Page 115 - Serious Incident Prevention How to Achieve and Sustain Accident-Free Operations in Your Plant or Company

CH08pp083-095 4/10/02 12:50 PM Page 93

Identifying the Critical Work 93

The team of tank car loading and shipping operators is committed to re-
maining alert for any changes affecting tank car loading and securement
and continually strives to improve the incident prevention process. Through
measurement, timely feedback, and reinforcement contingent upon per-
formance, the team knows where it stands in meeting performance expec-
tations. The improving results for leak-free shipments and for tank car
securement audits, as illustrated by Figures 8-4 and 8-5, are a major source
of pride for the team.

A Systematic, Knowledge-Based

Approach

Through research and input from team members, the chemical loading
and shipping team effectively identifies the work critical to preventing re-
leases from tank cars. The team’s systematic, data-based approach avoids
the pitfalls of identifying the wrong things to work on. Such success in ac-
curately identifying the right critical work is less likely when a manager
proceeds on “gut-feelings” without sufficient research and input from oth-
7
ers. Consider author Philip B. Crosby’s account of the misguided actions
taken by the coach of a mythical high school football team:

Coach Smedley conducted his evaluation after losing a game by a score of
14 to 13. He reasoned that the problem was that the opposition had
blocked one extra-point try while his team had blocked none. Had his team
blocked two, the game would have been won 13 to 12.
The team set out on an intensive practice schedule devoted exclu-
sively to the art of blocking extra points. They practiced all week, set goals
for themselves, conducted motivational meetings to keep themselves
pumped up. Two games later they blocked 13 extra points. They celebrated
the achievement of their target and then went on to deny their opponents
dozens of extra points during the remainder of the season. They had quite
forgotten that there is more to the game.

Correctly identifying the critical work is a prerequisite for success in
sustaining serious-incident-free operations. A systematic, data-driven ap-
proach with input and involvement from knowledgeable individuals is re-
quired. The work identified must be sufficiently comprehensive and must
be diligently executed to ensure success. Measurement, timely feedback, re-
inforcement, and proactive corrective action will be needed to sustain long-
term performance at the level required to sustain serious-incident-free
operations.