Larry Pearlman

Stop Work Authority has been utilized in industry for over 25 years to authorize employees to cease work if they perceive unsafe behaviors or conditions present. This has undoubtedly led to saving lives and preventing injuries. What would happen if we flipped the concept upside down and asked employees to only start work when the conditions are safe to do so? This session will engage participants to explore a new concept that combines human factors, fatality prevention and barrier thinking into a powerful way to reduce risks. Fundamental to implementing 'Start Work Authority' is the need to identify high-consequence risks, e.g., fatality potential events and defining how human factors are identified and mitigated before and during work activities. Participants will outline an approach to adapt 'Start Work Authority' to their organization as well as define the steps to achieve leadership support for this approach.

The first 90 days of employment are critical for the entire employee experience. This period sets the tone for safety, personal success and furthering the overall safety culture. Those first 90 days are typically the most dangerous of any employee’s career. Despite these facts, most organizations fail to engage employees, provide memorable moments or teach them about risk and mitigations. This session explores the imperative to get the first 90 days right, build relationships and set the tone for the organization’s safety culture. Participants in this highly interactive session will take part in group discussions about how the first 90 days integrate within the broader safety culture. There will be a simulation of what the new hire will experience once onboarded, outlining the best practices for managing work and risk. These challenges are particularly relevant as businesses struggle to attract and retain quality employees. Gain innovative examples of techniques to reduce the risk of injury in the first 90 days.

It has been said that there is an elite set of firms in high-risk industries that consistently achieve industry-leading Total Recordable Incident Rates. Much like their TRIR, they stand apart not by accident but by design. Year over year, they have a TRIR of 0.05 or less. They think about risk and safety differently. Safety is embedded into their DNA. Are they masters of the universe? Not necessarily, but they are the best of the best when it comes to safety. While these firms may sound mythical, this is not safety fiction. The best of the best are masters when it comes to human factors, leadership, risk, and culture. They adapt technology and look to see the risk that’s just around the corner. These firms manage the details and think about HECA and Chronic Unease daily—all will be explained. Learn their secrets and more in this interactive session with real-world examples. Integrate your entire SafeStart Forum experience into action plans to set your safety improvement journey into hyperdrive!