Serious-incident prevention corrective actions

The serious-incident prevention process model utilizes measurement and feedback systems as the basis for identifying appropriate reinforcement milestones and to provide early warning of a need for corrective actions. Adding positive reinforcement actions into the workplace helps ensure that employees feel genuinely appreciated when performance meets or exceeds expectations—a simple but powerful concept. Monitoring upstream performance indicators provides a further excellent opportunity to initiate preventive actions before serious incidents occur, rather than after the fact, as is so often the case when the employees have no rehable indication of upstream performance indicators. 

The manufacturer will then conduct a full investigation of the incident to determine the cause and the actions that must be taken in order to rectify the situation and/or prevent a reoccurrence. This may often result in a Field Safety Corrective Action (FSCA), whereby devices should be removed or modified in the field to avoid the risk of death or serious deterioration in the state of health associated... 

The tool helps the investigator to understand and focus on the failed harriers, which are normally identified as causal factors. These failed harriers may need to he strengthened, replaced, or supplemented, especially where weak administrative controls are highlighted. Even successful barriers that prevented more serious consequences may require reinforcement. Therefore, barrier analysis can give the investigator valuable insights into how the incident happened and some of the multiple causes that need corrective action to prevent recurrence. 

In Chapter 3, Serious Injury Prevention, an outline for such a study was presented under the heading Proposing a Study of Serious Injuries. Such a study will not be time-consuming since the data to be collected and analyzed should already exist or can be obtained easily. To assist in such a study, two addenda are provided at the conclusion of this chapter. Both are reprinted Ifom the third edition of On The Practice Of Safety Addendum A, A Systemic Causation Model for Hazards-Related Incidents, and Addendum B, Reference for Causal Factors and Corrective Actions. Another good reference when completing this evaluation, in terms of its comments on human errors that may be made above the worker level, is Chapter 4 here. 

Infractions of company rules generally are considered more serious than other employee behavior problems, but all require corrective action. Keep in mind, and tell your employees, that your primary goal is to prevent incidents by minimizing unsafe acts and conditions. Table 11-7 describes the several types of discipline systems. 

Letting a near miss incident go nnreported provides an opportunity for a serious accident to occur. Correcting these actions or conditions will enhance the safety within your facility and provide a better working environment for everyone involved. Don t let yourself or co-workers become statistics—report near miss incidents to your supervisor. Prevent an accident that s about to happen ... 

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