Interview with Hans van Selm, Salvetti Foundation, Italy

Dear Mr. Selm, in the conference “NO accidents” you will deliver a presentation. What are the main accents in it?

We learned that so called deep learning only will be achieved when we work together in an open and transparent incident investigation culture.  Also, small incidents are relevant. A dropped object which did not harm people can also be valuable to investigate. It could occur again with fatal consequences.  For major accidents we use the so-called Tripod analysis. A methodology developed to find different root causes. By reviewing a number (10/15) of analysis a number of root causes can be highlighted as new focus areas for further improvement. In order to support all learnings, the oil & gas industry established the HSElife platform.

Which are the main factors and measures to avoid unexpected accidents?

Leadership and regular safety field visits are necessary to reach a safe workplace. Leaders have to connect, engage and inspire their staff. Three value drivers are important on the work floor; Respect - Comply and Intervene. This should be supported by the so called 12 golden rules.



Why it's worth investing in solutions for more safety and security reliability and what are the leading trends in this field?

Goal Zero means no accidents. Saving lives – Saving Millions. Investing in people is investing in your best asset. A new trend in organizations is identifying what went right instead of where they have failed, or where they might fail in the future. The big development in 2018 was the ISO 45001 which put greater focus on employee engagement, management commitment, organizational context and risk-based thinking. We will also see that the capabilities of man and machine coming together due to increasing digitalization, drone and robot technology in maintenance. Finally, we still have time to think about mental health, which is quickly becoming a huge burden for all of us.