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International Edition
August 24, 2010
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In This Issue
Investigations and Accidents/Lessons Learned
2010 Summit News
Attend a 1-Day Software Course
Win an iPad!
Career Development
Wisdom Quote
TapRooTŪ Around the World
Register for a TapRooTŪ Course
J.O.K.E. of the Week
Editor's Note: What Are You Wearing to the Summit Costume Reception?
Connect With Us ...
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President's Question
mark1Dear Readers:

I have two topics to consider this week. They both go back to prior questions and are somewhat related.

The first topic is about the rewards people get for doing good investigations.

Here are the results from my unscientific survey of TapRooTŪ users:

Never received rewards from management for a good investigation: 76%

Received a verbal "Atta-Boy/Girl" for investigations: 20%

Received a financial reward for investigations: 4%

Here's the actual answers for your review:

http://www.taproot.com/wordpress/2010/08/05/rewards/

I didn't find these statistics surprising.

I also found it interesting that many of the investigators said that performing a good investigation and seeing people's jobs get better (safer) was reward enough.

However, if managers want good investigations, shouldn't they be rewarding what they want? Isn't this basic management?

Therefore, one major improvement that management should consider for improving investigations is to start a systematic evaluation of investigations and rewards for good investigations.

What do you think? Is this a good idea? Let me know by commenting here:

http://www.taproot.com/wordpress/2010/08/23/should-management-reward-investigators-for-good-investigations/

The second topic is about what Summit participants have learned from past Summits.

You can read the comments here:

http://www.taproot.com/wordpress/2010/08/12/summit-recommendations/

After I read the comments, I thought:

"The Summit could be a reward for good investigations!"

Because so many investigators are proud of their ability to help improve performance, what could be a better reward than sending them to a Summit with other like-minded individuals where they can improve their skills and learn new best practices?

So take action! If you have some good investigators working for you ... send them to the Summit in San Antonio (October 27-29) as a reward.

What if you are an investigator who does good investigations? Maybe your boss needs a hint about rewards. Maybe you should forward this newsletter to him/her to read?

That's all for this week. Good luck improving performance (and getting rewarded!).

Best regards,

Mark

Mark Paradies
President
System Improvements, Inc.
http://www.taproot.com

Investigations and Accidents/Lessons Learned
Are you attending the VPPPA Conference in Orlando this week?  If you are, please come by the TapRooTŪ Booth (#503) and say hello and have a chat about root cause analysis.  Mark, Linda, Ken and I (Dave) will all be there (Read more).

Construction Fatality in Australia:  PowerPoint presentation about an accident that occurred near Townsville, Australia (Read more).

Canary in a Coal Mine - Managers in China's Coal Mines Haven't Stopped Accidents:  Associated Press reports that China's mines have not suddenly become "safe" after China's Premier ordered mining managers to go down in the mines with the miners (Read more).

CSB to Investigate Accident that Killed Two Workers at Horsehead Holding Company:  CSB Press Release (Read more).

Tough Criminal Attorney to Head Deepwater Horizon Prosecution:  A Houston Chronical story (Read more).

The Ugly Effects of Budget Cuts:  I was talking to a root cause analyst the other day and he couldn't see how budget cuts could cause a major accident (like BP Deepwater Horizon or BP Texas City) (Read more).

Rewards:  When was the last time you were rewarded for a good investigation? (Read more.)

Investigation into the Derailment of a Passenger Train at East Langton, near Market Harborough, Leicestershire, on 20 February 2010:  UK Rail Accident Investigation Branch Press Release (Read more).

King Tut Needed Root Cause Analysis:  New research suggests that King Tut was killed by a chariot accident (Read more).

Can You Demonstrate a Strong Safety Culture? "Safety Culture" has been a topic of increasing interest since the term was first used in the report on the Chernobyl accident (Read more).
2010 TapRooTŪ Summit News
Tie StringDATES TO REMEMBER

TapRooTŪ Summit:  October 27-29, 2010
Special 2-Day PreSummit Courses:  October 25-26, 2010
Live Music/Costume Party:  October 27, 2010
TapRooTŪ 7th Annual Scramble Charity Golf Tournament:  October 29, 2010

The Summit Hotel and Host City are:
The Westin Riverwalk, San Antonio, Texas
Learn more:  http://www.taproot.com/summit.php

Summit

BEST PRACTICE TRACKS

Here are some details about four of the nine Best Practice Tracks at this year's Summit.  Read next week's edition to learn about more tracks:

Investigation, Troubleshooting & Root Cause Analysis

Improvement Program

Corrective Actions Program

Behavior Change and Stopping Human Error

TESTIMONIALS


A first time attendee's thoughts about the Summit:  Are you thinking about registering for the first time?  Hear what someone just like you had to say about his experience (View video).

An attendee shares what he is taking back to his facility from the Summit:  2010 is an extremely important year to catch up!  Get back on the improvement track and create a plan to revolutionize performance at your facility (View video).

IMPORTANT INFO ABOUT SCHEDULING

Customize your Summit Schedule and Take Your Improvements to New Heights!  Ever attend a conference or training event, and walk away feeling like there was one piece of the puzzle that you really needed an answer to but you just didn't get? We want to assure you that you won't feel that way about the TapRooTŪ Summit! (Read more.)

Which Summit Track is Right for You?
  Have you registered for the Summit?  October 27th will be here before you know it, so don't procrastinate! We'll be posting detailed track information every Tuesday and Thursday to help you with your decision (Read more).

New this Year:  SPECIAL TOPICS:  You've always had the option to replace any best practice session on your track with a session from another track, but this year you can also choose from a list of special topics to make your track the perfect fit (Read more).

Exclusive 2-Day Courses = Awesome Discounts for Summit Attendees!  Most of these courses are only offered once each year.  Don't miss out! (View courses.)

NETWORKING, KEYNOTE SPEAKERS, AND BEST PRACTICE SESSIONS

TapRooTŪ Summit Returns 170% More Than a Regular Conference - What an Investment!  What conference has 170% more than other conferences? Well then, lets look at each of the percentages for proof (Read more).

CERTIFIED INSTRUCTORS

TapRooTŪ  Instructors:  Maintain Your Certification:  What does it take to maintain your TapRooTŪ Instructor certification?  Every two years you must attend the TapRooTŪ Summit and one of the pre-Summit Courses (Read more).

TRAVEL PLANNING

Summit Travel Planning:  Have you started your planning to attend the TapRooTŪ Summit?  Now is the time to plan the trip to get the best airline fares (Read more).

VIDEO:  Why We Chose San Antonio as Host City:  The Westin Riverwalk hotel offers spacious meeting rooms, a well laid-out facility that allows attendees to move around without bottlenecks and delays, as well as covered terraces where attendees can step out of the hotel to make a phone call or review notes while enjoying a Riverwalk view (View video).

2010 Summit: Enjoy Yourself without Ever Leaving the Conference Hotel:  San Antonio, a city with a vibrant night life, is the host for the 2010 Summit ... but we didn't forget travelers who are content to just relax in the hotel after a busy Summit day (Read more).

Riverwalk Restaurant Reviews:  TapRooTŪ staff picks:    Schilo's and Boudro's
Attend a 1-Day Software Course


What better way to learn and become proficient at using the new version 5 TapRooTŪ software than to attend a 1-Day Software Course? 

We have developed this course as an optional supplement to the normal TapRooTŪ courses, giving the students a chance to learn the ins and outs of the software tool.  The course can concentrate on either the Single-User software, or (for our licensed clients) we can use your Enterprise installation to show you how to customize the global reporting and networking functions of the software to make your investigation process much more user-friendly.  (Read more.)
Win an iPad!
Enter the TapRooTŪ Best Practice Contest!  Submit your TapRooTŪ Success Stories to editor@taproot.com (please type "Best Practice Submission" in the subject line) for a chance to win an iPad.

iPad

The contest will run six months (deadline:  January 27, 2011, 6:00 p.m.).  All entries will be shared on the Root Cause Analysis blog.  Readers can vote for the Best Practices Success Stories that are most useful to them by simply clicking the "Like" button.  In the event of a tie at deadline, the in house instructors at System Improvements will select the winner by vote.

Please submit your Best Practice in a Challenge/Actions/Results format.  Here are some examples:

Ciba Vision

Canyon Fuel Company

Rohm & Hass

Intel

Enter as many Best Practice Success Stories as you like. 

Don't forget -- the upcoming TapRooTŪ Summit is all about best practices, so be sure to enter the ideas you learn and implement at your facility!

If you need help with your entry, contact editor@taproot.com.
Career Development
Employment Opportunities for Candidates with Root Cause Analysis Training

Penang, Bukit Minyak - Flextronics - Manager Root Cause Failure Analysis (View opening).

(View more openings.)

P.S. Thinking about registering for a course to add to your personal resume?  Our worldwide calendar of public courses can be found at:  http://www.taproot.com/courses.php
Wisdom Quote

Never assume the obvious is true. ~ William Safire

TapRooTŪ Around the World
Seattle
Seattle 5-Day Advanced Root Cause Analysis
Team Leader Course (View photos).

Portland
2-Day TapRooTŪ Incident Investigation
and Root Cause Analysis Course
held Onsite in Portland (View photos).

Bogota
TapRooTŪ 3-Day Root Cause Analysis
and Equipment Troubleshooting Course in Bogotá (View photos).

Don't Wait!  Register for a TapRooTŪ Course
Don't wait! TapRooTŪ Courses fill up and have waiting lists - a sign that the economy is picking up.  What courses have filled up lately?  (Read more.)

Course


 PUBLIC 2-DAY TAPROOTŪ INCIDENT INVESTIGATION AND ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS (Outside of North America)

AUSTRALIA, Adelaide:  November 22-23

AUSTRALIA, Brisbane:  September 22-23 and December 2-3

AUSTRALIA, Gladstone:  November 11-12

AUSTRALIA, Karratha:  October 4-5

AUSTRALIA, Melbourne:  September 20-21 and November 25-26

AUSTRALIA, Perth:  September 6-7 and September 9-10 and October 7-8 and November 18-19

AUSTRALIA, Singleton:  October 7-8

AUSTRALIA, Sydney:  September 20-21

ENGLAND, Birmingham:  October 13-14

INDONESIA, Batam: September 2-3

MALAYSIA, Kuala Lumpur:  September 29-30

QATAR, Doha:  November 16-17

SCOTLAND, Aberdeen:  December 2-3

SINGAPORE, Singapore:  November 10-11

PUBLIC 5-DAY TAPROOTŪ ADVANCED ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS TEAM LEADER TRAINING SCHEDULE (Outside of North America)

AUSTRALIA, Brisbane:  October 18-22

AUSTRALIA, Perth:  October 25-29 and December 13-17

AUSTRALIA
, Singleton:  November 15-19

CHINA, Hong Kong:  September 6-10

ENGLAND, London: November 8-12

MEXICO
, Monterrey:  September 27-October 1

NEW ZEALAND, New Plymouth:  September 6-10

QATAR, Doha:  September 26-30

SCOTLAND, Aberdeen:  September 20-24


SINGAPORE
, Singapore:  September 13-17

PS:  We have a course for Spanish speaking clients planned in the U.S. (San Antonio, Texas) October 25-26.

View our worldwide calendar of courses at:

http://www.taproot.com/courses.php

J.O.K.E. of the Week
laugh
Editor's Note:  What Are You Wearing to the Summit Costume Reception?
Dear Readers,

Alison (our 2010 Summit planner) and I put our heads together this morning to decide that very important question:

What will we wear to the Summit Costume Reception?

Since the Summit is close to Halloween, we are inviting everyone to wear a costume to the Summit reception. 

We had some pretty good ideas, including coming as exhausted TapRooTŪ team members (after all, it will be after a full day of learning at the Summit!).  But we came up with a costume that fits the theme of our event in that the characters we are coming as have lots of enthusiasm just like our speakers and attendees!

So disguise yourself in your best get up and win awesome prizes this year by coming to the reception in costume! 

LEARN MORE about the plans for the Summit Reception!

We'll see you at the 2010 Summit!

Best regards,

Barb Phillips

Editor & HR Rep
System Improvements, Inc.
editor@taproot.com
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