Risk management in Preventing Accidents

Risk Management in Preventing Accidents
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The Swiss cheese model is hinged upon the premise that every stage in a system or process has inherent weaknesses; that if left unchecked can result into disaster. The model likens the processes or system with a stack of cheese slices with holes. The holes symbolize weaknesses such as human errors and weaknesses in the management systems. If an error occurs at any of the stages, it goes through the hole and it is only stopped or blocked if the next slice has no corresponding opening or hole. It means that each slice is a shield against further failure, and it is an opportunity to avoid an error. It is however clear that each stage has potential for failure, and if the holes are aligned, failure becomes inevitable. The model is a description of factors that combine to make an organizational accident. It recognizes that many parts of the organizations have a part to play in defending against catastrophes. The layers in the systems intercept chains of events that may otherwise penetrate leading to loss. The theory predicates that for failure to occur, it is preceded by a series of simultaneous errors in the system or process of the organization (Beuzekom, Boer, Akerboom, & Hudsone, 2010).
In healthcare settings, risk management entails preventing the chances of accidents and harms occurring. There are different factors that contribute to errors such as human factors, system errors, culture and environmental factors. The factors may be categorized into latent failures and active failures. Human factors propagate active failure while organizational factors propagate latent failure. Latent failures may stem from strategic decisions, planning and communicating, budgeting, resource allocation, understaffing, insufficient training, inadequate tools and maintenance, as well as time constraints. Active failures may include factors such as operator errors and violations and deliberately overlooking policies and procedures. Risk management is thus critical in addressing the culture, processes and structures to reverse the potential adverse effects and utilize the potential opportunities (Reason, 1997).
Risk management plays a vital role in preventing accidents in clinical practice. Risk management measures take either a person approach or a system approach. The person approach measures may include poster campaigns that depend on people’s sense of fear, enacting new procedures, implementing disciplinary measures, and shaming non-compliant personnel among other measures. The measures aim at changing medical practitioners’ attitudes those results in unsafe acts like poor memory, carelessness, poor attention, motivation and negligence. System approach measures change the organizational conditions in which human’s work that often lead to errors (Reason, 2000).
Reliance on person approach meas...