Using TapRooT® to Improve Investigations,
Stop Fault Finding, Reduce Injuries, &
Cut Workers' Compensation Costs
Submitted By: Dave Hales, Safety & Compliance SupervisorCompany: Canyon Fuel CompanyChallenge
Skyline Mines is an underground coal mining operation with over 350 employees. Our challenge is to go from a company with a better than average lost time injury and reportable injury rate to an injury free workplace.
Action
In January of 1996 our focus shifted from formal investigation and review of just MSHA reportable injuries to investigation and measurement of all incidents. Prevention efforts were then focused on the elimination of these injury causing events. The underlying principle being that the only difference between a Worker’s Comp. injury, MSHA reportable, or lost time accident was severity and that severity had nothing to do with what had caused the incident. We began to focus more and more on the root causes for the injury causing events.
In January of 1997 the use of Multiple Causation Theory was implemented into the Incident Review Process. We recognized the value of using this theory. We also recognized that we were lacking a process with which to apply it. Since its implementation, the TapRooT® System has provided us that process.
In April of 1997 our Safety Manager and Production Superintendent attended a two day TapRooT® Course in Denver, Colorado. Upon their return we conducted training for our management group. We began to apply the TapRooT® Techniques in our formal Incident Reviews. This provided us a process with which to apply Multiple Causation Theory.
Our reviews were immediately more effective. The process was less threatening and our employees who have been exposed to this have all commented that our review process has changed from a fault finding event to a fact finding process. The result of this is reflected in the 1997 safety performance which resulted in about a 50% improvement in our lost time injury and reportable injury rates (which are well below industry averages - see the results below in the results section).
Management commitment to the safety process has accelerated our rate of improvement dramatically. It is also helping to establish safety as a value within our organization. Our Production Superintendent attending an accident investigation course like TapRooT® is simply evidence of that commitment.
All incidents are required to be reported to the first line supervisor. This supervisor is responsible to conduct the initial investigation of each of these incidents. If the incident meets a pre-established criteria (all injuries and those near miss incidents with potential for serious injury, property damage incidents which result in damages exceeding $500, and oil spills in excess of 50 gallons), it is reviewed through a formal incident review process. This review is attended by the employee, his supervisor, all department managers, the shift foreman, and the General Manager. This review is led by the Department Manager. The Safety Manager is utilized as a consultant to this process.
Results
A look at the safety performance from the past three years tell the story. Numbers in parentheses are the percentage of reduction from the previous year.
The improvements in safety performance at Skyline Mines cannot be attributed to any one component but is a direct result of each and every inter-related component in the process. We believe that typical safety programs have a starting and an ending point. Our objective is to maintain a safety process which is continually developing and adapting to the needs of the organization. TapRooT® is part of that developing process.
Our objective is that safety will be changed from a priority to a value within our organization. If safety is a value, it is not compromised. It becomes part of every decision that is made and every action that is taken.
We have learned that the TapRooT® process can be utilized for far more than just accident investigations. It is a tool that can be used in investigating equipment failures, process failures, and on a more proactive basis, it is a thought process that can be applied when planning a project or a program. We were able to modify the application of this process in order to meet the needs of our organization and truly make it our own.
The results achieved over the past two years were recognized this year by the Rocky Mountain Coal Mining Institute. Skyline received the Safety Achievement award in the Underground Mining Division in recognition of the overall improvement in safety performance over the past two years. Continued improvement in the development of the safety process at Skyline will help us achieve our objective, an injury-free workplace. TapRooT® is a key element in that process.
We continue to use TapRooT® to identify problems and improve performance. The results have been outstanding.
