Professional and Career Topics

I'm curious what others think about the need to greater publicize this important initiative? I'm not a practicing structural engineer but have worked on safety critical issues and know the value from learning from others to prevent incidents. Attached is an article from the September 2019 CE Magazine that provides more details on CROSS and link to site https://www.cross-us.org/. I also see strong parallels between this initiative and the Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP), the reporting system used by the airline industry. I'm also curious what others think about the similarity between CROSS and ASAP and how they might learn from one and other.

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Mitch Winkler P.E., M.ASCE
Houston, TX
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Thank you for your posting on this Mitch.  Andy Herrmann and I (the two Directors of CROSS-US) believe passionately that the CROSS system is an important and necessary tool for us to learn from failures and safety incidents so that we can improve practice and avoid future problems.  The CROSS system has been shown to be very effective in the UK since it was introduced there in 2005.  CROSS system was actually modeled on the US Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS).  We in CROSS-US communicate regularly with ASRS, so that we can learn from each other.  

We are working hard to raise awareness of CROSS-US.  Coincidentally, Andy and I will be presenting on CROSS at the ASCE Convention this coming Thursday, October 29.  (Everyone, sign up, listen in, and bring your questions.)  We have also been presenting to individual engineering firms interested in CROSS, so let us know if you would like a presentation to your firm. (glenn@...  / andy@...)  CROSS-US is an entity of the Structural Engineering Institute of ASCE, and both SEI and ASCE have been very proactive in helping to spread the word.  Also, I would encourage all to sign up to receive CROSS email alerts at www.cross-us.org.

We are always looking for more ways to spread the word.  Please post any ideas here.

Glenn Bell, P.E., S.E., CEng, F.SEI, F.ASCE, FIStructE 
Director, CROSS-US

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Glenn Bell P.E., S.E., CP, F.SEI, F.ASCE
Glenn R. Bell Consulting
Acton MA
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Hi Glenn (and Andy):

Not to be presumptuous (as I don't know how far and wide you've shaken the trees)  but an idea for dissemination would be to ask each the State boards that regulate engineering to include an awareness blurb in a forthcoming (e) newsletter. Additionally, is there an opportunity to set participation in CROSS as a prequalification requirement for public / private projects? it feels like both public and private entities would see value in this as a risk mitigation measure.

Regards,

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Mitch Winkler P.E., M.ASCE
Houston, TX
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Original Message:
Sent: 10-27-2020 10:11 AM
From: Glenn Bell
Subject: Confidential Reporting on Structural Safety (CROSS) Awareness

Thank you for your posting on this Mitch.  Andy Herrmann and I (the two Directors of CROSS-US) believe passionately that the CROSS system is an important and necessary tool for us to learn from failures and safety incidents so that we can improve practice and avoid future problems.  The CROSS system has been shown to be very effective in the UK since it was introduced there in 2005.  CROSS system was actually modeled on the US Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS).  We in CROSS-US communicate regularly with ASRS, so that we can learn from each other.

We are working hard to raise awareness of CROSS-US.  Coincidentally, Andy and I will be presenting on CROSS at the ASCE Convention this coming Thursday, October 29.  (Everyone, sign up, listen in, and bring your questions.)  We have also been presenting to individual engineering firms interested in CROSS, so let us know if you would like a presentation to your firm. (<maskemail>glenn@...</maskemail>  / <maskemail>andy@...</maskemail>)  CROSS-US is an entity of the Structural Engineering Institute of ASCE, and both SEI and ASCE have been very proactive in helping to spread the word.  Also, I would encourage all to sign up to receive CROSS email alerts at www.cross-us.org.

We are always looking for more ways to spread the word.  Please post any ideas here.

Glenn Bell, P.E., S.E., CEng, F.SEI, F.ASCE, FIStructE
Director, CROSS-US

------------------------------
Glenn Bell P.E., S.E., CP, F.SEI, F.ASCE
Glenn R. Bell Consulting
Acton MA
------------------------------

Mitch,

Great suggestions.  We are studying the idea of certifying study of CROSS reports for pdh's.  Your suggestions bring new dimensions to the idea of the relationship of CROSS to licensure.

Thank you.

Keep the ideas coming.

Glenn

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Glenn Bell P.E., S.E., CP, F.SEI, F.ASCE
Glenn R. Bell Consulting
Acton MA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 11-04-2020 05:05 PM
From: Mitchell Winkler
Subject: Confidential Reporting on Structural Safety (CROSS) Awareness

Hi Glenn (and Andy):

Not to be presumptuous (as I don't know how far and wide you've shaken the trees)  but an idea for dissemination would be to ask each the State boards that regulate engineering to include an awareness blurb in a forthcoming (e) newsletter. Additionally, is there an opportunity to set participation in CROSS as a prequalification requirement for public / private projects? it feels like both public and private entities would see value in this as a risk mitigation measure.

Regards,

------------------------------
Mitch Winkler P.E., M.ASCE
Houston, TX
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 10-27-2020 10:11 AM
From: Glenn Bell
Subject: Confidential Reporting on Structural Safety (CROSS) Awareness

Thank you for your posting on this Mitch.  Andy Herrmann and I (the two Directors of CROSS-US) believe passionately that the CROSS system is an important and necessary tool for us to learn from failures and safety incidents so that we can improve practice and avoid future problems.  The CROSS system has been shown to be very effective in the UK since it was introduced there in 2005.  CROSS system was actually modeled on the US Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS).  We in CROSS-US communicate regularly with ASRS, so that we can learn from each other.

We are working hard to raise awareness of CROSS-US.  Coincidentally, Andy and I will be presenting on CROSS at the ASCE Convention this coming Thursday, October 29.  (Everyone, sign up, listen in, and bring your questions.)  We have also been presenting to individual engineering firms interested in CROSS, so let us know if you would like a presentation to your firm. (<maskemail>glenn@...</maskemail>  / <maskemail>andy@...</maskemail>)  CROSS-US is an entity of the Structural Engineering Institute of ASCE, and both SEI and ASCE have been very proactive in helping to spread the word.  Also, I would encourage all to sign up to receive CROSS email alerts at www.cross-us.org.

We are always looking for more ways to spread the word.  Please post any ideas here.

Glenn Bell, P.E., S.E., CEng, F.SEI, F.ASCE, FIStructE
Director, CROSS-US

------------------------------
Glenn Bell P.E., S.E., CP, F.SEI, F.ASCE
Glenn R. Bell Consulting
Acton MA