Root Cause Analysis | Episode 339

This month we're still covering management and culture systems.

And on today's warehouse safety Tips, we're talking about root cause analysis.

So stay tuned.

Welcome to Warehouse Safety Tips.

If you're a seasoned Vodcast viewer, this Vodcast is going to be different from most that you watch.

It's based around exactly what the name implies, Warehouse safety Tips.

And since the people in this industry.

Are busy, we know that time is money.

So each episode will be as short and to the point as possible.

And now, with all that out of the way, let's get to the Vodcast.

When an accident happens on the floor, it's easy to point fingers.

It could be a pallet spill, a forklift that hits a rack, a worker that trips over a stray strap.

It happens fast, it can be very dangerous, and it can be painful or even fatal.

The quick reaction is to right up the worker and move on.

Case closed, right?

Wrong.

Blaming that individual is going to stop you from finding out what really went wrong.

Real protection comes from digging deep and fixing broken operational systems long before another injury happens.

Stop labeling every mistake as human error.

Look at your daily facility processes instead.

If a tight floor layout is going to force a forklift operator to to make blind turns every hour, the hazard is the floor layout.

If rushed quotas are going to force crew members to skip basic steps, then the hazard is in the schedule.

Fixing the core problems are going to protect every worker in your facility for years to come.

And here are a few tips that are going to help you with root cause analysis.

Number one, you want to use the five whys method.

Ask why an event happened, then ask four more times to find the underlying failure.

Two, you want to look past worker mistakes during the investigation.

Focus on bad lighting, poor training, broken equipment, or flawed maintenance schedules instead.

Three, you want to involve floor workers in every review.

The crew knows how work gets done on the floor better than anybody in an office.

And last, but certainly not least, number four, you want to turn near miss events into practical training lessons.

Share what failed openly so that the entire team learns how to avoid the same trap.

Again.

As always, these are potential tips.

Please follow your facility's rules and regulations.

Treating close calls and incidents as learning opportunities is going to change the whole mindset in your facility.

It's going to build trust across every shift.

Workers are going to actively report hazards when they know management will fix the broken gear rather than hand out punishment.

Fix your core processes and safe results are going to follow.

Naturally.

Small adjustments in how you investigate incidents today will prevent major injuries tomorrow.

Make your facility a place where learning replaces blame and where every crew member returns home safely every single night.

That's what we strive for on this podcast and thank you for being part of another episode of Warehouse Safety Tips.

Until we meet next time, have a great week, stay safe and here's a word from our sponsor.

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We hope you enjoyed this episode of Warehouse Safety Tips.

If you visit warehousesafetytips.com you'll find the show notes for this episode and access to all of our blog posts, previous podcast, advertiser information, and much more.

Thank you for listening to Warehouse Safety Tips and have a safe day.