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Capacity Model

PGI is in the people business and we know that people are fallible. We always choose prevention, but we realize that mistakes will happen. Because mistakes happen, we have to create the capacity to absorb failure without causing harm. To be ready, we will plan and execute work assuming that failure could happen at any moment. We will learn from each job, each mistake and success – to continue getting better in every aspect.  Safety is not the complete absence of injuries – it is the presence of capacity.  Safety is not just a policy – safety is the core of who we are and always at the forefront of our focus.

Message from Caleb Scheve:

“The Capacity Model is a paradigm shift in safety management. It is the antithesis to archaic, ineffective, penalty-based “gotcha” safety approaches by utilizing scientifically based, human-centered data and principles.”

People Make Mistakes

Error is normal. Even the best people make mistakes.

Failure Can Occur Safely

We will always plan and execute our work as if failure is going to happen today. It’s not if, it’s when.

Context Influences Behavior

Workers do what they do for a reason, and the reason makes sense to the workers given the context of the situation.

Violations are rarely, if ever, malicious

Blame fixes nothing.

Incidents can stem from normal deviations

How we imagine work takes place is different from how work actually takes place.

Management's response to failure matters

Managers shape how the organization learns by the their reaction to failure.

Learning is a deliberate Improvement Strategy

Learning is a strategic and operational choice towards improvement

The Energy Wheel

PGI recognizes that every injury is the result of the unwanted release of and contact with one or more energy sources. PGI utilizes the Energy Wheel when identifying hazards on the jobsite by equipping workers to recognize sources of energy and methods to control and eliminate the hazard.

Energy Wheel

STKY Discussions

It’s important for crews to start focusing on STKY scenarios that could occur on their jobsite. Significant events are a result of a release or transfer of energy that can’t be absorbed safely.  When high-energy exposure exists, we must have capacity to fail safely.

STKY discussions are informal chats with crews about the stuff that can kill them on the jobsite. These discussions focus on identifying STKY discussions, determining what controls are in place that build capacity within the work, allowing them to fail safely, then asking, “Is that enough?”. STKY discussions highlight the hazards within our industry that have a history of killing individuals (electric contact, driving, struck by/line of fire, etc). Compliance-based safety talk is not part of these discussions. Rather, they are focused on high-energy hazards that are present on the jobsite.

Message from Robert Bell:

“You will hear during PGI safety meetings and orientations about “STKY” and/or “Failing safely”. This is a program designed to target hazards that can cause serious injury. While prevention and education are important pillars to our safe work execution, the STKY program encourages PGI employees to consider various risks and plan to fail safely. PGI recognizes that human beings will make mistakes. The key element to this program is to develop failsafe plans that allow us to make a mistake while providing capacities (or barriers) to serious injury. This process is discussed and developed each day as part of the JSA (Job Safety Analysis). As PGI employees, you are strongly encouraged to plan a method to fail safely when mistakes happen.”

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