Identifying and Controlling Hazards
Course 101
Safety Certified Supervisor Series

MODULE SIX: PROBLEM SOLVING TECHNIQUES

Solving safety problems

Solving safety problems centers around two key strategies:

• Solving the surface cause problems. Eliminating/reducing the hazardous conditions and unsafe work practices that represent the actual/potential surface causes of accidents, and
• Solving the root cause problems. Improving inadequate or missing safety and health policies, programs, plans, pronouncements, processes, and procedures (The Six P's) that represent the actual/potential root causes for accidents.

Developing solutions to surface cause problems may occasionally require different tools and techniques than those required to solve root cause problems. So, we'll first review the problem solving tools and techniques that help address surface causes, and then shift gears somewhat to discuss problem solving for root causes.

 

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