Tripod Delta

Tripod Delta is a SHE performance profile developed for Shell (Van der Want, 1997). Based on the Tripod accident model presented in Sections 5.2, eleven so-called general failure types were identified. Eight of these focus on conditions at the workplace, ordered in relation of their proximity to the victim  

1 Defences, i.e. failure to provide the necessary measures designed to mitigate the effects of human or component failures. 

2 Error-enforcing conditions, e.g. a shift schedule that produces adaptation problems, poor physical working conditions or a remuneration system that promotes rule violations. 

3 Training, i.e. deficiencies in the routines to provide the necessary knowledge, skills and awareness. 

4 Procedures, i.e. unclear, unavailable or incorrect work instructions. 

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Tripod Delta An integrated system of safety management which assesses general failure types, such as maintenance and design problems, and their potential impact on safety. 

Tripod Delta is intended for use in plants where the accident frequency rate is too low to give adequate feedback for further improvements. It provides feedback on potential causes of incidents. 

The Tripod Delta performance-measurement system also includes a scale for measurement of top-management commitment. Its scale ranges from pathological to generative proactive, see Section 6.5. This indicator has some immediately attractive aspects. The emotions and defence mechanisms that will follow from the introduction of such an indicator for feedback control purposes must, however, be carefully considered. 

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