BHP - Driving safety forward

How it all works together You’ve explored the four types of controls, seen how they apply across time, and learned how support factors strengthen every layer. Now, let’s bring all the elements together into one view, a clear picture of how a strong control system works across an incident timeline. The strongest systems combine automatic, human, and protective responses - reinforced by people, systems, and support factors that make them work when it counts.

Controls should be present at every phase of an incident

Select each type of control to see examples of the control at every phase.

Interrupt Control Control interrupts sequence by itself.

Real safety is layered. No single control is enough.

Assisted Interrupt Control Control interrupts sequence with assisting action from person.

Support factors: The invisible layer that connects it all

Human Action Interrupt Control Control interrupts sequence when human acts only based on skills, knowledge and perception.

Support factors don’t just sit at one point in time, they strengthen every other control, no matter when it’s used. For example:

Damage Reduction Control

Control acts by reducing damaging energy exchange with person.

Control acts in Post-Event phase by reducing the time for medical response.

Support factors have a “many-to-many” relationship with controls. Every strong control is backed by more than one system and every support factor strengthens more than one control.” “

Training supports pre-event recognition and post-incident response.

Fatigue Management improves operator alertness during every phase.

Maintenance ensures systems like

automatic brakes and alerts actually work when needed.

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