Memorial to Fallen Logger(Times Have Changed)

Last week I hiked through the Partnach Gorge in Bavarian Germany.   Commercial logging took place there from the 1700s to the late 1800s.  Several loggers lost their lives.  There is a memorial with a separate marker for each logger.  This gentleman evidently plummeted into the river from one of the rock formations.  It reminded me that commercial logging is still a dangerous profession.  I guess that is why Axe Men and Swamp Loggers are popular.  They are on BBC with a British narrator which sounds unusual to someone from the southern USA.

It also reminded me how much the emphasis on safety in all hazardous industries has increased through the years.  Sometimes we question if all the regulations and practices are necessary.  They cost time and money, and the regulatory burden is great!   Perhaps a better mindset would be that our responsibilities for public and employee safety are great.  If we accept those responsibilities, then we might avoid memorials for people who lose their lives as a result of our operations.

Posted December 31st, 2010 in Human Factors, Leadership, Observations

Dirty Dozen Causes of Errors – Lack of Teamwork

Two months are left in 2010.  I’m sure the next two months will be hectic and hurried as you and the teams complete necessary 2010 work, and enjoy holidays.   I always found it important to remind the employees that control and operate and maintain the pipelines to remember their own personal safety and the safety of the public while completing the necessary projects in the midst of vacations and other holiday events.

Those are reasons I made “lack of teamwork” the November emphasis.  Please distribute it to your team and to customers and to field operations who might benefit from the article.  Please download the article.   Lack of Teamwork

Posted November 3rd, 2010 in Dirty Dozen Articles, Human Factors, Leadership

“Someone Somewhere Sees IT Coming”

IT is problems. Have you ever read Managing the Unexpected?   If you work in a hazardous industry, it should be required reading.  Karl Weick and Kathleen Sutcliffe state, on page 74, that “with every problem, someone somewhere sees it coming.”  Think about what people say after a problem, an accident, an error occurs. “I knew that was going to happen.”  If we suspect something is going to happen, why don’t we do something to prevent it from happening?

Weick and Sutcliffe say that the people who know “tend to be low rank, invisible, unauthorized, reluctant to speak up, and may not even know that they know something that is consequential.”  Does that describe you?

I have participated in hundreds of incident analysis and lessons learned sessions. Most could have been prevented with simple steps.  Almost always, a near miss had occurred before the incident, but was not reported or the cause wasn’t addressed.  A corrective action from a near miss will prevent an accident.  Organizations, even those who perform incident analysis, may not develop good corrective actions.   Our memories are short, and the pace of work seldom lessens till it comes to a screeching halt with an accident.

Speak up about problems, report near misses, correct hazards before they hurt you or others.  Do not be afraid to stop work if it is unsafe.

Posted October 19th, 2010 in Human Factors, Leadership, Observations, Operational Excellence