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Identifying the Critical Work 87

dents include facility inspections, testing of equipment and instrumentation,
development of procedures, training, near-miss and accident investigation,
emergency response drills, and effective management-of-change procedures.
Few of these actions are difficult to achieve singularly, but in total com-
prise a comprehensive system of critical work requiring significant re-
sources and a constancy-of-purpose to effectively manage. An effective
incident-prevention process is needed to facilitate identification and dili-
gent long-term execution of the critical work.

Identifying Critical Work

The potential for achieving major improvements through the identifica-
tion and execution of critical work is illustrated by the success in reducing
tornado deaths within the United States. Implementation of improved fore-
casting and tracking technology, better warning systems, and increased pub-
lic understanding of tornado risks have resulted in dramatic improvements,
as illustrated by Figure 8-2. With the implementation of these improve-
ments, the average number of annual deaths from tornadoes in the 1990s
was reduced to about one-fifth the average annual rate experienced in the
1930s.
Unlike the regulatory-driven approach to preventing vehicle-related fa-
talities, the effort to minimize tornado deaths has been driven by sound sci-
ence with emphasis on solutions that add value. This successful effort
demonstrates the loss prevention benefits that can be achieved through ac-
curately identifying the critical work and then properly resourcing and exe-
cuting it.

250

200
AVG ANNUAL DEATHS 150

100

50

0
1930-39 1940-49 1950-59 1960-69 1970-79 1980-89 1990-96

FIGURE 8-2. Average annual U.S. tornado deaths, 1930–1996 (from USA
Today). 4