Understanding the Problems
It's important that management takes the necessary actions to correct safety management system (SMS) problems to reduce the risk of injuries and illnesses in the workplace.
7 Step Problem Solving
Most accidents, by far, are caused by inappropriate or unsafe employee thoughts/behaviors. Problems with the physical work environment can also cause injury or illness. Unsafe behaviors indicate that the nature of the problem may reflect employee/manager personal behaviors and performance that increases the probability of injury or illness.
Tools that we have previously discussed in the course to identify and understand hazardous conditions and unsafe work procedures include:
- Informal and formal observation
- Safety inspection
- Job Hazard Analysis
- Accident investigation
- Records/Reports review
Root cause problems include corporate behavior and performance that lead to increased probability of injury or illness. Unsafe corporate behavior and performance is reflected in poor management vision, attitude, decision-making, and policy direction regarding workplace safety and health. Tools to help identify and understand the root-cause problems associated with surface causes include:
- Interviews
- Surveys
- Records/Reports review
- Brainstorming
- Pareto Chart
- Fishbone Diagram
To better understand the problem you are trying to solve, you need to answer some very basic questions in the next section.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
6-2. Which of the following tools would be best at uncovering the root causes of workplace hazards and unsafe behaviors?
You forgot to answer the question!