a strategy to control identified risks.  When an incident prevention strategy is appropriately leveraged, the likelihood of a SIIF occurring or an interruption in operations is significantly reduced.  Implementation of good operational processes affects the likelihood and severity of incidents.

What are the components of an Incident Prevention Strategy?

An incident prevention strategy includes at least the following components:

Risk Identification:  Risk identification requires a comprehensive site inspection to identify potential hazards and associated consequences.  It may also require a review of scheduled work and discussion with the interested parties for proper coordination of work.   Identified risks and hazards should be documented in a written risk registry.

Risk Mitigation:  Risk mitigation refers to the efforts or steps taken to reduce or eliminate potential exposure to hazards.  These steps may include repairing or upgrading all equipment, machines, and tools, implementing 5S principles, sustainable sourcing energy, using materials that have a reduced carbon footprint, or modifying processes or procedures currently in place.

Group of employees on construction site.

Accountability:  An incident prevention strategy can only be effective when people cooperate proactively to ensure the strategy is effective.  Everyone should strive to implement best practices identified in the risk register.  Leaders of people should be vigilant in addressing hazards in the workplace.  Leaders should identify the responsibilities of implementation.  Responsible parties should hold each other accountable.

What are the advantages of Implementing an Incident Prevention Strategy?

When a comprehensive incident prevention strategy is established, there is a reduction in incidents that result in SIIF or economic loss.  A strategy that allows for human failure by having the capacity to allow failure to occur without significant consequences.  Often resulting in a positive atmosphere that benefits everyone.  Here are a few benefits of implementing an incident prevention strategy  in the general industry:

Satisfaction is Enhanced:  When people feel comfortable, they are more productive.  Controlling exposures to hazards establishes that organizational leaders value the people on their team.

More Reliability and Creativity:  People who are comfortable and generally happy are less likely to miss work.  A more reliable workforce leads to a highly developed workforce.  An increase in both quality and production.  Correctly implemented controls that allow for human error to occur without significant consequences create efficient operation.  With proper planning, safety becomes an output of good operational practices.

Overall Cost Savings: An effective incident prevention strategy reduces the likelihood of a serious incident illness or fatality.  A reduction in the frequency and severity of incidents equate to lower insurance premiums, better employee retention, and an overall reduction of incidents’ direct and indirect costs.

Leave a comment below if you would like me to post more about Incident Prevention Strategy or serious incident illness or fatality (SIIF) reduction strategies.

References:

1) Myers, G., (1915).  A study of the causes of industrial accidents.  Quarterly publications of the American Statistical Association, 14(111), 672-694.

2) Kim, J. M., Son, K., Yum, S. G., & Ahn, S., (2020). Analyzing the risk of safety accidents: The relative risks of migrant workers in construction industry.  Sustainability, 12(13), 5430.

3) Ikpe, E. O., (2009).  Development of cost benefit analysis model of accident prevention on construction projects.

4) Mannan, S., (2012).  Lees’ Loss Prevention in the Process Industries: Hazard Identification, Assessment and Control (3 Volumes), 4th Edition.  Lees’ Loss Prevention in the Process Industries: Hazard Identification … – Frank Lees – Google Books

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