Serious injury and fatality prevention

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A serious injury or fatality (SIF) is a lifethreatening injury or illness that is likely to lead to death or to be life-altering, leaving the worker very limited or without use of an internal organ, body function, or body part. A few examples are significant head injuries, paralysis, and amputations.

Managing routine safety programs without identifying SIF potential can leave your business vulnerable. It takes a different approach to address SIFs, which can be broken down into ten categories, called the Fatal 10. The Fatal 10 have a higher degree of risk when combined with red-flag situations. You need to look closer to identify gaps and make sure tight prevention measures are in place when the Fatal 10 and Red-flags combine. This list is not all-inclusive; it outlines the most common categories and combining risks.

Fatal 10

Vehicle/equipment operations
Working at heights
Workplace violence
Machine hazards/lockout failures
Hazardous materials/environmental exposure
Electrical/arc flash hazards
Fire/explosion/hot work
Confined spaces/trenching/engulfment
Suspended loads
Struck by objects and equipment

Red-flag situations

Nonroutine work
Stressors - physical/environmental
Fatigue
Production pressures
Inadequate supervision and follow-through
Working alone
Inadequate operating procedures, training, or follow-up
Poor equipment or task design
New employees
Lack of engineering controls

For more on this topic, visit our serious injuries and fatalities.