Critical Rules Fail 50% of the Time
Worker Falls from Lift. Driver Killed. Employee Electrocuted.
Is it time to review the CRITICAL 7, or as some organizations refer to them, the CRITICAL RULES or LIFESAVING RULES? They form part of our Serious Injury & Fatality (SIF) Prevention initiative. Some researchers have suggested that the rules are not all that effective, as 50% of the time they fail if they are not being followed or used properly.
So, no matter what you call them, or the issues, it’s time for a review. Let’s start with a few questions.
1. How often are the rules reviewed?
2. Is the review documented & published?
3. Who completes the review?
4. What changes have occurred?
5. Has the standard (procedure or practice) changed?
6. Leadership & Supervisor Q & A (results)
7. Employee & Contractor Q & A (results)
8. How often is CRITICAL7 training conducted?
9. How many incidents (corrective action) involve the CRITICAL7?
10. How many SAFESTOP reports involve the CRITICAL7 (outcome)?
After considering the above questions you may feel pretty good about your LIFESAVING RULES. If so, congratulations! If not, you may want to read on a little further.
We refer to the rules as the CRITICAL7 for several reasons: 1.) Making them memorable (working memory) and 2.) Easy to recognize and use.
Our CRITICAL7 approach includes the following:
1. Training
2. Awareness Campaign (poster, signs & stickers, as above)
3. CRITICAL7 Cards (Memory cards)
4. CRITICAL7 C.O.A.C.H. (leadership)
5. CRITICAL7 Reporting & Investigation (SIF Prevention)
6. SAFESTOP (SIF Prevention)
7. CRITICAL7 Standard & Review (Procedures & Practices)
Leadership
The CRITICAL7 process must be supported by leadership and is not complete without the elements listed above. Take some time and consider your LIFESAVING RULES. Where are the gaps? Example - SAFESTOP.
Item # 7 SAFESTOP - Gap, no formal SAFESTOP process. Action required?
SAFESTOP
A stop and pause mechanism or what we simply call SAFESTOP. SAFESTOP ensures that all employees and contractors know and understand that they have the authority and responsibility to stop a job or task at any time if they deem the work to be unsafe.
It’s NOT just lip service!
It’s not just lip service; it is part of the culture here. It’s a documented practice with checks and balances - we take it seriously and it works.
The SAFESTOP element ensures that all people understand the importance of recognizing the hazards, determining the risk level, and ensuring the correct controls are in place. If something is not right, a person needs to take action, stop and review.
A common approach is to have a slogan or sign that says: STOP THINK ACT. That’s a great sign, but what does it mean? What does think mean? What does act mean? You get the idea. The elements need to be defined.
SAFESTOP means more than saying anyone can stop a task that is unsafe. Do we have the tools? Do we have the leadership? How would a SAFESTOP be documented? Should it be? How would it be investigated? So, the last question is: do you have a SAFESTOP process and is it used, understood, evaluated and documented? If I visited your workplace would I see it, hear it, touch it, is it part of your culture?
Is the data correct? Is critical rule breakdown at 50%? If so, we need to use the CRITICAL7 & SAFESTOP tools more than ever.
A possible list for the CRITICAL7:
Fall Protection
Confined Space Entry
Ground Disturbance
Lifting & Hoisting
Permits
Mobile Equipment
Line Break
Lockout
Management of Change (MOC)
Arch Flash
Drugs & Alcohol
Travel Management
Safety Device & Guards
Other _____________
We can help:
Contact Cindy – cindy@globaltrainingedge.com or 905-941-0934
SAFESTOP
A stop and pause mechanism or what we simply call SAFESTOP. SAFESTOP ensures that all employees and contractors know and understand that they have the authority and responsibility to stop a job or task at any time if they deem the work to be unsafe.
It’s NOT just lip service!
It’s not just lip service; it is part of the culture here. It’s a documented practice with checks and balances - we take it seriously and it works.
The SAFESTOP element ensures that all people understand the importance of recognizing the hazards, determining the risk level, and ensuring the correct controls are in place. If something is not right, a person needs to take action, stop and review.
A common approach is to have a slogan or sign that says: STOP THINK ACT. That’s a great sign, but what does it mean? What does think mean? What does act mean? You get the idea. The elements need to be defined.