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702 Effective Accident Investigation
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"GIGO" or "QIQO"?

When managers don't respond to a recommendation, it may be due to insufficient information to take action.

Systems will only produce what they have been designed to produce: they can't do anything else.

You may have heard of the "garbage in, garbage out" (GIGO) principle, which states that using low-quality input results in low-quality output. Conversely, using high-quality input leads to high-quality results, known as the 'Quality in - Quality out' or 'QIQO' principle.

Presenting quality information to management is more likely to lead to effective decisions and long-lasting positive improvements.

Six Key Questions

To ensure that your recommendations include high-quality short-term corrective actions and long-term safety management system improvements, address the following six key questions. This will not only prepare you to answer any questions from management when presenting your recommendations but also help you justify the need for action based on management's obligations.

Answer the following six questions to help develop and justify recommendations.

  1. What exactly is the problem?
    • What are the particular hazardous conditions and unsafe work practices that led to the issue?
    • What are the system components, including the inadequate design or implementation of safety management programs, policies, plans, processes, procedures, and general practices, that permitted these conditions and behaviors to persist?

Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.

7-6. How does the "garbage in, garbage out" (GIGO) principle apply to safety system improvements?