“New” Emphasis on Stopping SIFs

OSHA SIF Prevention Announcement

On September 29th, OSHA announced a new alliance to prevent SIFs. HERE is a link to the OSHA announcement.

What is a SIF? An article in the Professional Safety (published in 2015) defined a SIF as…

The announcement says that OSHA, AIHA, ASSP, NSC, and CSRA will cooperate to focus on preventing SIFs. Here is a quote of what OSHA announced that the goals of the alliance are:

Raising Awareness: Outreach and Communication

• Share information on OSHA’s National Initiatives (Emphasis Programs, Regulatory Agenda, Outreach), and opportunities to participate in initiatives and the rulemaking process, as appropriate.
• Share relevant information on occupational safety and health laws and standards including the rights and responsibilities of workers and employers.
• Develop information on the identification and prevention of SIFs, including resources on SIF prevention principles and practices, and communicate such information (e.g., print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools, webpages, email/newsletters, etc.) to employers, workers, and their representatives. Ensure information developed reflects a broad workforce and is available in multiple languages and formats.
• Speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA and Alliance member conferences, local meetings, or similar events on topics dealing with SIF identification and prevention.
• Participate in forums, roundtable discussions, or stakeholder meetings on SIF prevention to help foster dialogue on SIF identification and prevention and share industry practices and practical solutions for workplaces.
• Share information among OSHA personnel, industry safety and health professionals, employers, workers, and their representatives regarding Alliance members’ effective approaches in addressing SIF identification and prevention through workshops, webinars, seminars, and other applicable forums.
• Collaborate with other Alliance participants on specific issues and projects on SIF prevention.

Training and Education

• Provide technical briefings to OSHA, State Plan, and Consultation staff on SIF identification and prevention.
• Jointly deliver effective training and education sessions for employers, workers, their representatives, and the public on SIF prevention principles, resources, and workplace solutions, including at technical, professional, and industry conferences, meetings, seminars, training courses, and other venues to foster the use of SIF prevention principles in workplaces. Ensure training materials/programs are made available in appropriate languages and formats to meet the needs of their target audiences.

Welcome to the Fight

We welcome OSHA and the alliance to the fight to stop SIFs. Therefore, we welcomed OSHA to provide a speaker at the upcoming 2027 Global TapRooT® Summit where we have a track specifically targeted to stopping SIFs. We thought they could share there ideas and learn from the successful TapRooT® Users who have stopped SIFs at their facilities. Unfortunately, we were informed that OSHA couldn’t provide speakers at “for profit” conferences.

It is unfortunate that OSHA can’t participate in a conference with sessions focussed on SIF prevention when one of their goals is:

“Share information among OSHA personnel, industry safety and health professionals, employers, workers, and their representatives regarding Alliance members’ effective approaches in addressing SIF identification and prevention through workshops, webinars, seminars, and other applicable forums.”

Since the 1990s (before the abbreviation SIF was first used), System Improvements have been teaching industry leaders in high-hazard workplaces to use TapRooT® Root Cause Analysis to investigate precursor incidents (precursors to SIFs) and effectively correct their root causes to stop SIFs. CLICK HERE and scroll down though several pages of success storiy examples that prevented significant injuries and fatalities by applying TapRooT® RCA.

Also, watch this video by Mark Paradies about TapRooT® Users stopping factalities (given at the 2020 Global TapRooT® Summit just before the COVID shutdown)…

That’s a powerful message. A message you can learn from.

Learn More About Using TapRooT® RCA to Stop SIFS

First, to learn more about the history of SIF prevention, see THIS ARTICLE.

Next, attend a TapRooT® Course and learn how to apply TapRooT® Root Cause Analysis to investigate precursor incidents and stop SIFs. CLICK HERE for the dates and locations of upcoming public TapRooT® Courses.

Then register for the 2027 Global TapRooT® Summit being held at the Margaritaville Resort, Lake Conroe, near Houston, Texas, on April 5-9. The Summit includes a track dedicated to preventing significant injueries and fatalities. CLICK HERE for more Summit information. CLICK HERE to register.