Preventing Serious Incidents and Fatalities (SIFs) in mining and energy industries

This research is a partnership between the Alberta Mine Safety Association, Energy Safety Canada, Alberta Construction Safety Association, University of Alberta, University of Calgary, and mining and energy companies – to better understand and reduce serious injuries and fatalities (SIFs). We are interested in knowing more about hazard recognition and critical controls, and human and organizational factors that may impact safety. The goal is to understand more about what might lead to a serious incident so we can better protect workers and save lives!

WHAT WILL BE ASKED OF YOU?

You will be asked to complete a short survey (about 10 minutes) about different hazards, characteristics of your work team, how they manage safety, and some information about yourself to understand how these factors might influence safety. You can skip any questions that you do not wish to answer. You may also be asked to participate in a short interview (about 30 minutes) that expands on these topics and aims to understand more about your personal experiences.

WHAT IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO PARTICIPATE?

This is totally fine! You are under no obligation to participate in this survey, or an interview and your participation is completely voluntary. If you would like to complete an alternative activity while others are completing the survey, you will be given the option to when you open the survey link.

SUBMIT A QUESTION OR CONCERN

If you have a question or concern about this research and/or Serious Incidents and Fatalities, please use the form. Include your contact information if you would like us to follow up with you. Your comments can remain anonymous if you would prefer. Submissions are shared with the research team.

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THE SIF PREVENTION RESEARCH TEAM

This research is driven by a dedicated team determined to end serious incidents and fatalities. They are committed to investigating hazard recognition, critical controls, and the human and organizational factors influencing safety. Their ultimate aim is to uncover the root causes of serious incidents to save lives by enhancing worker protection.

Dr. Lianne Lefsrud, Ph.D., P.Eng.

Lianne Lefsrud is a farm girl from Viking. She has worked in construction, railroading, and oil and gas. Her research examines methods of hazard identification, risk management, risk evaluation, and technology adoption in oil and gas, mining, pipelining, construction, agriculture, and railroading, among other industries. Besides doing internationally award winning research, she also provides policy and strategy advice to government and industry. She cares deeply about keeping her family, friends, and workers safe, which motivates her research and teaching.

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Dr. Fereshteh Sattari, Ph.D., M.Ed.

Fereshteh Sattari obtained her Ph.D. in Chemical & Materials Engineering-Process Control from the University of Alberta, Canada. As a Research Director and Instructor at the Lynch School of Engineering Safety and Risk Management, Chemical & Materials Engineering Department at the University of Alberta, she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses and supervises various research projects. Her research also includes enhancing safety management systems practices on construction projects: a proactive data-driven approach for project safety planning and control, and knowledge transfer in the oil & gas industry: a case study in the corrosion and integrity management sector. She is also a co-principal investigator in some pipeline and oil & Gas projects. In addition, she works with Alberta Innovates, researching codes, standards, and regulatory and insurance gap analysis for hydrogen value chain development. She also helps develop graduate course material and is in charge of developing new research and engagement proposals.

Dr. Ian R. Gellatly, Ph.D.

Ian R. Gellatly teaches courses and investigates questions having to do with the “people side” of business, especially when it comes to the kind of relationships that people form at work, and what this means for their day-to-day behavior and attitudes. Whether the topic is workplace safety, leadership, engagement/retention, or inclusivity culture, his work has found relevance within different work settings such as in Alberta’s primary industries (e.g., oil and gas; construction), non-for-profit agencies (e.g., people with disabilities), and health-care organizations/occupations. A strength over the years has been his ability to collaborate well with others and build strong research partnerships with industry partners.

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Dr. Tom O’Neill, Ph.D.

Tom O’Neill graduated from Western University and is Professor of Industrial and Organizational Psychology at the University of Calgary. He is the Arts-Engineering Chair in High Performance Teamwork and Engineering Education and Head of Industrial and Organizational Psychology. His interests are in socio-technical systems – specifically, the intersection of culture, technology, leadership and management, and behavior in team contexts. He teaches in Executive Education at the Haskayne School of Business and has published ~100 peer-reviewed journal articles and partnered with organizations extensively. He created www.ITPmetrics.com, which is a software platform for assessment, diagnostic, and development of high-performing teams in organizations with over 800,000 assessments taken worldwide.

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Samantha Jones, Ph.D. Candidate

Samantha Jones comes from a long line of construction workers (with some of her own experience operating equipment), farmers, miners, and first-responders. Keeping these folks safe has always been top of mind. She is currently finishing her PhD at the University of Calgary and works with ITP Metrics to give work teams the interpersonal tools they need to succeed. Samantha is keen to help individuals and teams reach their full potential and stay safe through conflict management, self-reflection, and optimization of their skills.

These organizations are proud partners in preventing Serious Incidents and Fatalities (SIFs)