DOES YOUR TEAM HAVE SAFETY LEADERSHIP WORTH FOLLOWING

Safety leadership is defined as the process of interaction between leaders and followers, through which leaders can exert

their influence on followers to achieve organizational safety goals. The feature of this definition that

most often confuses people is the concept of leaders and followers

A Real Leadership Role

Successful leaders are prepared to set out in new directions - to find new opportunities and different ways to take things forward.

Successful leaders begin with their people. They build a shared vision, then together determine what destination "success" should mean.

Successful leaders find the new and look to the future. They don't rest in the past.

Safety InitiativesHow safety initiatives often look:

Top level rhetoric about the importance of safety in site value hierarchy (i.e. versus production)

Targeted training or “canned courses” presented as a reward or incentive

System implementation – Without attention to employee engagement! Not integral to job performance criteria

The futility of safety enforcement

What happens when you have a safety enforcement environment rather than a safety culture?Practically all “canned” safety programs put the Safety Manager,And supervisors in the role of safety police!

Safety Dynamic Curve of Change

Change Initiated

Initial ResistanceInitial Acceptance

AcceptanceAnd

IntegrationPhase

Decline Phase

Time Line

All organizational programs, safety initiatives, etc., Have a defined life span

Safety Dynamic Curve of Change

Change Initiated

Initial Resistance Initial Acceptance

AcceptanceAnd

IntegrationPhase

Decline Phase

Re-inventing / Re-Investing Team

A cross-functional team that develops new ideas and or approachesto existing problems and or identifying elements which may be both known and unknown to the organization

Change initiative must occurPrior to the decline phase!Why?Because in the decline phase, theStandard response is to “cut” Spending and programs.

Time Line

The Reality of Change in Organizations

5% 10% 80% 5%

Explorers Pioneers Homesteaders Resistors & Saboteurs

Percentage of Employee Engagement

Leadership is not:

Not Power - •Power derives from status, money, ability to harm, access to media or control materials•A Thug who sticks a gun in you back has “power” but not leadership

Leadership is not:Not Status - •Status or position may enhance the opportunity for leadership•Some in a high status or position haven’t got a clue how to leadNot Authority –• A person may have subordinates, but not followers•People will only follow if a person acts as a leader

Leadership is not:

Not Management - •Management is an organizational skill•Managers preside over procesesses, functions and program

The leadership role, more than any other function, shapes and influences the culture that produces performance outcomes

Impact of LeadershipExcellent safety performance is about getting the right behaviour from people.•Although necessary, it is not about systems and procedures.

As a leader, you have a tremendous impact in the field by what you: Say Do Don’t say or don’t do

Visible Leadership

Primary Key for achieving Safety Success:

SAFETY LEADERSHIP

=VISIBLE COMMITMENT

Health & Safety Pyramid

Fatality

Lost Workday

Recordable Injury

First Aid Case

Near Mishap Property Damage

Consequences

ChoiceCause

Knowledge Desire AbilityFactors That Influence Choice

Trai

ning

Haza

rd P

reve

ntio

n &

Cont

rol

Occ

upat

iona

l Hea

lthEm

erge

ncy

Prep

ared

ness

Lead

ersh

ipEm

ploy

ee In

volve

men

tW

orks

ite A

nalys

isIn

ciden

t Inv

estig

atio

n

Insp

ectio

nsIn

dust

rial H

ygie

neHealth & Safety SystemElements

• Nothing we do is worth getting hurt• Safety can and must be managed• Working safely is a condition of

employment

• Every injury could and shouldhave been prevented

• Safety is everyone’s responsibilityValues

Risk Management Model

TERMINATEEliminate the

Exposure

TREATSafety and LossControl Activities

TOLERATEAcceptable

Level of Risks

TRANSFERInsurance

Non-insurance

IDENTIFY all

Loss Exposures

EVALUATEthe Risks

IMPLEMENT

MONITOR

Leadership Safety Strategy & Framework

Committed leadership Employee driven Basics done well Focus on greatest potential

improvements Recognize and manage risks

Committed Leadership Benchmark leadership behaviors Expected leadership actions and

behaviors Leadership roles, responsibilities and

relationships Inspecting the progress of your health

and safety efforts Educating leaders in effective health and

safety management Conducting on-site leadership audits

President or Vice President

Begin all meetings with safety Plug yourself into the management

process Review serious incident reports Conduct safety audits / inspections Fund safety commensurate with its

importance Monitor lagging / intermediate / leading

performance indicators Assure Your Direct Reports are getting the

job done

Direct Reports / Regional Managers

Safety holds a 20% weighting in PMP Safety discussed in all team meetings

and conference calls Quality review of all level 1 and 2

incidents Quarterly safety audits / inspections Withhold capital if safety is poor Sponsor safety benchmarking exercise Travel to site of serious incidents

Unit Manager 2–4 hours per week on the floor Attend / lead crew talks Celebrate production records only if

safety is good Sponsor / kick off “safety focus”

initiatives Orient new hires in safety policy,

principles and values Never walk by a hazard

Making Contact Ask if this is a safe and convenient time Open on a personal note Explain what you are doing Recognize positives Ask what the major hazards are Are hazard controls in place / working

well Communicate observed opportunities Coach substandard actions if necessary Close on a positive note

Your Role as a Leader• Excellent performance requires your leadership• As a leader you should know:

how our safety programs work and your role in them the importance of leadership in getting the right behaviours

Leading in the Field• ‘Walk the talk’• Demonstrate your commitment with visible actions• Follow-through with actions• Never turn a blind eye• Hold others accountable

Consistent

FairFirmBe

Your Job as a Safety Leader is to…• Explain the HSE process to employees• Provide effective feedback• INTERVENE: NEVER walk past an unsafe act or

condition. To do so is to approve or condone the activity or condition

• Seek to understand WHY the situation or behaviour was that wayAnd so correct the problem, not treat the symptom

At-Risk BehaviourIf you see someone taking a risk, you are authorised to:

Stop the jobTalk to them

Explain the riskExplain the safe way

If you are ignored & they continue to take the risk,

Report it

Personalise your leadership… Use words like

I need you to…My expectations are…

I want you to...Not

The Client want you to…WHS Advisor requires…

My boss wants…

Actions Speak Louder Than Words • Lead by example • Employees will subconsciously follow your actions

They always pick up the bad habits first!• Show them the way• Nominate individuals and teams for awards and certificates

Recognition

• Give plenty of verbal recognition to individuals and teams for jobs well done

Let individuals and team known when you observe their safe behaviour

Use pre-start safety talks to provide feedback • Catch your team doing the right thing!!

Safety Leadership Journey

Raised Awareness

PersonalApproach

Inspire Others to Behave Safely

SystemProceduresPoliciesForms

ComplianceLicence to Operate

Discover andshare otherways of operating

Why we arehere today

Leadership Ongoing Journey

Transactional - Tasks(Talk at and Tell)

Build Relationships

Transformational

(Conversation)

(Consultation/Mutual Respect)

Understanding Peoples BehaviourABC Model

ActivatorEvents that precede behaviour and prompt it.Have 20% impact impact on behaviourE.g. Training, personal beliefs, behaviour of others, past experience, requested to do something

BehaviourThings people say and their actionsBehaviour determines performance

ConsequencesEvents that follow behaviourHave 80% influence on whether behaviour occurs again

Understanding Peoples Behaviour

Principles of ABC

Majority of all incidents are caused by people behaving in unsafe ways

Understanding employee behaviour is fundamental to the success of creating a safe workplace

Premise of model is that all Behaviour (B) is a function of its immediate environment.

Factors such as Activators (A) and Consequences (C) of each behaviour trigger and sustain it

ABC Model Activator – Aspect of the environment,

precedes and influences behaviour Eg – Others are doing it or The right tool/plant not available

Behaviour – Something you can see, every day – every task – Its either safe or unsafe

Consequence – Every behaviour is followed by a series of consequences

How we reward Unsafe Behaviours

How we punish safe behaviour indirectly

Key MessageABC Model is a cultural change toolMoves culture from one that inadvertently encourages unsafe behaviour and punishes safe behaviourTo one that increases positive behaviour through reinforcement

Psychology of Influencing Others

ReticularActivating System(RAS)

The part of the brain that determines what we are going to pay attention to

You can program your RAS

You can program other peoples RAS

Influencing Positively with RAS questions

Leading an Effective Toolbox Talk/Pre-Start Meeting

• Target

• Engage

• Ask Questions

• Mutually Agree

REMEMBER

YOU are responsible for safety

YOU are the KEY to safety

Summary of Safety Leadership Attributes

Safety Leaders

Recogniseand Reward

Participate &Communicate

Inspire &Motivate

Leadby Example

ProvideResources

ShowConcern

SafetyImprovement

Role Model Build Trust

The Champions for change Develop change and

improvement momentum by building around the champions who are most likely to make the effort succeed.

They will help to bring the others on board.

They are also the ones you and everyone else can learn the most from.

Resistance Strategies

Don't automatically label resistance to change as negative and something to be overcome or beaten back.

Resistance Strategies

The real enemy of organizational change, is apathy. "Just tell me what you want done, boss, so I can get out of this place and on with my real life" is the attitude that kills change.

Resistance Strategies

Resistors often have strong passion and high energy. They resist because they care. Understand the roots of their resistance and re-channel it.

Get them inside the circle of wagons, shooting out.

Active worker involvement

Employee input is especially valuable during:

• Risk analysis • Developing policies and interventions• Providing pertinent observations during training and

implementation

Of Shepherds and Herders

Defining an Organizations’ Culture

Three Levels of CultureArtifacts

Espoused Values

Basic Underlying Assumptions

Visual organizational structures and processed ( hard to decipher)

Strategies, goals, philosophies (espouses justifications)

Unconscious, taken for granted beliefs, perceptions, thoughts and feelings (ultimate source of values and actions)

Safety CultureHow then to create an enduring, positive safety culture?

•Requires a “whole of system” approach

•Requires changes to individual behavior and also those factors that influence and sustain individual behavior

•Requires total engagement of every manager and front-line supervisor!

BASIC SAFETY CULTURE

Begins with hiring procedures Established through an engaging employee

orientation program Style and effectiveness of safety meetings Style and effectiveness of safety training Quality and focus of inspections Rules and policies that are consistent and fair Quality of safety equipment Safety techniques and procedures

BASIC SAFETY CULTUREPeople don’t respect what you don’t inspect!

Think Safety All The TimeEven if you were born to do a job, it doesn't necessarily mean that you're

going to automatically do it safely....Remember that no matter how many times you've done a job before, be sure to think the whole thing through before you start.

You've carefully thought out all the angles. You've done it a thousand

times. It comes naturally to you. You know what you're doing, it's what

you've been trained to do your whole life. Nothing could possibly go wrong,

right? ? ? Think again...

Develop an Effective Safety and Health Program

Do you have a written Safety & Health Program for your employees?

Do you train all employees in all aspects of your Safety & Health Plan?

Do you unilaterally enforce the provisions of your Safety & Health Program? With hourly and salaried alike?

Why do I have to write it all down?

You need to make sure that all training is consistent

Make sure that all employees are trained to the same specified minimum standards

You know that training is at least adequate

Your employees know what to expect of you…and you know what to expect of them

It will save you TIME and MONEY!

Create a Positive, Functional Work Culture

Never allow the “old timers” to influence newer workers with shortcuts, unsafe acts, bad safety attitudes etc.

Cause each employee to WANT to go home safe…happy employees are effective employees

Reward employees when you “catch” them doing their job right Doesn’t have to be money or gifts (bribes)

Top Down or Bottom up?

Are your top supervisors and managers (or you, the owner) committed to safety? REALLY COMMITTED?

Do your employees follow your safety guidelines? ALWAYS?

What happens when someone in your employ does not comply with the safety program? DO YOU HAVE A DISCIPLINARY PROGRAM? WHAT DOES YOUR DISCIPLINARY PROGRAM

LOOK LIKE? DO YOU USE IT WHENEVER NECESSARY?

Workplace and Equipment Examinations

Examination of working places Performed by “competent person” Before employees go to work Immediately correct any problems

encountered Record all examinations & hazards Record all corrections to observed/recorded

hazards Keep records on file for at least one year

Eliminate Accidents from Occurring Rather than Investigating Accidents

If you have a hazard in your workplace If you allow a violation to continue to

exist, it will eventually hurt someone Look at all near misses, determine

causes, eliminate problems BEFORE they injure or kill someone or damage your equipment

If we eliminate Near Misses from occurring, accidents will be reduced

Does your Safety & Health Program Eliminate Confusion?

Are your intentions and desires regarding work practices clear?

Develop Good Communications in Your Workplace

Encourage open communications regarding safety and health issues

When employees are confident you’ll listen, they’ll tell you what is wrong! And help you fix it!

Never punish an employee for reporting a “Near Miss”

Use the “Learning Cycle” rather than the “Blame Cycle” How can WE fix this problem (learning)? vs. why

did YOU mess up (blame)? When employees ask honest questions, give

them honest, real answers!

Lead By Example!

“Walk your Walk…Talk your Talk” When you require employees &

contractors to wear PPE in a specific work area, make sure you also wear the same (required) PPE

Safety rules MUST be enforced unilaterally with out regard to the individual

When you require your employees to wear seatbelts on the job, make sure they never catch you without yours in use!

Regular, Periodic Safety Meetings

Keep safety in mind at all times & meet frequently

Discuss infrequent or unusual jobs before doing them (special meetings, if necessary)

Confirm & reinforce existing Safety and Health Policy

Present and discuss new or proposed new safety and health policy

Update employees on new health & safety regulations

Questions?