OH&S
Critical Incidents Management System(CIMS)™
CRITICAL INCIDENT REPORTING
DELIVERING PEAK PERFORMANCE WITH MINIMISED RISK
INTRODUCTION:
The relationship between critical incidents in the workplace and actual accidents is very well known.
What is less well known, until now, is the role of human factors in accident/injury outcomes.
Mental fatigue and physical strain are highly correlated factors to critical incidents and eventual accidents.
Developments in neuroscience measurement enable OH&S professionals to ensure employees working in high pressure and stress full environments are not fatigued, are able to concentrate and perform in a highly focused and productive manner.
Employees who report critical incidents or who are exposed to high work injury environments can be quickly assessed using a simple, validated and reliable neuro scientific measurement of the Autonomic Nervous System(ANS).
USING THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM(ANS) AS AN EARLY WARNING SYSTEM TO PREVENT INJURIES:
The ANS is a part of the Central Nervous System of the human that controls all internal organs and systems eg, heart, lungs, intestines, glands, etc.
The ANS consists of two branches: the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system. Both systems always work together and against each other. This provides a very fine tuned mechanism of regulation of all physiological functions of the organism.
The Sympathetic nervous system acts for most internal organs as an activation mechanism. For instance, it causes the heart to beat faster and stronger, constricts lung airways, and makes glands produce more of their specific substances for example.
The Parasympathetic nervous system acts for most internal organs as a calming mechanism. For instance, it causes the heart to beat slower and weaker, lungs to relax airways and glands to produce less substances.
In a healthy human organism both systems work in a very fine tuned balance providing long-term functional stability, endurance and high adaptation. Depending on various external and internal factors sometimes the sympathetic system may highly increase its activity to concentrate all efforts too cope with those factors. However once they are overcome, the parasympathetic system takes control over an organism and puts it back into a balanced state.
When the various pathological processes take place, the ANS may have difficulties in maintaining its balance, so each branch may substantially increase or decrease its activity and make it hard to balance them out and revert back to optimal functioning.
HOW DOES IT WORK?:
Critical Incidents Management System (CIMS)™ uses measurement of an individual’s heart rate variability(HRV) as an indicator of the functioning of the Autonomic Nervous System(ANS).
A simple and sophisticated measurement method analyses minute changes of the time intervals between consecutive heartbeats produced by the brains Omega wave patterns. This provides a reliable and accurate quantitative analysis of both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.
CRITICAL INCIDENT ANALYSIS:
The OH&S professional can quickly see the volume of the employees physical system, the strain on their psychological system and the likelihood of being able to perform with concentrated effort that minimizes accident potential.
Psychological fatigue and physical strain are highly correlated with critical incident reporting and injury outcomes.(See above).
The technique is delivered by the OH&S practitioner, is non invasive and uses a simple ear clip connected to a personal computer to gather data.
The employee is required to sit relatively still for 5 minutes.
A report for feed back is generated immediately allowing for a structured improvement protocol to be put into place.
MINIMISING ACCIDENTS WITH CIMS™:
When identified as outside the Zone (homeostasis) the likelihood or potential for accidents in accident prone environments becomes unacceptably large.
OH& S practitioners, with the data gathered can put into place an individualized program for employees to reduce the risk to themselves and the organization where identified.
These can include psychological initiatives, physical programs, work environment changes including looking closely at work practices, shift effects and results from demanding work places.
A number of programs are available including FAST(Fatigue And Stress Turnaround Program)
OH&S practitioners undertake a program with Dr Rodski to train in the use of the technology and its application by them back in their work place.
For further details please email Dr Rodski.
stan.rodski@mind.net.au
Contact Details:
Office:
U 3/35, Davis Ave,
South Yarra, 3141
Vic, Australia
Ph: +613 8518 1088
Clinic:
L 3/415, Bourke St,
Melbourne, 3000
Vic, Australia
Ph: +613 9642 0700
Mail/Correspondence:
P.O.Box 51
Malvern 3144
Vic, Australia
