Worker Safety and Risk Management should be Part of WO Process

CMMS products create work orders, reference safety plans and document failures. But worker safety and asset integrity still requires a thoughtful process. Therein, it is up to leadership to develop the necessary steps that ensure safety. When designing a CMMS there are several places to insert safety precautions and identify hazards. This information can be stored in safety plans and linked to assets/locations. But the onus still remains with the leadership team to do the right thing at the right time. Note: all pink boxes represent opportunities. Examples of this are:

On March 31st, 2013

A major event occurred at a power plant during a scheduled shutdown. A 500-ton turbine generator stator fell to the floor while being moved, killing a contractor employee and injuring 8 others while causing extensive damage. Bigge Crane & Rigging Co. of San Leandro, Calif., was hired to build a gantry, a bridge-like frame, to move a 550-ton generation turbine as part of a regular refueling operation. The job entailed lifting the turbine, called a “stator,” from its cradle, moving it over the turbine deck, turning it 90 degrees and lowering it onto a transport vehicle. OSHA penalized plant owner Entergy and three contractor companies for 30 safety violations related to the accident. OSHA Area Director Carlos Reynolds said, "This tragedy could have been prevented had the employer ensured vital safeguards to protect workers from potential hazards and proper planning for a project of this magnitude."

The question to be asked is ...

Was there proper oversight by HSE-Risk management to evaluate what could go wrong, and ensure people were not in the path of the moving stator, including those on the floor below?