Ep.31 Do pre-surgery checklists improve patient safety outcomes?
EPISODE NOTES We use the papers to frame our discussion: A Systematic Review of the Effectiveness, Compliance, and Critical Factors for Implementation of Safety Checklists in Surgery; Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Effect of the World Health Organization Surgical Safety Checklist on Post-Operative Complications; and The Effects of Safety Checklists in Medicine.
Tune in to hear our thoughts on this potentially life or death issue.
Topics:
The good reputation of checklists. Equipment Failure. The decrease of information loss. Do checklists slow things down? How closely checklists are followed. The rhyme of reason for checklists.
Captive owners spending more on analytics to drive down costs and improve safety culture: CICA panel
Captive owners are increasing their use of analytics, and spending more time understanding their data, as they look for ways to mitigate and minimise factors that contribute to losses in the workplace, according to Gordon Padera, executive vice president at Gallagher Bassett.
Speaking on a Captive Insurance Companies Association (CICA) webinar titled “Culture is Key”, he said captives are spending more on technology that can help them prevent accidents.
Andrew Johnson, chief risk officer at Captive Resources, stressed the important role captives can play in installing a culture of safety in workplaces, by strengthening the link between reduced losses and reduced premiums.
Use of Human Performance Tools Resolves Blocked Valve Gearing
While performing a valve line up on the By-Pass Demineralizer (BPD) system at the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR), operators noticed a pressure change in the Primary Coolant System (PCS). Normally this procedure would not impact the flow of the PCS. Faced with an unexpected situation the operators stopped the procedure and placed the system in a safe configuration. The cause for the problem was discovered after a bit of detective work using both situational awareness and a questioning attitude.
Ball awards Myanmar branch sustainability award
According to a statement by the Ball Corporation, it awarded its plant in Yangon with the 2019 R. David Hoover Sustainability Award for significant operational and social improvements. The statement claimed that the Yangon plant had consistently improved its electricity effciency by nearly 23 percent, enhanced overall safety culture with better methods of reporting and more focus on corrective actions as well as succeeding to raise awareness of the sustainbility of the aluminum can.
Factors such as achieving zero accidents, minimizing environmental impact, supporting local communities, and educating consumers about the importane of beverage can recycling were considered of all applicable candidates for the award.
The plant’s General Manager Asa Robinson praised the entire Yangon team for embracing Ball’s sustainability strategy, monitoring the plant’s sustainability metrics and working hard to achieve the set key performance indicators while taking into account the broader performance indicators for the entire plant.
How Chipotle’s past food crises prepared it for the COVID-19 outbreak
Chipotle Mexican Grill is faring relatively well during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it has its traumatic food safety scandals from a few years ago in part to thank.
In 2015, the fast-casual burrito chain dealt with an E. coli outbreak, followed by other food safety problems, that decimated its business for a long time; comparable sales fell by one-fifth the following year.
To win back customers, Chipotle changed how it prepared food—practices that inadvertently readied it for the current pandemic. The protocols included washing hands between every task, putting hand sanitizer at the door, and changing air filtration systems, measures prescribed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as local health authorities, for the current crisis.
“We already had a well-being and a food safety culture in place,” Chipotle chief executive Brian Niccol tells Fortune. Chipotle has also added measures to ensure social distancing, among other newer moves.
Western Plant Health Applauds California’s “Farm Safety Culture” as Model for Nation
Western Plant Health (WPH), today applauded California farmers and agricultural businesses for their leadership in meeting the state’s essential need for fresh fruit and produce production while maintaining high public safety standards during the COVID-19 crisis.
“Our farmers are really unsung heroes who long ago built a culture of safety that is now benefiting our state during these difficult times,” said Renee Pinel, President & CEO of WPH. “Without missing a beat, California farmers have kept filling our shopping bags in large part because their health and safety rules were already in place and the norm – not some new requirement arising from an emergency.”
WPH, a trade association representing companies that supply farmers with fertilizers and crop protection products that help grow healthy crops, said that the state’s farm community has served as a national model for how to conduct business without compromising the safety of the food, environment, workers and neighboring communities.
“While most people and industries were caught off guard by the COVID-19 crisis, California farmers were already taking many of the mandated safety precautions as a matter of routine,” Pinel said. “With such strict food handling and pesticide practices already in place, our farmers were able to continue supplying grocery stores and food banks throughout the state and nation.”
She also noted that a decades-long collaboration with federal and state regulators was instrumental in helping build a culture of safety.
“All Californians can be proud of the culture of safety that has been created on the state’s farms,” said Pinel.
Jobless pilots swapping wings for railway tracks
Its managing director, Peter Lensink, said he was pleased to be able to offer employment to pilots, whose skills were ideal for driving trains.
“I really feel for the pilots who are in this position and I’m really pleased we have an alternative and hope they will adapt to driving a train on a piece of metal instead of flying free up in the air,” he said.
“We only hire highly skilled people and airline pilots have got similarities to the skills and competencies required as a train driver.”
Lensink said both the airline and rail sectors have a strong safety culture and required specific skills including concentration.
Embry-Riddle Plans Lower-Density Operations for Summer B and Fall 2020
Following careful preparations, and in compliance with state and local guidance, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has launched a three-phase “crawl, walk, run” reopening strategy. Our goal is to resume lower-density operations on both of our residential campuses in time for the Summer B term on June 30 and the fall semester on Aug. 24.
Embry-Riddle’s Summer B plan – including face-to-face, low-density learning environments as well as students in our residence halls – will be confirmed on May 15. Please plan accordingly. Our planned, safety-focused, step-wise approach and new health precautions will allow us to safely navigate our return to delivering on our mission – education. With each step forward, we will be guided by Embry-Riddle’s safety culture and our ability to rapidly engineer and implement solutions when confronted by unforeseen emergencies.
Our safety culture, which requires each of us to proactively voice concerns – without fear of negative repercussions – has allowed us to jump many high hurdles this spring. Physical distancing principles are being applied through smart pathways, barriers and lower-density solutions for residence halls, classrooms, workspaces and more. Daily wellness checks and advanced cleaning protocols are now the norm. Supervisors will soon be reaching out to employees with information on work options and expectations. Every member of our community is taking personal responsibility for their safety by wearing cloth (non-surgical) face coverings and other personal protective equipment.
Ep.25 Why don’t workers use reporting systems?
Topics:
Discomfort with non-technical topics. Why some people are seasoned users of reporting systems. Pride in being a fixer. Feedback loops in reporting systems. Questioning the value of given instructions. Why qualitative data can be helpful.
Quotes:
“If people were very seasoned users of the reporting system, we’d want to really understand, ‘how did they become seasoned users?’ ”
“A lot of professionals: That’s where they derive their professional pride, from being able to fix problems.”
“[Reporting systems] are complex sociotechnical constructs.”
[Naval Safety Center Lessons Learned Division Wins Navy League Safety Award] [https://www.dvidshub.net/news/368669/naval-safety-center-lessons-learned-division-wins-navy-league-safety-award]
NORFOLK (April 17, 2020) – Mr. Christopher Rew and Mr. David Deuel from Naval Safety Center’s (NAVSAFECEN) Lessons Learned Division have been awarded the Navy League of the United States’ Adm. Vern Clark and Gen. James L. Jones Safety Award for fiscal year (FY) 2019. The annual award recognizes innovative safety efforts of individuals, units or organizations that have reduced fatalities and mishaps among Department of Navy Sailors, Marines and civilians and have significantly improved the Navy and Marine Corps safety culture.
“Our honorees exemplify a culture of safety through their commitment to a vision that decreases mishaps and fatalities for our Navy and Marine Corps,” said Mike Stevens, executive director of the Navy League of the United States and retired 13th Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy.
NAVSAFECEN’s Lessons Learned Division collects, analyzes and shares findings from mishaps, hazards, assessments and other fleet engagements. Its lessons learned and sanitized safety investigation products are distributed electronically to Navy and Marine Corps safety professionals around the world. The goal is to prevent mishaps, preserve combat readiness, save lives and improve mission readiness across the force.
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard recognized for workplace safety
KITTERY, Maine (AP) — Portsmouth Naval Shipyard touts safety among it workers, and it’s being recognized for its efforts.
The shipyard has been awarded the fiscal year 2019 Chief of Naval Operations Award for Achievement in Safety Ashore.
“Winning this award speaks to the strong safety leadership from our occupational safety and health department as well as the workforce’s efforts to embrace a superior level of safety culture within the command,” said Capt. Daniel Ettlich, the shipyard’s commander.
The challenge is to continue raising the bar, he said.
Portsmouth earned recognition for reducing the number of safety incidents and lost work days. The shipyard strengthened its safety culture by emphasizing individual ownership, responsibility and awareness.
The incident rate is 15% below the industry average and the lost day rate is 47% below the industry average, officials said.
How a culture of safety leads to better outcomes (and a stronger team)
When I walk into a dental office, I can get a feeling of what it’s like to work there, for better or worse. It can be bright, professional, and empowering, or it can be dark, negative, and toxic. Workplace culture is the environment created for employees and embracing a culture of safety shows not only that everyone is serious about overall well-being, but that the results are undeniable.
Understanding the reasons Many people wince when they’re told to blindly follow orders. This can be the case with a lot of governmental mandates, including when safety is concerned. However, these requirements are in place for good reasons, and understanding those reasons is a big step toward developing a culture of safety
Distracted Driving Fatalities Down in Washington
Fatalities from distracted driving are down in Washington, reported the Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC) during Distracted Driving Awareness Month, which traditionally begins in April. Recent data from WTSC show a decrease in distraction-related fatalities since 2017, when the Driving Under the Influence of Electronics Act (E-DUI) went into effect.
In 2016, the year before the law passed, 155 people died in crashes involving a distracted driver. In 2019, two years after the new law, 33 fewer distracted driving-related deaths occurred.
“Washington’s Distracted Driving law is working,” said Erika Mascorro, WTSC Program Manager, “The data shows that Washington culture around distracted driving is changing. With Washingtonians at home observing the governor’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy order, now is a good opportunity to review the importance of being an attentive driver, so our families will be safer when we all return to the roads.”
WTSC conducted a 2019 statewide Traffic Safety Culture Survey and found that most Washingtonians are familiar with the distracted diving laws:
Most (74 percent) know that using a hand-held cell phone while driving is illegal Most (68 percent) know that using a cell phone at a traffic light is illegal Most (69 percent) agree that using a hand-held cell phone while driving is dangerous
[Keeping 8,800 Employees Safe] {www.daily-journal.com/business/…)
Above all, Lubrizol is keeping its 8,800 employees safe. As part of its safety culture, Lubrizol had pandemic plans and teams in place well before COVID-19. These teams were activated early in this journey and regularly assess and follow global health recommendations, as well as local guidance in all areas where the company operates.
Employees who can are working from home. In other locations, the company minimized the number of employees on site, initiating rotations where feasible, practicing social distancing and instituting additional cleaning procedures. In all locations, Lubrizol has a range of policies to support employees as they seek to balance their professional and personal lives during this unprecedented time.
For more information on Lubrizol’s response to COVID-19, visit www.Lubrizol.com/COVID-19.
Distracted Driving Fatalities Down in Washington State
In 2016, the year before the law passed, 155 people died in crashes involving a distracted driver. In 2019, two years after the new law, 33 fewer distracted driving-related deaths occurred.
“Washington’s Distracted Driving law is working,” said Erika Mascorro, WTSC Program Manager, “The data shows that Washington culture around distracted driving is changing. With Washingtonians at home observing the governor’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy order, now is a good opportunity to review with the importance of being an attentive driver, so our families will be safer when we all return to the roads.”
WTSC conducted a 2019 statewide Traffic Safety Culture Survey and found that most Washingtonians are familiar with the distracted diving laws:
(New national social distancing campaign for building sites) [https://infrastructuremagazine.com.au/2020/04/02/new-national-social-distancing-campaign-for-building-sites/]
Ms Wawn said MBA has also teamed up with the CFMEU and the AWU to promote an even stronger safety culture in the industry and community during the Covid-19 crisis.
“However, we do recognise the substantial cultural change that we are asking everyone in our industry to make.
“Everyone including workers, subcontractors and management are used to completing building projects as efficiently as possible.
Ms Wawn said that although social distancing was slowing down work, it was better than the alternative of no work at all, and therefore everyone in the construction industry had a responsibility to do the right thing and keep the community safe.
Seeing how other chemists do their work can be an eye-opening experience, in more ways than one
Seeing how other chemists do their work can be an eye-opening experience, in more ways than one
How Skogen’s Festival Foods Created an Award-Winning Food Safety Culture
At our 2020 Midwinter Executive Conference, we honored Skogen’s Festival Foods with the FMI Food Safety Innovation Award. Festival Foods has demonstrated a responsibility to strengthening its food safety culture using a multi-pronged approach. It understands food safety is critical to its business operations and has worked to integrate food safety practices within its overall business strategy. Festival Foods sees the value in technologies, programs, education and initiatives that help move the food safety and regulatory needle forward.
A Multi-Prong Food Safety Program “With the multi-pronged approach, we focus on technology and data collection, internal food safety culture, education, and continued collaboration and partnership with our state and local regulators,” said Festival Foods’ Stephanie Teclaw, quality assurance & regulatory affairs manager. “By focusing our efforts in these areas, we are better aligned to be able to detect and prevent issues in our operations, develop and foster a strong food safety culture that begins at the top, and build partnerships with our regulators that allow for progressive change forward.”
Roadmap to accreditation outlined at Opportunities for Safety session
Ontario construction employers now have significant new opportunities to improve their safety culture and receive rewards and recognition, contractors learned recently at an educational forum hosted by the Ontario General Contractors Association (OGCA) and the League of Champions.
The event, held in Mississauga Feb. 12, was billed as Opportunities for Safety: An Introduction to the New Ontario Safety Programs.
Safety incentives provided by the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development (MOLTSD) and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Bureau (WSIB) have changed, the contractors were told. The event featured presentations on Supporting Ontario’s Safe Employer Program (SOSE), the Health and Safety Excellence Program, and COR (Certificate of Recognition) 2020 to show where they fit on the roadmap to accreditation.
New measures in place to boost safety in SAF: Safety chief
Mr Charles Chong (Punggol East) had asked for an update on the IGO’s work, if training safety in the SAF has improved since the office was set up, and additional safety measures introduced.
Asked about efforts to build a strong safety culture, BG Tan said in a phone interview with reporters last week that one of the challenges was ensuring safety consistently over different batches of conscripts, including NSmen who serve only a few weeks in a year.
He said surveys with both active and NS units found that units that embedded safety into their daily routine are usually the ones with the strongest safety culture, and by extension, a strong safety record.
Parliament: Military training poses risk, but Singapore must never give up on national service, says Ng Eng Hen
Parliament: SAF must aim for zero fatality, says Ng Eng Hen
Look back 2019: Aloysius Pang’s death ignited public debate on training safety in SAF “So what we have done at the SAF level is really push the services and the units to institutionalise safety as part of the units’ daily routine,” he said.
Let us toast to major SGR safety milestone
In Kenya, Africa Star Railway Operation Company (Afristar), has just marked 1,000 Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) safety days. That this is a key milestone in SGR operations cannot be gainsaid. For starters, Afristar had operated Kenya’s SGR safely for 1,000 days as at February 24, 2020. The company has inculcated a railway safety culture among staff through evaluation of employee adherence to safety regulations and procedures, performance appraisals, bonuses and promotions based on performance appraisal results and rewarding safety champions quarterly and annually. So far, 10 employees have been recognised as safety champions and another 27 awarded certificates for emerging winners in the Afristar Technical Skills competitions among SGR staff members. Safety culture can generally be described as ‘what the organisation does’ with respect to safety.
Architects regret Ministry did not consult on new measures KOTA KINABALU: Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia (PAM) regrets that the Human Resource Ministry has submitted the proposed new regulations to expand the responsibility for construction workers’ safety to include developers and designers to the Attorney General’s Chambers without prior engagement and input from construction industry professionals and stakeholders. …Tay said PAM suggests that both building industry and relevant authorities consider these larger factors that can help increase site safety culture and practice on building sites and improve the morale and well-being of workers in construction industry: Improve poor working and housing conditions for workers that contribute to low morale and work ethics. To improve site housekeeping practices, especially protection of work in progress, for example, when poured concrete is not yet set and work is suspended or abandoned suddenly during sudden heavy rainstorms. This is often a cause of site accidents and it is to be noted that the recent building collapse at Taman Desa happened during a heavy storm. Review current immigration policy to encourage retention of certified and experienced foreign workers who may go on to become knowledgeable supervisors, now grossly lacking in the market. Workers who have accumulated building experience working in Malaysia, are often not allowed to extend their work permit beyond 10 years. The contractors all-risk Insurance compensation for the death of workers should be increased from the current RM18,500 workman compensation for the death of a worker.
TOPS aiming for stronger safety culture across air tour sector
Under this portion of the program, TOPS will give these part 91 operators 24 months before they will be officially audited. In the first year, the part 91 operators will have a mentor (an existing TOPS member) that they can turn to during the process of writing their own operations manual. At the end of the first year, Rose said an auditor will look at each operator and their manual, and perform a gap analysis that compares what is written in the manual to what the operator is executing.
He added: “The second year is where you get things going and start practicing what you preach. So at the end of the second year [the part 91 operator] would be audited to their own manual. And no two of those manuals will be exactly the same, but it still gives them a reference [and] a way of implementing safety practices that we consider basic.
“And the goal here … is this is a culture change. And culture doesn’t change overnight, it changes over generations. Each pilot that comes in [to a company] changes the culture. So we should start influencing a pilot’s strong safety culture from their first day in flight school.”
Rose believes that for consumers, when it comes to choosing a reputable helicopter company for an air tour, “the TOPS membership is a guarantee that [air tour] operators are doing things the right way; they’re taking the extra step and doing things as safely as possible.”
Actively Engaging Employees Using Five Pillars of Safety
Safety culture is the shared beliefs, experiences, attitudes and passions of a group of people. A world-class safety culture in a work environment is a way of life and a belief to send all employees safely back home every day—and in the process, help the company make money, showing to senior executives that safety makes good business sense. It is an outstanding safety culture that proactively manages employee and business safety decision-making. It is an environment that allows management and employees to make decisions based on what is the right thing to do both for safety and running the business. If you do the right thing, money will flow. Business will run profitably.
World-class safety is like beauty. It is difficult to describe but you know it when you see it. At one of the printing plants with which I was associated, the ventilation system broke down in the ink room. Rather than continue to run the ink mixing operation that created a lot of vapors, the GM shut down the printing operation until the ventilation system was fixed. That is a world-class safety culture.
6 tips for safer crews A safety program is crucial for successful operations.
Keeping crews safe and job sites accident-free are top priorities for every landscape company, but achieving a safety culture that’s front-of-mind with every employee doesn’t just happen on its own.
Building a safety culture takes intention and requires routine safety meetings, standard safety protocols and management and leadership teams that take safety seriously.
To glean tips for establishing a safety-first mentality, Lawn & Landscape spoke with three firms who have won national awards for their safety records – Clarence Davids & Company, with multiple locations serving the Chicago area; Mahoney Associates, in Southampton, New York; and Snow & Sons Tree & Landscaping in Greenfield, Massachusetts.