Over the past few years PDO has launched, re-launched and re-energised the Life Saving Rules and yet still our colleagues break them and suffer major injuries or death. The rules were developed from a study which covered 2,071 deaths from 1,586 fatal incidents over 22 years and also included 1,444 incidents which had a high potential of causing a fatality. These deaths have resulted in learnings which we all have a moral duty to respect and utilise to keep ourselves and our colleagues safe. If we ignore a Life Saving Rule then we are disrespecting those that lost their lives in the same way. Please learn from the mistakes of others, if nothing else. |
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So why do people not always follow the Life Saving Rules? A point to ask yourself is how much do your staff really understand them? Yes, we might be able to quote them if asked but do we all really understand them in any depth? Ask: what a newcomer understands by a piece of "Safety Critical Equipment”? What is a "Confined Space"? What is "Safe Journey Management" to a person new to Oman and PDO? Simply being able to state them does not mean we understand them. Take time out with your staff to make sure they really and deeply understand what they mean and how they relate to their individual roles, responsibilities and the work they are tasked to complete. |
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PDO's new investigation section have analysed the 2014 incidents and identified the most prevalent Life Saving Rules broken which led to death or serious injury as speeding, with six breaches, followed by poor working at height with three breaches; failing to log out and tag out came third with two breaches and then Safe Journey Management and Permit to Work breaches which both suffered a breach each. Too many people have lost their lives already from these risks, so always work with the thought in mind: "How can I be injured and how do I prevent myself being a victim?" Know your Life Saving Rules, live your Life Saving Rules and stay safe….and alive. |