Complying with the laws is supposed to make us safer. Perversely, though, compliance - at least the administrative part of it, namely, the compliance audit - has become an end in itself, a distraction from safety. Last week, I vented my frustration with this. Today, I'd like to finish the thought and put the compliance audit into what I consider is its proper perspective.

The Shortcomings of Audit Scores

Prevention is far more important than audit scores. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying compliance audits aren't a good thing. It's just that when push comes to shove, and it will whether your work involves cutting down 200-foot trees with 3-foot chainsaws on 45-degree hills or less risky operations - injury prevention is what it's all about.

And if prevention is our priority, then we should focus on the real cause of accidents - inattention and human error. Compliance audits mostly focus on equipment and mechanical components. Maybe one percent of all acute injuries are caused by such things. The other 99% are the result of inattention and error.

If you don't believe it, just think about all the injuries you've suffered in your life - the cuts, bruises, bumps and scrapes. Why did they happen? 'Because a machine malfunctioned? Or were they the result of a momentary lapse of concentration or error?

Audit scores don't cure these problems. They have never helped an employee pay more attention when his eyes or mind wasn't on the task at hand. They have never helped an employee drive a motor vehicle, operate a power tool or lock out a machine more safely.

Dealing with Inattention and Human Error

So, when are you going to deal with inattention and human error?

I don't mean just telling your employees to be more careful. Nor do I mean simply warning them not to get complacent. Heck, if you're going to do that, why not also tell them not to get any older while you're at it.

Dealing with inattention requires teaching your employees how states like rushing, frustration, fatigue and complacency cause the vast majority of injury-causing errors like "eyes not on task, mind not on task, being in the line of fire and somehow losing your balance, traction or grip."

However, even that isn't enough. You also have to teach them about what I call the four "Critical Error Reduction Techniques." And perhaps most importantly, you must motivate them to put some effort into improving their skills, habits and techniques.

If you're committed, this is easy enough to do. It takes about 10 hours spread out over 10 weeks. The reward: You can expect a 50, 60 or as much as 90% decrease in recordables. You can also expect to achieve decreases in first aid incidents, off the job injuries and most importantly - if you're trying to prevent fatalities - motor vehicle accidents.

How many plant audits do you think you would you would have to do to prevent a fatal automobile accident?

Conclusion

So, let me ask the question again, when are you going to deal with injury prevention?

I know, I know... just as soon as you get done with your compliance audit.

HEROES OF WORKPLACE SAFETY

John L. Lewis visits an Illinois coal mine in 1951 after an explosion killed 119 miners

John L. Lewis

By Glenn Demby

When he was 16-years-old, John L. Lewis went to work in the coal mines of Iowa. It was 1896 and it was Lewis's destiny to become a miner, just like his father. In a sense, Lewis would never leave the mines. But his destiny would take an unexpected turn.

Lewis became a union activist and AFL (American Federation of Labor) organizer. In 1917, he was elected president of the UMWA (United Mine Workers Association). He was feared and called a despot. And for good reason. Lewis would brook no opposition and rid the union leadership of political rivals. He secured his national reputation for pugnacity by socking one of his critics in the nose during a union convention.

But he wasn't in it for himself. Lewis used his power to fight for the miners. Conditions in the mines were appalling. Lewis fought to change them. He wasn't afraid to leverage America's dependence on coal to call strikes in 1943, during the Second World War. Even the Communists called Lewis's tactics "un-American."

But they worked. By the time his career was done, Lewis would help miners win not just substantial wage increases, but health benefits, pensions and the right to organize. Union pressure also forced mine operators to implement health and safety measures to protect their workers. Lewis died in his home in Alexandria, VA, in 1969.

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