ANALYSIS AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE KENTUCKY TRANSPORTATION CABINET’S SERIOUS INJURY AND FATALITY PROGRAM

Serious Injuries and Fatalities (SIFs) within construction and maintenance industries indicate severe vulnerabilities within workplace safety, and their prevention requires the highest priority. SIFs usually occur due to systemic failures, and proactive steps must be taken to identify and neutralize high-risk scenarios. Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) has recently implemented a safety management system called BOOTS, for improving incident reporting and analysis along with SIFs. This study identifies gaps in KYTC's SIF reporting framework and provides analysis on recurring incident trends utilizing the incidents already reported in the system. While current practice in KYTC relies on event-based decision tree when classifying SIFs, it provides less learning opportunities for analysts. Considering these limitations, this study proposes a new High Hazard Model, an adaptation of the Safety Classification and Learning (SCL) framework focusing on high hazard tasks for the construction and maintenance industry. The analysis revealed recurring causes like vehicular collisions and equipment- related injuries, often enhanced by hazardous weather and the lack of adequate safety controls. Some major deficiencies of management controls were found to point to further preventive measures to be employed. These findings will help KYTC to develop better incident reporting and safety planning practices.