Safety Moment - Investigations Learn, Corrective Actions Fix

1 00:00:00,017 --> 00:00:03,477 Okay, let's see how this thing works. I don't even know, but let's try it. 2 00:00:05,520 --> 00:00:17,200 Music. 3 00:00:11,397 --> 00:00:11,757 Hi, 4 00:00:16,977 --> 00:00:19,177 everybody, and welcome to the Pre-Accident Podcast Safety Moment.

5 00:00:19,257 --> 00:00:22,677 I'm your loving and capable and constantly present host. 6 00:00:22,877 --> 00:00:25,517 My name's Todd Conklin. How are you today? I hope you're good.

7 00:00:25,517 --> 00:00:27,737 Here is our thought for today. 8 00:00:29,457 --> 00:00:33,097 Investigations learn and corrective actions fix. 9 00:00:33,717 --> 00:00:36,357 Let me say that again, because it sounds like I'm a little bit, 10 00:00:36,397 --> 00:00:41,637 I don't know, pandering or I don't know, kind of creepy sounding. I'll say it again.

11 00:00:42,317 --> 00:00:46,597 Investigations are learning events and corrective actions are actually where 12 00:00:46,597 --> 00:00:50,737 we fix the problem. And what's interesting about this as a safety moment for 13 00:00:50,737 --> 00:00:56,277 today is that I think our organizations have lost track of that little nuanced difference. 14 00:00:57,137 --> 00:01:01,197 Investigations don't fix. They're not there to fix.

They're not fixing things. 15 00:01:01,437 --> 00:01:06,077 They're learning things. So when you investigate or do event learning or do 16 00:01:06,077 --> 00:01:10,817 some kind of event review or do some kind of critique or whatever you call them where you work, 17 00:01:10,977 --> 00:01:17,337 that is really set up to do one thing, and that is understand how what happened 18 00:01:17,337 --> 00:01:18,997 or what nearly happened happened. 19 00:01:18,997 --> 00:01:22,237 Happened the actual corrective action process the 20 00:01:22,237 --> 00:01:24,977 action item process that's where 21 00:01:24,977 --> 00:01:27,777 we fix and that is a very discreetly different 22 00:01:27,777 --> 00:01:31,237 thing that is a product of the 23 00:01:31,237 --> 00:01:36,417 learning that is not the reason you investigate so when people say well we investigate 24 00:01:36,417 --> 00:01:42,077 to prevent reoccurrence no no we don't we investigate to learn our corrective 25 00:01:42,077 --> 00:01:46,997 actions prevent reoccurrence and that difference Although it may sound like 26 00:01:46,997 --> 00:01:49,757 I'm arguing how many angels can dance on the head of a pin, 27 00:01:50,477 --> 00:01:54,777 I think is enormous because it manages the way we think about the investigation.

28 00:01:55,397 --> 00:02:01,277 When we do the investigation to fix, then we're going to look for the things we can fix and fix them, 29 00:02:01,437 --> 00:02:06,437 probably stopping really early at the first things that are compelling enough 30 00:02:06,437 --> 00:02:10,997 to actually fix and completely missing the fact that there are deeper systemic 31 00:02:10,997 --> 00:02:16,877 issues in virtually every single event you will ever have in your company. It's just how it works. 32 00:02:17,617 --> 00:02:22,097 It's never going to be the thing that caused the accident that fixes the problem. 33 00:02:22,577 --> 00:02:27,617 It's going to be the thing that caused the thing that caused the accident to fix the problem.

34 00:02:28,217 --> 00:02:31,997 And that is our safety moment. It's easy as pie. It's not a big one. 35 00:02:32,197 --> 00:02:34,497 But I want to remind you, it's a huge one.

36 00:02:35,377 --> 00:02:38,797 Investigations learn and corrective actions fix. 37 00:02:39,477 --> 00:02:42,877 Have a good day, you guys. Learn something new every single day. 38 00:02:42,917 --> 00:02:46,957 I hope you did today.

day. Have as much fun as you can possibly squeeze into work legally. 39 00:02:47,517 --> 00:02:50,117 And for goodness sakes, be safe. 40 00:02:51,120 --> 00:03:00,774 Music.