Page 36 - OHS, April 2021

FIRE SAFETY
We Cannot Let Complacency or Progress Outpace Safety
Ensuring that professionals and practitioners are skilled on safety basics and emerging threats can be an uphill battle.
BY JIM PAULEY
Several years ago, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) went through a rebranding effort to emphasize the global reach of the organization and to underscore the role that we all play in protecting people and property from harm. We landed on the tagline, “It’s a big world. Let’s protect it together.”justasaseriesofmajorbuilding, electrical,fireandlifesafetytragedieswere unfolding around the globe.
Given the call to action in our new slogan and the concerning uptick we were seeing in alarming incidents domestically and abroad we began to develop a framework that would help others to connect the dots on safety. The result was the NFPA Fire & Life Safety EcosystemTM.
The Ecosystem emphasizes that safety is a system—not a singular action, piece of equipment or event—and it features eight interdependent components that play a critical role in reducing risk. When the Ecosystem cogs work together, people and property are protected; but if something is missing or broken, the Ecosystem can
collapse, often resulting in tragedy.
While each of the Ecosystem components are important, there are two that are particularly noteworthy because they call for a skilled workforce and effective preparedness and emergency response. Poorly trained workers can be a danger to themselves and create dangers for others. Shoddy work can also affect business outcomes and the bottom line, so the Ecosystem reminds us that, regardless of our positions and responsibilities, we all need to be lifelong learners and to hold others accountable for skilling up on a regular basis. We highlight instances where workers have succeeded or failed at competencies in the Ecosystem in Review, a report that reflects on incidents, both big and small. The 2020 edition of the Ecosystem in Review references an incident in India that prompted a cloud of styrene gas to escape a plastics facility, killing 11 and prompting others to collapse in the streets. According to a top official, unskilled labor mishandled maintenance work and because of that, gas leaked, and lives were
lost. Had the workers understood the consequences, perhaps they would have more diligently followed protocols during India’s coronavirus shutdown to ensure that the styrene tanks did not warm up.
It is critical that laborers, gas-pipe fitters, fuel tank technicians, repair crews, refinery workers, solar panel installers, architects, and others follow and apply codes, standards, standard operating procedures, and manufacturer guidance to avoid catastrophes. Unfortunately,
32 Occupational Health & Safety | APRIL 2021
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