TRAP
Take Responsibility for Accident
Prevention
TRAP
• TRAP stands for “ Take Responsibility for
Accident Prevention.”
• The TRAP program is an employee-driven
program of identifying, evaluating, and
eliminating hazards in the workplace.
• It’s a program that involves both the miner
and the manager.
How are traps set in the workplace?
TRAPS may be set by …
• Normal mining practice
A 21-year-old oiler was doing cleanup
work next to an energized conveyor
belt. He noticed some built-up
material under one of the return rollers.
21 year old caught in conveyor
TRAPS may be set by…
• The workers
A welder and two other workers were
installing a pipe as part of a new
construction project in a plant. They were
working on a platform 33 ft off the ground.
They had removed a section of the
walkway, 2ft x 4ft, to install the pipe.
43 year old falls through platform
TRAPS may be set by…
• Changing conditions
A foreman was in the process of thawing out a
platform truck scale by using a hand held
propane tank. He had placed the tank with
torch under the scale platform and covered
the scale with tarps to retain the heat. He
returned later that day to add another
propane tank.
38 year old dies in explosion
TRAPS may be set by…
• The environment
A bulldozer operator was working his dozer
next to a 120’ highwall. During the week
the operation had experienced heavy rain
and some freezing temperatures.
48 year old covered by falling material
TRAPS may be set…
• Due to poor communications
A worker was helping move some rail cars at
a crushed stone operation. The rubber-tired
tractor was used to move the cars. The
coupler between the rail cars and the tractor
had disengaged. He stepped between the
tractor and rail cars to reopen the couplers.
63 year old crushed between rail cars
TRAPS may be set…
• Through design
A worker was helping a coworker clean and
drain a paddle log washer at the end of the
day. The drains had become clogged with
material and he entered the log washer to
remove the material from the drains.
51 year old caught in machine
One Study Results
1 Major injury
10 Minor injuries
30 Property damage accidents
600 Incidents with no apparent
injury/property damage
The 1-10-30-600 Ratio
The relationships in the ratio indicate quite
clearly how foolish it is to direct our total
effort at the relatively few events ending in
serious or disabling injury when there are
630 opportunities to identify “TRAPS” that
provide a much larger basis for more
effective control and elimination of hazards.
In an article titled “Fatal Accidents on the rise
in 1997: A Cause for Concern”
– Near misses need to be considered as warnings,
analyzed, and used to prevent more serious
accidents from occurring.
– Near misses are incidents which usually
indicate the presence of a hazard - or in other
words a “trap”.
• Traps come and go in the workplace daily,
depending on the work activities and the
employees.
• Some are simple, such as a cord stretched
across a walkway.
• Some are more complex, such as a poorly
designed set of controls on a mining
machine.
• Given just the right combination of
inattention, timing, and bad luck, a trap can
spring its teeth with serious results.
• What’s often discouraging is that, during
many accident investigations, we find that
the hazard, or trap, had existed prior to the
accident (even involved in a near miss), but
went unreported and uncorrected.
Why?
• The question is, “Why did the trap remain
until an accident/incident happened?”
• Who had the opportunity to identify and
correct the TRAP?
• How many near misses had occurred in the
past?
Common Reasons Given
• Poor understanding of the importance of
reporting
• It’s someone else’s job - not my
responsibility
• Production pressures - don’t have time
• Fear of discipline
• Concern about personal accident history
• Don’t want to get involved
Common Reasons Given
• Fear of medical treatment
• Knock one out of the safety incentive
program
• Desire to prevent work interruption
• Concern about relationship with others
• Peer pressure
• No system in place to report or collect near
miss situations
• No one cares
• There are many other reasons employees
don’t come forward with information
concerning hazards or near miss situations.
• If only employees could understand that
near miss situations present the best
opportunity to get involved in accident
prevention.
• Near misses are free opportunities to
identify, evaluate, and eliminate existing
“traps” in the workplace.
• Employees are in the best position to
recommend solutions to the problems when
identified.
• They often know how to “disarm” the trap
situation, if asked to do so.
• MSHA looks to management to provide a
safe and healthful work environment for the
miner.
• But we should not forget that the Act
intended for all employees to be involved
and assist in making the workplace safer.
The Mine Act
• On the first page of the Act, Section 2,
Congress declared: (e) “the operators of
such mines, with the assistance of the
miners, have the primary responsibility to
prevent the existence of such conditions and
practices in such mines” that would result in
death or serious injury.
• The intent was that management would be
assisted by the miners in providing a safe
workplace.
• The emphasis of this program is not on
analyzing accidents which have already
happened, but on capturing near miss
information or identifying existing traps
which have not produced injury or lost time.
• That is not to say it is not important to
properly analyze and correct reportable
accidents.
• Incident analysis should always take place.
• The purpose of this program is to encourage
employees to report near miss situations or
existing “traps” along with helping
management find reasonable and
economical solutions to problems.
• The key to the program’s success is to get
all the employees involved.
• This starts by addressing the barriers to
reporting near miss events and creating
incentives for identifying “traps”.
• Companies need to encourage employees to
be “TRAP” hunters and find ways to
dismantle any traps found.
• Old incentive programs which reward
employees for not having accidents must
evolve into programs which reward
employees for reporting near miss situations
and existing “traps” along with
recommendations to eliminate the hazard.
• “Take Responsibility for Accident
Prevention” is a pro-active program.
• Trap involves the worker, the supervisor,
management, and even MSHA.
• The goal to make the workplace safer for
everyone.
Questions to consider
• What are common “traps” at your mining
operations?
• What methods are used to identify “traps”
in the workplace?
• Are you responsible for identifying and
removing “traps”?
• Do supervisors have responsibility to
identify and correct “traps”?
More Questions
• How can “trap” hunting benefit you?
• How can “trap” hunting work at your
company?
What do I need to get started?
• Establish a program
– KISS (Keep it simple sweetheart)
• Provide TRAP training for employees
• Develop a method of reporting “traps”
• Develop a procedure for evaluating
solutions
• Establish benefit of reporting
• Recognize those who participate
• Share results
TRAP Committee
• Organize a TRAP committee made up of
management and labor to review and
evaluate “trap” suggestions which are
submitted.
“TRAP Buster” of the Month
• Recognition
• Award/Reward
• Send suggestion to MSHA’s Accident
Reduction Program
Summary
• Remember: The overall objective and goal
of the program should be to identify and
eliminate workplace “traps” before they
have a chance to snap shut on a worker.
Additional Topics Addressed in
the TRAP Program:
• PowerPoint programs
– Task Training
– Supervisory Responsibility
– Miners’ Rights and Responsibilities