Page 92 - Serious Incident Prevention How to Achieve and Sustain Accident-Free Operations in Your Plant or Company

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70 Serious Incident Prevention

PROBABILITY
UNIVERSE OF POTENTIAL
CRITICAL
OUTCOMES RISKS

CONSEQUENCES

FIGURE 7-1. Understanding the risks.

Certainly, experience as a climber helps ensure that expedition leaders rec-
ognize and understand the unique risks of high-altitude climbing.
In more traditional workplace settings, managers may reach their posi-
tions by a variety of career paths—some of which do not ensure a full un-
derstanding of the organization’s risks. Even when managers rise through
the ranks within the operation where their careers began, managers are often
more versed in productive rather than preventive skills. It should not be as-
sumed that obtaining an adequate understanding of risks occurs as a natu-
ral part of the management development process. Managers with new
responsibilities must be educated regarding existing risks, and all managers
must be informed when significant changes occur that impact the organiza-
tion from a risk perspective. In reality, staying educated on potential risks
must be a neverending task for both new and experienced managers.
Management may find a variety of tools useful in maintaining an un-
derstanding of the organization’s risks. Conducting periodic management
briefings is one effective technique. The purpose of these presentations
should be to review: (a) the basics of each operation, (b) significant risks
involved, and (c) the processes in place to control the risks. In addition to
educating upper management, the process provides a valuable learning ex-
perience for the presenters. Major advances in personal knowledge can re-
sult from preparations to present and prepare for questions that may arise
from such briefings.
Management’s process for staying informed may also include partici-
pation on selected committees and teams. For example, it may be appropri-
ate for a senior site manager to chair the committee responsible for process
safety within a petrochemical facility. Leadership by a senior manager pro-
vides the needed visibility for chemical process safety initiatives while ed-
ucating the participating manager on site risks. A manager who leads a
safety committee or who takes the lead on a new safety initiative often be-