What can we learn from disasters?
The recent investigation into a cable car crash in Italy which resulted in the death of 14 people highlights why circumvent safety systems are never a good idea.
Temporary repairs in high risk environments need very careful consideration.
When the temporary repair is detrimental to a critical safety part within a machine, or in this instance a cable car, that can never be acceptable.
As a health and safety advisor our main messages are:
- Planned maintenance instead of temporary fixes are critical for safe operation of machinery or equipment
- It’s essential processes, risk assessments and maintenance rotas are generated and shared with staff
- Checking the qualifications of contractors providing services is essential to ensure you are getting the best fix or advice
- Embedding a safety culture with zero tolerance to short cuts, poor fixes or interference with safety critical parts prevents accidents
- Having a system in place where incidents, near misses or break downs are recorded will help with visibility of all site activity
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