1. Risk Tolerance Factor # 1 Over Estimating Capability or Experience
Strategies for Understanding and Addressing
Risk Tolerance
Factor # 1 Over Estimating Capability or Experience

2. Overestimating Capability or Experience
10 Factors That Influence Risk Tolerance
Overestimating Capability or Experience
Familiarity with the Task
Seriousness of Outcome
Voluntary Actions and Being in Control
Personal Experience with an Outcome
Cost of Non-Compliance
Confidence in the Equipment
Confidence in Protection and Rescue
Potential Profit & Gain from Actions
Role Models Accepting Risk
A belief that ones physical ability (strength or agility) will allow them to do the task without injury or that years of experience (wisdom) will prevent any adverse situations.
Factor # 1 relates to a belief that ones physical ability, strength, agility, reaction time and reflexes can be utilized to prevent an incident. This is over estimating capability. This factor also relates to situations where an experienced worker will rely on their years of experience and their knowledge of the task as justification for doing the work a certain way ... a way that may in fact have higher risk.

3. Over Estimating Physical Capability
A belief that an incident or injury can not occur due to excellent physical ability
Strength to be able to exert extreme forces
Strength to lift heavy loads without injury
A belief that pure physical ability can over come an adverse situation
Agility and reflexes to avoid injury
Ability to react fast enough to get out of the way of trouble
“I can lift 75 kg in the gym ... this won’t be a problem!”
We will deal with this factor in two separate parts. First we will address over estimating capability and second we will address over estimating experience and knowledge.
Over estimating physical capability is the belief that incidents and injuries won’t occur because the worker has the physical capacity to exert extreme forces and their body is in good enough shape and conditioning to withstand them. This can be a characteristic of a younger worker who is in good physical condition and has had situations where they have indeed exert extreme forces without injury ... possibly in a gym, in a sports activity or in another job. It may involve lifting loads beyond the recommend guide (see later in the presentation), pulling on tools or exerting forces on equipment.
It may involve situations where reflexes, speed, reaction time and agility are viewed as the ways to prevent an incident.
Here’s an excerpt from a near miss to demonstrate the point. Obviously in jest but a good example of this factor ...
“NW Field. EMS. IRT Hall Entrance. Ice build up in front of the door caused slippery conditions. As I walked in my foot slipped calling upon my cat like reflexes to spring into action probably saving my life. A lesser man could have been killed”.

4. Over Estimating Experience
“We’ve always done it like this!”
1. A belief that an incident or injury can not occur due to knowledge of the task
Knowledge to be able to predict an incident
Knowledge of previous experiences where the task was done the same way and no incident occurred
Root Cause Analysis Factor 4:
Not following the standard or procedure and procedure, not mitigating the risks has not resulted inn an incident in the past.
2. Relying on years of experience to predict and prevent incidents
Previous experience with the task resulted in no incident (whether or not it was done correctly)
Over estimating experience can evolve over time, in many cases, years. Past experience with a task or in a situation is relied upon as the method for preventing incidents. The believe is that the task won’t go wrong or result in an incident due to the experience of the individual to prevent it from going wrong or knowing exactly what to do if it does go wrong. For example, a worker may feel comfortable (safe) over pressuring a piece of equipment (tank, hose, etc) because they know the equipment has been pressure tested above the working pressure and previous occasions where working pressure was exceeded did not result in an incident.
Similarly, years of driving experience can build confidence in ones driving skills, but then when a worker is exposed to something that is slightly difference, the skill may not be there in that situation. For example, years of experience driving on pavement does not provide the experience needed for driving on gravel. Also, the past experience may not be exactly related to the current conditions.
Closely related to over estimating capability, the worker may not be able to execute the skill the way they did in the past. A worker who had hurt themselves shoveling snow stated during the investigation ... “I have been doing this for 35 years and don’t understand how I would have hurt myself1”. The facts being, 35 years ago the worker was 20 years old and in great shape and today they are a 55 year old worker, with a pot belly and deteriorating back and stomach muscles. The past experience is not related to today’s situation and risk tolerance has increased.
“I’ve driven in worse conditions than this and did just fine!”

5. Over Estimating Capability and Experience
Strategies for addressing risk created through over estimating capability and experience:
Reflect on your role as a mentor:
- the person watching may not have the same physical capability or experience, therefore do it the safe way so that they can learn
Acknowledge that the physical capability and skill may be sufficient but then reinforce the way it is supposed to be done.
Use the Manual Handling and Lifting Guide:
- to communicate the safe forces and weights for manual handling and lifting
- to reduce the risks of injuries through over exertion
There are three key strategies for addressing the risk tolerance factor. First, reflect on your role as a mentor ... Is this the way you would teach a new worker to do the task? How would you teach a less physically fit person to do the task so that they would not hurt themselves?
Second, acknowledge the physical skills and capabilities of the worker but then reinforce the correct way of doing task. Refrain from getting into a debate about the worker’s capability as this could be seen as a challenge or doubt on their capability and may resulting in them demonstrating or ‘proving’ that they can do even more ... Exactly the opposite of what we want. We also need to identify those situations where the physical capabilities and skills may have deteriorated over time.
The Manual Handling and Lifting Guide is the definitive tool for this communication. It shows the safe handling and lifting forces that can be applied and helps the workers understand the safest zones for exerting forces and lifting. It is accompanied with the weights of common materials and objects as well so that workers can line the two components up to reduce the risks. This guide is available on a CD with all the components for a work group, contractor or business unit to build a Manual Handling and Lifting Guide specific to their work. Contact the Imperial Oil Resources safety team for a template.

6. Exercise and Discussion on “Over Estimating Capability and Experience”
Are there loads in our work place that require us to exceed the manual handling and lifting guide? Be specific.
Is there a task that I have done for many years without incident where I have seen others have incidents with? Are there any similarities in how I do the task to those who have had the incidents?
Do I know my own physical
limitations and capabilities
for manual tasks?
The intent of this slide is to generate a group discussion on very specific issues in this work place where this Risk Tolerance Factor may be an issue. Action items to address these should be documented with responsibilities and timing defined.
What are we going to do about these?

7. Stop and Think ...
Is this the best way to do this manual task? Do I have the right tools and equipment?