Safety Defined: A Means to Provide a Safe Work Environment

摘要

Bringing all of the discussion together, the author proposes that safety be defined as follows. (Application of hazard control is the genus and the remainder is the differentia.) Safety: The application of hazard control through the work place, person and system by integrating into the organization sustained actions, accountability and reducing risk to as low as reasonably practicable to mitigate potential injury. Figure 3 (p. 66) illustrates the proposed safety definition as the Safe Work Model. In addition to incorporating definition components, flexibility is emphasized. Flexibility is adaptable safety management to meet organization needs and changing conditions with a focus on what goes right instead of what goes wrong. It can be visualized as an elastic holistic approach, expanding and contracting to continuously provide a safe work environment instead of the linear barrier energy model. The components work together to provide a safe work environment. Conversely, when one component is weakened, other components are weakened and the safe work environment decreases in strength, increasing the potential for an incident to occur. Utilize the proposed safety definition and Safe Work Model as a tool to enhance safety performance within an organization. The model is a visual communication tool that can be utilized in conjunction with a gap assessment to evaluate how well an organization has identified and implemented the interrelated elements. Based on results of the gap assessment, an organization can identify and implement new or modified actions to align with the Safe Work Model. Throughout the organization, communicate the proposed safety definition, and specific actions that individuals and work groups can take to actively support the Safe" Work Model. For example, define acceptable risk (risk ALARP) collectively within the organization so that individuals understand the organization's risk tolerance and can modify work practices when planning and conducting work activities. Safety is more than the antonym of risk.