Being open to questions: Working through the Hierarchy of Hazard Controls
Without this becoming an advertisement for LinkedIn, I do think that there's a lot of interesting content from a wide variety of sources, and there's one that really piqued my interest recently. I know we've talked in the past about the Hierarchy of Hazard Controls as a means of managing safety risks (primarily as it relates to where you "have to" install emergency eyewash equipment), but the changes that The Joint Commission is making relative to the surveying of the physical environment is making me think that being able to frame the management of risks in the environment as a function of the Hierarchy is going to play an even greater role than has been the case. I think any time the regulatory landscape "flattens" in terms of a clear identification of the specific barriers that need to be surmounted only increases organizational vulnerability.
At any rate, bringing us back to LinkedIn, Dangerously Uninformed is a series of articles dealing with integrating safety, quality, and productivity into work processes. The primary audience is comprised of construction professionals, but the general concepts apply to any environment in which safety risks are managed. I freely admit that the title of the series is what initially caught my eye, but the content is definitely what prompted me to subscribe—it's useful and presented in a compelling way. The maiden article dealt with the genesis of the series title (my take) as it draws the line across to "what you don't know could kill you." The second article takes on the fundamental principles of hazard analysis and assessment and the questions to ask when one is looking for the way forward, by way of the Hierarchy of Hazard Controls. I would encourage you to really take this content to heart, particularly in how you're preparing your organization for survey (which includes making sure that folks know who the subject matter experts are in your organization). While we never want to be disrespectful to a surveyor in the moment, we also don't want to roll over when a surveyor feels that we're not managing a risk correctly If you need a hint as to what/when that might be, it does seem to frequently involve the installation—or lack thereof—of eyewash stations.
When it comes right down to it, it is a question of whether a risk is being appropriately managed. And if you don't think "appropriate" can be interpreted, I believe the removal of so many standards and performance elements is going to shift that burden even more strongly to the individual safety professionals to "make their case" in a fashion compelling enough to be embraced by point of care/point of service staff.
About the Author: Steve MacArthur is a safety consultant with The Chartis Group. He brings more than 30 years of healthcare management and consulting experience to his work with hospitals, physician offices, and ambulatory care facilities across the country. He is the author of HCPro's Hospital Safety Director's Handbook and is an advisory board member for Accreditation and Quality Compliance Center. Contact Steve at stevemacsafetyspace@gmail.com.