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Corrective vs preventive action: what is the difference on construction sites

For subcontractors and safety managers: corrective actions fix a problem that happened. Preventive actions stop a similar problem happening elsewhere. How to use both in safety follow-up.

By Reldro · · 1 min read

Reldro My corrective actions.

Two kinds of action

For your subcontractor crews, use this guidance with the current work phase, trade responsibilities and approved procedures in view. Keep your safety manager involved in record reviews and follow-up. This guidance supports record keeping and coordination, not technical authorization to carry out the work.

A corrective action fixes the cause of something that has already occurred, such as repairing a guard after a near miss. A preventive action addresses a potential problem before it occurs, such as checking guards on similar machines.

Use both after an investigation

Good investigations produce both kinds.

  • Corrective: fix the specific cause found
  • Preventive: check where else the same cause could exist
  • Both: assign an owner, a due date and a way to verify

Verify effectiveness

Closing an action is not the same as confirming it worked. Plan a check after a reasonable period to see whether the problem has returned.

The takeaway

Fix what happened, look for where it could happen next, and verify that both actions actually worked.

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