Kevin Ian Schmidt

Improve Workplace Safety Culture 6 Steps

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So, while you as a safety professional strive for optimal safety in the workplace, and fully understand all the risks, don’t assume everyone does.

A safety culture isn’t providing the best PPE equipment, a safety culture isn’t having the best safety programs; without a safety culture of caring for your employees, without your employees knowing what to do, without everyone knowing the risks, it is pointless.

A safety culture is one where employees work towards their own safety, they wear the PPE needed to complete every task as safe as possible, not because the policy says so, but because they care.

Check out the information I have available on PPE here

So, how do you go about establishing a safety culture?

Traveler’s Insurance says there are 4 steps to starting a successful safety program, they are as follows:

1. Evaluate risks. To understand how to create a safer workplace, you must first understand the risks you face every day. Each task and associated risk should be properly evaluated, and safety-based changes should be considered.

  • Analyze past incidents and near misses.Understand that past incidents can help you identify root causes and identify risks and exposures that threaten the safety of your employees and the success of your business.
  • Identify the risks before they result in loss. Review your work policies and procedures, buildings and equipment, employee work practices and behaviors and geographic location to determine if there are opportunities to prevent or mitigate loss. And hold people accountable to the practices.
Check Out: How to Improve Your Safety Culture

2. Design a plan to keep safe. A good plan is the best place to start, but it is only the beginning. Once you have a plan, you must act to eliminate or minimize risk.

  • Get commitment. Your management team should be committed to a safety culture from the beginning.
  • Stay focused. Keep focused on the risks and exposures identified during your evaluation.
  • Prioritize your efforts. Focus on the risks that pose the greatest threat. You should consider frequency and severity of the loss potential, and/or the opportunity to prevent or mitigate risks.
  • Identify solutions and resources.Your solutions can vary from implementing engineering controls to creating administrative policies and procedures. These can help create positive changes in safety attitude, commitment and culture.

3. Implement your plan. Implementation entails communication of the plan and its details, training, regularly scheduled practice and drills, and ongoing review. A thorough plan will cover a number of potential risk areas, including buildings and equipment, the environment, employees, customers and vendors.

  • Communicate and train – the real test of a safety program and culture is not what is written down on paper, but rather how well it actually works. How well your plan works is often dependent on what your employees know and what they do at the time of an incident.
Check Out: SMART Goals Guide

4. Monitor, evaluate and improve your plan. As your business environment changes, so should your safety program. Regularly test your plan to determine if it fits the changing business environment and reflects changing accountabilities.

  • Monitor the plan and collect feedback to determine the effectiveness of the plan.
  • Regularly compare your safety performance against the plan’s expectations.
  • Make adjustments when necessary.
  • Recognize success. Be sure to communicate and celebrate your safety successes.

–Source

As you see, the steps towards building a safety culture according to Traveler’s Insurance are simple, and should be followed in order.

Once you’ve surpassed the basics of a safety culture in your workplace, consider building a sustainable safety culture. Do you know what steps to take concerning doing that, do you know the steps? The foundation of a sustainable workplace safety culture according to EHS Today:

There are four cornerstones on which an effective safety culture can be built:

  • leading indicators,
  • accountability,
  • good relationships
  • and discretionary effort.

 

This pamphlet presents to you 6 Steps towards improving your safety culture, no matter where in the process you are. So start working towards a safer workplace today!

Download the pamphlet 6 Steps to Improving Your Workplace Safety Culture

View the pamphlet 6 Steps to Improving Your Workplace Safety Culture

Improve workplace safety culture 6 steps

 

Welding Safety Policy

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The first consideration for safety in welding is the location and peculiarities of the space in which the welding operation is to be performed.

Restrictions

Weld or cut only in locations specifically designated for this purpose unless you have obtained approval of the job and have taken the necessary precautions to eliminate fire and explosion hazards.

Do not weld in any location outside the shop unless you take the necessary precautions and get authorization. Before you weld in any compartment, room, tank, or adjacent space which contains or which has contained flammable or explosive materials, liquids, or vapors, make sure they are:

  • made safe,
  • tested, and
  • proclaimed safe.

These restrictions also apply to closed drums, tanks, and similar containers.

  • Allow welding or cutting only in areas that are or have been made “fire safe.”
  • When you cannot move work practically, as in most construction work, the area must be made safe by removing combustibles or protecting combustibles from ignition sources.
  • If you cannot remove fire hazards, install suitable guards, or take special precautions as discussed below, then welding and cutting should not be performed.
  • If you cannot move the object to be welded or cut and if not all the fire hazards can be removed, use guards to confine the heat, sparks, and slag, and to protect the immovable fire hazards.

Prohibited Areas

Do not permit welding or cutting in the following situations:

  • in areas not authorized by management
  • in sprinklered buildings while such protection is impaired
  • in the presence of explosive atmospheres (mixtures of flammable gases, vapors, liquids, or dust with air)
  • inside uncleaned or improperly prepared tanks or equipment which have previously contained such explosive atmospheres or have the potential for explosive atmospheres
  • in areas with an accumulation of combustible dust
  • in areas near the storage of large quantities of exposed, readily ignitable materials such as bulk sulfur, baled paper, or cotton.

An important component of welding safety is a Fire Prevention Plan, learn more here

Basic Precautions for Fire Prevention

Combustible material: Wherever there are floor openings or cracks in the flooring that you cannot close, you should take precautions so no readily combustible materials on the floor below is exposed to sparks that might drop through the floor. Use the same precautions for cracks or holes in walls, open doorways and open or broken windows.

Combustible covers: Never weld on a metal partition, wall, ceiling or roof having a combustible covering nor on walls or partitions of combustible sandwich-type panel construction.

Relocation of combustibles: If possible, relocate all combustibles at least 35 feet (10.7 m) from the work site. When relocation is not possible:

  • protect combustibles with flame-proofed covers, or
  • shield combustibles with metal or asbestos guards or curtains.

Floors: Where combustible materials such as paper clippings, wood shavings, or textile fibers are on the floor, sweep the floor clean within a radius of 35 feet (10.7 m). In addition:

  • If floors are combustible, keep them wet, covered with damp sand, or protected by fire-resistant shields.
  • Protect workers operating arc welding or cutting equipment from shock where floors have been wet down.

Ducts: Protect or shut down ducts and conveyor systems that might carry sparks to distant combustibles.

Combustible walls: Where cutting or welding is done near walls, partitions, ceiling or roof of combustible construction, provide fire-resistant shields or guards to prevent ignition.

Non-combustible walls: If you need to do welding on a metal wall, partition, ceiling or roof, prevent ignition of combustibles on the other side, preferably by relocating combustibles. Where you are not able to relocate the combustibles, be sure to provide a fire watch on the opposite side from the work.

Pipes: Do not cut or weld on pipes or other metal in contact with combustible walls, partitions, ceilings or roofs if the work is close enough to cause ignition by conduction.

Fire extinguishers: Position suitable fire extinguishing equipment and maintain it in a state of readiness for instant use. Depending on the nature and quantity of the combustible material, fire-extinguishing equipment may consist of:

  • pails of water,
  • buckets of sand,
  • hoses, or
  • portable extinguishers.

Hot Work

Hot work is any work that involves burning, welding, using fire- or spark-producing tools or that produces a source of ignition. Follow these general best practices below for hot work.

  • Do not perform hot work where flammable vapors or combustible materials exist.
  • Relocate work and equipment outside of the hazardous areas, when possible.
  • Make suitable fire-extinguishing equipment immediately available in a state of readiness. The equipment may consist of pails of water, buckets of sand, hose, or portable extinguishers dependent upon the nature and quantity of the combustible material exposed.
  • When performing hot work, assign a fire watch to guard.
Check Out: Welding Safety Training

Fire Watch

A worker designated as the “Fire Watch” is required whenever welding or cutting is performed in locations where other than a minor fire might develop, or any of the following conditions exist:

  • Appreciable combustible material, in building construction or contents, closer than 35 feet (10.7 m) to the point of operation.
  • Appreciable combustibles are more than 35 feet (10.7 m) away but are easily ignited by sparks.
  • Wall or floor openings within a 35-foot (10.7 m) radius expose combustible material in adjacent areas including concealed spaces in walls or floors.
  • Combustible materials are adjacent to the opposite side of metal partitions, walls, ceilings, or roofs and are likely to be ignited by conduction or radiation.
Test your knowledge on welding safely in the workplace with my quiz here

The duties of a qualified fire watch include:

  • They must have fire-extinguishing equipment readily available.
  • Train them in how to use fire-extinguishing equipment.
  • They must be familiar with facilities for sounding an alarm in the event of fire.
  • They must watch for fires in all exposed areas, try to extinguish them only when obviously within the capacity of the equipment available, or otherwise sound the alarm.
  • They must maintain a fire watch for at least a half hour after completion of welding or cutting operations to detect and extinguish possible smoldering fires.

View & Download the Welding Safety Policy below:

Welding_Safety policy

 

Near Miss Program

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An employee is walking down a hallway, carrying a cup of coffee. While turning a sharp corner, they nearly collide with another employee, spilling coffee on the floor. Stepping into their office, the employee stumbles over an extension cord run across the doorway to power a printer, which pulls it to the floor.

No one is hurt in this scenario. However, the employees in it experience multiple near-miss situations – any one of which could have led to a serious injury.

It is important to have employees know how to identify these incidents as potential injury situations, called near misses. Besides identifying them, it is equally important to report them, so hazards and risks can be mitigated before they lead to a serious incident.

Workers should be trained on how to properly identify and recognize potential hazards. To help make it easy for employees to submit near misses and ensure good data, consider allowing them to turn in near-miss reports anonymously.

Collecting near-miss reports helps create a workplace safety culture that seeks to identify and control hazards, which will reduce risks and the potential for injury, according to OSHA. A well-run program goes beyond the collection of reports, it treats every near miss as important as an accident and investigates them. Conducting a root cause of a near miss can lead to a corrective action, before an injury occurs.

Need to learn more about how to conduct root cause analysis?
Check out my book here, and also check out my posts about root cause analysis.

Reporting near misses and conducting a root cause of them, is only valuable if you complete the final step and correct the issues, otherwise the hazards remain a risk to employees.

Consider using an Action Plan tracking sheet, like this one to ensure identified issues are corrected.

A well laid out near miss program that involves properly trained employees, will decrease total workplace accidents over time. Don’t expect it to happen tomorrow, it can take 1-2yrs to see the changes. Don’t allow the program to slip in that time, because it requires long commitment to the program to reap the rewards.

Download the Near Miss Program below

View the Near Miss Program below

Near Miss Program

 

Additional Near Miss Program resources

Near Miss Reporting Form

Near Miss Reporting Form

 

Near Miss Tracking Form

Near Miss Log

Action Plan Template

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It is important that action items are tracked and assigned or delegated to responsible parties. Unassigned action items are useless as they will most likely never be completed.

This form will help you track, delegate, and follow-up on all corrective actions that result from an investigation.

Steps to a quality corrective action plan

State the Problem

Stating the problem is the first step to be considered when writing an action plan to correct problems. Unless the problem is stated appropriately, finding the root cause and in turn, identifying the solution is not feasible.

For stating the problem, ask yourself a couple of questions:

  1. What is the current situation?
  2. What should be the right situation?
  3. What is the reason behind the current situation?
  4. What is the impact of the current situation?
  5. How can the current situation be rectified or resolved?

The answers to the above questions will help you to state or define the problem statement.

Define the Plan

Once you’ve stated the problem, what is the next step? Move on to define the action plan.

Once the problem statement is prepared, now it is time to define the action plan. The action plan helps to design the implementation phases of the processes. Assessing the current problems and evaluating the root causes are the key elements highly used in defining the action plan.

The following criteria must be included in the action plan:

  • Change in the policies, processes and procedures
  • Training for resources
  • Changes in management system and tools
  • Product redesigning or re-engineering
  • Resource analysis
  • Implementation processes

Create Ownership

Once the action plan is strategized, assigning tasks to the team is the third important step. Create ownership to take care of each step in the corrective action plan. Many times, the process implementation from the corrective action plan requires collaboration from various departments, practices and functions.

Establish Deadlines

As already articulated, creating ownership or resource allocation is a vital step when writing the corrective action plan. Establishing deadlines is the next step to be considered in your plan. A plan without a defined schedule will definitely fail. Ensure the deadline defined to complete each step is appropriate and adequate to comply with all the processes.

Unfair deadlines also create chaotic situations during the implementation phase. Inadequate deadlines lead to quality issues and delays in the final deliverables.

Check Out: SMART Goals Guide

Track and Monitor the Progress

Once the processes, resources and deadlines are defined, it is imperative to develop ways to manage the progress. You need to create procedures to track and monitor the progress when writing the plan, this form is ideal for simple action plan tracking.

Tracking and monitoring the progress while implementing processes from the action plan is critical to business growth and success. Doing it right at the first time always helps to save quality time and energy.

Check out my Project Management Planner on Amazon

An additional tip for getting buy-in to your corrective actions:

Link to Compliance Record

Corrective actions don’t exist in a vacuum. Rather, they should connect to relevant areas of the compliance record to communicate the full context of the problem. Each corrective action should be linked to the appropriate source, such as:

  • Audit results.
  • Nonconforming Materials.
  • Safety incidents.
  • Customer complaints.

 

Members view the corrective action plan template below

Action Plan Template

Importance of Safety Policy & Committee

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Does your company have a workplace safety policy in place? If you don’t, you could be exposing your company to substantial risk. Many states require that companies with employees have a written workplace safety policy and that they hold regular safety committee meetings. Check your state for specific regulations.

A Health & Safety (H&S) policy is a written promise by the Company and specifically Management to provide a healthy and safe workplace for the employees.

Check Out: Employee Safety Manual

Implementing a workplace safety policy and holding monthly safety committee meetings can help protect your company from accidents and lawsuits. Each industry has different concerns and regulations that need to be addressed when establishing a workplace safety policy. To help you create a safety system that will fit your company’s needs, CEO Systems has created “The CEO System: Workplace Safety Policy.” This system will walk you through the steps you need to create a safety policy and implement regular safety meetings.

Establishing your Workplace Safety Policy

Your company’s safety policy should include:

Inspections:

  1. Define how often safety inspections shall occur.
    2. Establish the company position responsible for overseeing and performing safety inspections.
    3. Establish the company position responsible for reviewing inspection reports and suggesting changes to implement.

Accidents/Incidents:

  1. Document your company’s accident investigation procedures.
    2. Establish the company position responsible for overseeing and performing accident investigations.
    3. Establish the company position responsible for reviewing accident reports and suggesting changes to implement.
    4. Document the company position responsible for ensuring that suggested changes are implemented.

Hazards:

  1. Document how hazards are reported to management.
    2. Document the company position responsible for following up on hazard reports.
    3. Document how corrections and preventions will be implanted into daily operations.

Accountability:

  1. Establish defined rewards and disciplinary action to keep employees accountable for following the safety procedures.
    2. Document and implement a Reward/incentive program for the number of days without accident.
    3. Document and implement disciplinary action for not following safety procedures.
Check out the safety committee books and meeting notes I have available on Amazon

Safety Meeting System

Safety Meeting Tips:

  • Safety meetings can be informal.
  • Discuss hazards and how hazards are reported.
  • Discuss past and possible future accidents.
What to learn more about establishing a safety committee, check out my post

Keeping proper meeting minutes is key. Check with your state regarding what information is required to be documented.

The Importance of a Clear Health and Safety Policy

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A health and safety policy is a vital document that clearly defines responsibilities, processes, and expectations for safety within an organization. It should specify who is responsible for particular safety tasks, when these tasks should be carried out, and how they should be performed. The policy should also include the company’s broader health and safety goals and specific, measurable objectives to track progress and ensure accountability.

To make sure the policy is accessible and understandable for everyone, it should be written in simple, clear language. This ensures that all employees, regardless of their role or expertise, can grasp their responsibilities and the established safety procedures.

Creating a health and safety policy starts with a thorough risk assessment. This process identifies potential hazards that employees and others might face in the workplace. While it is impossible to predict every possible hazard, the assessment should focus on the most likely and severe risks. Highlighting these helps the company prioritize its resources and efforts toward preventive measures.

Based on the risk assessment, the organization can establish specific working practices and control procedures to manage identified risks. This may involve providing safety equipment, training employees in safe practices, and setting up emergency response plans. The primary goal is to prevent accidents and incidents rather than just reacting to them.

In larger organizations, it may be useful to create multiple health and safety policies for different areas or departments. This approach ensures that each policy is concise and relevant to specific risks. A single, lengthy policy can be overwhelming and might deter employees from reading and understanding it. By having focused policies, safety information becomes more accessible, relevant, and easily understood, fostering a strong culture of safety and compliance throughout the workplace.

Check Out: Employee Safety Manual

 

A well-crafted health and safety policy also ensures that adequate resources are allocated to effectively manage health and safety concerns. It should identify where additional resources, such as extra funding or personnel, are needed. By clearly outlining these needs, the organization can proactively address safety issues and ensure the necessary resources are in place.

Implementing accident prevention measures benefits everyone involved. For employees, it reduces the risk of painful injuries, illnesses, or even death. A safe environment promotes well-being and allows employees to concentrate on their work without worrying about safety. From the employer’s perspective, preventing accidents is not just a moral responsibility but also a sound financial strategy. Accidents can lead to significant financial costs, including fines for non-compliance with safety regulations and potential lawsuits from injured parties.

Workplace accidents can also disrupt business operations. Injured employees may be unable to work, leading to decreased productivity and lost revenue. To maintain productivity, the company might have to increase the workload on other employees or hire temporary workers, both of which can be costly. Temporary workers may need time to adjust to their roles and might not be as productive as the regular employees they replace. The recruitment and training of temporary staff also incur additional costs.

For a health and safety policy to be truly effective, it must be regularly reviewed and updated to reflect the current operations and equipment used by the business. An outdated policy that refers to obsolete practices or equipment is not only unhelpful but can be dangerous. Incorrect or irrelevant information can cause confusion and potentially worsen the outcome of an incident. For example, if a policy assigns emergency duties to former employees, these tasks may go unfulfilled during a crisis, increasing risk.

Regularly updating the health and safety policy ensures that it remains relevant and effective, offering clear guidance on managing current risks. This proactive approach helps maintain a safe working environment, protects employees’ well-being, and shields the company from financial and legal issues. A dynamic and well-maintained health and safety policy is a key element of a responsible and efficient business operation.

Mock OSHA Inspection

Conduct your own mock OSHA inspection

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A self-conducted mock OSHA inspection should be done at small, low hazard workplaces without a safety director or safety department.

  • The typical mock OSHA inspection should begin with a brief opening conference with senior management to plan the audit. In a self-inspection this would be a chance for the group to get together and set parameters for the scope of the self-inspection.
  • The inspection process should begin with a review of all OSHA-required written programs, followed by an evaluation of the facility injury and illness records (OSHA 300 log).
  • A detailed wall-to-wall inspection would then be conducted.
  • The audit will conclude with a closing conference where the group comes together and first crafts a corrective action plan, then presents that action plan to senior site management.

The mock audit should be conducted with a group of people, involving:

  • A representative of management
  • A representative from each distinct workplace(for example, this would include office personnel and floor personnel)

 

Use this OSHA inspection checklist to see if your workplace meets OSHA compliance:

  • OSHA required training should be conducted and documented.
  • Documentation of training should be kept for a minimum of three years.
  • Is the Safety manual up to date, relevant, and explained to employees?
  • Do you have an OSHA poster? If not, download one free from this OSHA Web site at www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3165.pdf.
  • Make sure the eyewash station works properly, has cold water only, and that a sign designates its location.
  • Are all fire extinguishers mounted on walls, signs designating location, inspected monthly/annually, and fully charged. Learn more about fire extinguisher requirements.
  • Are emergency exits OSHA compliant, unobstructed, and operational.
  • Make an inspection of the workplace for safe work conditions such as electrical and trip and fall hazards.
  • Review evacuation plans and protocols. If you don’t have evacuation plans, you can download samples here.
  • A first aid kit should be available for employees to use for minor cuts and injuries.
  • Review Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): are employees clearly explained when to wear it, PPE should be provided at no charge to employees, is PPE in good condition?
  • There should be an annual review and evaluation of job hazards, and also appendixes for any workplace changes
  • Hazard Communication Standard must be followed:
    • Inventory of hazardous substances
    • Organize Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for each hazardous substance
    • Place labels on containers not identified (secondary containers)
    • Inspect all chemical containers for leaks
    • Employees should be trained on proper use of and handling of hazardous substances
    • PPE provided for handling chemicals
    • Training and information on chemical spill, disposal, and cleanup should be provided
  • An explanation of what labels, signs, and symbols mean (chemical, biohazard, radiation, etc.) must be provided.
  • There should be an ergonomic plan to reduce incidents of musculoskeletal injuries.

Some of the other things that should be reviewed during the mock OSHA inspection:

Your workplace should conduct a mock audit annually, comparing results annually and tracking improvements.

 

Download the Mock OSHA Audit Checklist:

View the Mock OSHA Audit Checklist:

OSHA-Self-Inspection-Checklist

Ladder Safety – Workplace Safety

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Even if you don’t regularly use ladders in your job, with the holidays coming up you will likely be using a ladder to put up lights and other decorations. If you only use a ladder once or twice a year, be sure to review these important tips to stay safe this holiday season.

Pre-Work:

Before starting your project, you should check to make sure you’re using the right ladder for the job. There are a few different types of ladders (extension/straight, fixed access, tripod orchard, and stepladder), but if you’re completing household tasks, like putting up lights or clearing gutters, you’ll likely be using either a straight ladder or stepladder depending on the height.

Regardless of the ladder you’re using, be sure to check the load rating. The load rating needs to cover your weight AND the weight of your tools. You should also consider the material that your ladder is made of and whether it’s appropriate for your intended use. Aluminum and steel ladders conduct heat and electricity and should never be used for electrical work. Fiberglass and wood ladders are suitable for electrical work, but wood ladders are especially vulnerable to damage and decay. No matter what type of ladder you’re using, you should always inspect it, check for cracks, and ensure the frame, rungs, and feet are not compromised.

Check Out: Ground Ladder Safety

During Work:

When placing your ladder, make sure that the footing is on a firm, non-slip surface that is clear of any debris or hazards. You can also reduce the risk of a fall by wearing non-slip shoes and gloves. If you have to adjust the placement of the ladder, avoid pushing or pulling it from the sides – repeated sideways movement can make ladders wobbly since they are weaker in those directions. When you’re using any type of portable ladder, use the 4:1 ratio: for every four feet you go up, the ladder should be placed one foot out.

You should always face the stepladder when climbing up or down and maintain a firm grip with both hands. You have climbed too high if your knees are above top of the stepladder or if you cannot maintain a handhold on the ladder – and never stand on the top rung or step. Before you climb, always look up for powerlines and other overhead hazards and adjust the placement of your ladder if needed.

Test you ladder safety knowledge with my Ladder Safety Quiz

Post-Work:

Taking care of your ladder is important to ensure that it remains in good condition and useable for your next project. After each use, you should clean your ladder and ensure that any moving parts are well lubricated. Inspect for damage such as broken rungs, split side rails, worn or broken safety feet, and oil or grease which can make climbing surfaces slippery.

If your ladder is damaged, don’t try to repair it yourself. DIY repairs, such as tying or binding with wire, or painting over damaged areas, are not safe in the long-term and can hide cracks and weak points.

To take good care of your ladder, be sure to store it inside on horizontal racks with support every 2 meters. Protect yourself and others when your ladder is stored by fixing it to the wall or racks so that it doesn’t fall or present other hazards.

When using a ladder, always be mindful of your individual circumstances as well. Do not use a ladder if you are affected by medication or a health condition that affects your balance. Before you start your project, always make sure that you have a plan in the case of an accident, and never use a ladder if you are working alone and cannot get help easily.

Employee Statement Accident Investigation

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In the course of an investigation, it may be necessary to collect statements from employees that witnessed the accident. These forms are also helpful for any other investigation.

This form is a small piece of a total program and proper investigation.

The witness statement is a powerful piece of an investigation, as it can reveal facts in an accident that others might not have seen or are trying to be covered up. Remember though, eyewitness accounts are not always 100% reliable, as people can subconsciously place a bias onto a situation or worse create a false memory.

Check out this video for a quick understanding of how unreliable eyewitness testimony can be sometimes.

So, how do you get past this issue with eyewitness statements?

Simple: investigative processes, and train your team on these basics.

These 2 steps will increase the usefulness of your eyewitness statements.

First and most important: After an incident, after any medical is taken care of, gather all eyewitnesses, put them in separate areas and have them write out the details, as they remember them. The longer you wait, the more unreliable their memory is.

Second: Before letting them leave, talk through their written statement, have them walk through it verbally, without their written statement. Look for inconsistencies, look for more details, have them run through forward and backward on the timeline of events. Take notes.

 

From there, it comes down to using every statement, to create a timeline of events and to compare to statements of those involved.

 

What else is useful as part of a quality accident investigation program?

check out what else I have to help your facility’s incident investigation program

It is also helpful to the investigation to conduct a root cause.

Don’t overlook my book on Root Cause Analysis available for sale on Amazon

 

Download & view the employee witness statement below:

Employee Statement

5 Why Training – Root Cause

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One of the key business success factors that I have followed throughout the years is that of always trying to determine the root cause of any business problem. I focus on the root cause because anything less than that will not allow you to solve the problem completely.

The reason that this is important is because most people only look as far as the symptoms that are causing the problem, not the root cause.

There is an easy way to determine the root cause of a problem and it is called “The 5 Whys.”

Many years ago the founder of Toyota Corporation, Sakichi Toyota, developed “The “5 Why” technique that was and is used within the corporation’s manufacturing methodologies. It is still considered a critical component of problem-solving at Toyota today.

“The 5 Why” process is simply asking the question “Why” 5 times. Let me give you an example of only getting to the symptoms of a problem.

-My car won’t start (the problem)

WHY?

-The battery is dead (the symptom)

So the solution to the problem in this case is to recharge the battery. But the following week, you have the same dead battery problem. So you go to the auto parts store and purchase a new battery because the old battery apparently will not take a charge.

However, the following week the new battery is also dead.

So while you addressed the symptom of the problem, you really did not solve the entire problem because the battery continues to go dead.

Check Out: The 5 Why Method of Root Cause Analysis
If you are looking for assistance with completing a root cause investigation, I made a book to help you out, check it out on Amazon here

Now. let’s take the same problem and apply “The 5 Whys” process.

-My car won’t start (the problem)

1. Why

-The battery is dead

2. Why

-The alternator doesn’t work

3. Why

-The alternator belt is broken

4. Why

-It was worn and I didn’t replace it

5. Why

I was too lazy

So the root cause as to why the car won’t start is the person’s laziness, not the dead battery. The dead battery is a symptom. The key is to urge yourself not to assume anything and to avoid logic traps. Instead, the solution is to follow the symptoms through “The 5 Whys” until you find the root cause of the problem.

Often times, you will see that the root cause of the problem is not identified because you have a flawed process in place or no process at all. In this case you should be asking the question, what is the process that is in place, if there is one, and if so, is it the right process.

In addition, a key phrase to keep in mind in any “5 Why” exercise is that people do not always fail. Sometimes process do.

Identifying the root cause of any problem is critical to your success. Most people only identify the symptoms of a problem and then, after addressing the symptoms, wonder why the problem continues to reoccur.

To facilitate better root cause analysis in the workplace, I published a Root Cause Analysis workbook available on Amazon.

Download the 5 Why Method Training below:

View the 5 Why Method Training below:

5 Whys Training