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'Time Out' for Safety'
7/12/2004
 Recent news reports and articles heralded the
implementation of safety measures intended to prevent surgical
errors in hospitals. A series of double checks are now
required in operating rooms prior to surgery to ensure the
correct procedure is being performed in correct location on
the correct patient. One important part of this protocol
required by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of
Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) is a safety 'Time Out' that
is to occur immediately prior to the initiation of the
surgical procedure. If you're the one undergoing 'the knife,'
this probably sounds like a great idea. Doesn't this also
sound like a great idea for your jobsites'
Many
contractors have recognized the importance of pre-shift safety
'Time Outs' on their construction jobsites. Although they may
differ from company-to-company and from site-to-site,
pre-shift briefings help communicate hazards employees could
expect to encounter during their upcoming shift.
These
briefings or 'Time Outs' offer an important opportunity for
crews to discuss the activities that are to be performed
during the shift, hazards that are likely to be encountered,
and provide employees a chance to ask questions or obtain
important clarifications. If shift work is occurring, these
briefings also provide an opportunity to review progress made
during the previous shift, as well as hazards that were
encountered and how they were addressed.
'Time Outs'
differ from weekly 'Toolbox Talks' that have become more and
more commonplace on construction sites. 'Toolbox Talks' are
brief presentations that are intended to provide information
on a safety topic that applies to activities being performed
on a specific jobsite. However, task-specific 'Time Outs' are
intended to occur at least daily and should represent hazards
associated with the work or the work areas involved in the
day's activities.
What sort of information should be
discussed at the 'Time Out'' Many firms have had success
utilizing information contained in their Job Safety Analysis
(JSA) documents. These documents exist under many names, but
will typically identify specific subtasks (or components of a
task) along with specific hazards associated with each.
Countermeasures are also identified that can be implemented to
minimize or eliminate the hazards.
If JSAs are not
available for the tasks being performed, a simple recap of
anticipated activities can occur. This could entail a
discussion of the specific activities that will be occurring
during the shift and possible hazards associated with the
tasks. For example, if a crew was going to install lighting
components by using stepladders, the 'Time Out' would very
likely include discussing the visual inspection of ladders
that will need to occur prior to use to verify they're in
proper condition. Proper ladder usage in the specific work
areas might also be included in the discussion along with how
hazardous energies are to be isolated during the work during
the shift' If applicable, how is the Lockout/Tagout procedure
implemented for the work area'
'Time Outs' should be
documented and retained by the company. A simple form or even
a handwritten document can be prepared at the site and
reviewed and initialized by crewmembers following the
discussion. These documents should also verify the date and
the location of the work activity. However, an important
aspect of the 'Time Out' is the verbal interaction that can
occur among the crew. Their ability to identify potential
problem areas that could be encountered shouldn't be
understated. For this reason, the practice of simply preparing
a form that is to be initialed by the crew won't be as
effective as a genuine two-way discussion.
So, whether
it occurs in a surgical theater or on a commercial
construction project, a daily safety 'Time Out' is a quick,
inexpensive way of identifying known hazards and verifying
countermeasures are in place prior to the initiation of work.
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