Prioritize SIFs, Save Lives

SIF stands for serious incidents and fatalities. SIFs aren’t just another category of workplace incidents; they’re the ones that matter most. For example, both a paper cut and a near miss involving a forklift may be logged as an “incident,” but only one could be fatal. Given this reality, even if your workplace hasn’t had a near miss or SIF recently, your organization could still be at high risk for a tragedy.

Here’s the good news: Every SIF is preventable. That’s why companies with the most advanced safety programs are changing how they approach risk to prioritize SIF prevention.

The Power of Potential SIFs

Potential SIFs, or pSIFs, are near misses or lower-severity incidents that could have resulted in a SIF if one or two factors were different. They help organizations:

● Expose where critical safeguards and controls are weak or missing
● Show how a critical safeguard can prevent the worst outcome
● Provide the opportunity to learn and improve safety efforts

A Plan of Action: The NSC SIF Prevention Model

The NSC SIF Prevention model was created to be a free, adaptable tool than can fit existing safety systems or be used by organizations who are just getting started. The guidebook and tools leverage the Plan, Do, Check, Act framework to assess risk and prevent future incidents.

SIF Prevention Webinar Series

From Risk to Reality: A Simplified Approach to SIF Prevention
Serious Incidents and Fatalities (SIFs) remain a critical challenge across industries. Part 1 of our webinar series begins with a practical primer on SIF prevention, including what defines a SIF, why traditional metrics fall short and how exposure-based thinking changes outcomes. We also explore the NSC SIF Prevention Model, breaking down its core elements and how organizations can apply it to identify high-risk tasks, strengthen controls and prevent life-altering events before they occur. Watch the recording.

What Safety Leaders Need to Know About the Relationship Between SIFS and MSDs
Serious incidents and fatalities and musculoskeletal disorders are often addressed through separate safety strategies, yet both frequently stem from the same underlying work design and system failures. Part 2 of our webinar series – co-hosted by the MSD Solutions Lab and the Applied Ergonomics Society – examines how ergonomic risk and high-severity injury potentially intersect in real-world work environments. Watch the recording.