Montana Safety Services Council20th Annual Safety ConferenceMarch 3 – 5, 2015

Bob WinstonVictory Insurance Company

SAFETY CULTURE… ELEMENTS THAT

DEFINE WHO WE ARE

Fish cannot see the water they swim in…Its invisible to them

Diff erent kinds of water…Breed different kinds of fish

Change the water and you will…Get different fish

For fish to survive they must…Have the right water

Bad water in the pond…Equates to bad fish

A FISHY ANALOGY

INSTANT GRATIFICATION…NOT!!

George Wills, Blacksburg, VA

Abraham Maslow…an American Psychologist who was best known for creating Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, a theory of psychological health predicated on fulfilling innate human needs in priority, culminating in self-actualization.

The concept was first presented in a 1943 paper, “A Theory of Human Motivation” and further addressed in his 1954 book, “Motivation and Personality”

CULTURE…AN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS

MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS

Self-Actualization…Acceptance of themselves and others; problem centered; appreciation for the world around them; independent.

Esteem…Confidence, achievement, self-esteem, respect of others, respect by others.

Social…Family, friendship, intimacy. Safety…Security of self, family, health, job.

Physiological…Breathing, food, water, sleep.

Douglas McGregor…Organizational Human Behavior Specialist during the 1960’s

Was famous for his formulation of theories addressing human motivation:Theory X (authoritarian management)Theory Y (participative management)

CULTURE…AN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

Theory X ('authoritarian management' style) The average person disl ikes work and wil l avoid it he/she can. Therefore most people must be forced with the threat of

punishment to work towards organizational objectives. The average person prefers to be directed; to avoid responsibi l ity;

is relatively unambitious, and wants security above all else.

Theory Y ('participative management' style) Eff ort in work is as natural as work and play. People wil l apply self-control and self-direction in the pursuit of

organizational objectives, without external control or the threat of punishment.

Commitment to objectives is a function of rewards associated with their achievement.

People usually accept and often seek responsibi l ity. The capacity to use a high degree of imagination, ingenuity and

creativity in solving organizational problems is widely, not narrowly, distr ibuted in the population.

In industry the intellectual potential of the average person is only partly uti l ized.  

THEORY X VS THEORY Y

Dr. Rensis Likert…Another researcher focused on human behavior within the industrial organization setting.

Examined different organization and leadership styles. Coined the term Organizational Climate

To achieve maximum profitability, high productivity, along with good labor relations, organizations must make optimum use of their human assets…Participative Management

Likert, Rensis, “The Human Organization”, 1967

CULTURE…AN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

Dan Petersen…Considered by many to be one of the fathers of modern day safety.

Was among the first to recognize and address the human behavioral side of safety.

Author of numerous publications addressing the human element and its relationship to the organization.

“Safety Management: A Human Approach” is a good reference book by Dan Petersen

Scott Geller: “The Psychology of Safety”; James Roughton: “Developing an Effective Safety Culture”; Donald Eckenfelder: “Values Driven Safety”

CULTURE…AN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

Shared philosophies, ideologies, values, beliefs, assumptions and norms (Kilmann, 1986)

Habits, folkways and norms that shape action (Westrum, 1993)

‘Culture’ is to an organization what ’personality’ is to an individual

CULTURE DEFINED

After the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant disaster in 1988 a new term was coined…Safety Culture by the INSAD

“The safety culture of an organization is the product of individual and group values, attitudes, perceptions, competencies and patterns of behavior that determine the commitment to, and the style and proficiency of, an organization’s health and safety management.

Organizations with a positive safety culture are characterized by communications founded on mutual trust, by shared perceptions of the importance of safety and by confidence in the effi cacy of preventive measures.”

INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR SAFETY ADVISORY GROUP

The way safety is perceived, valued and prioritized in an organization…Reflects the real commitment to safety at all levels within the organization (Skybrary)

“The way things are around here”

“How an organization behaves when no one is watching”

SAFETY CULTURE DEFINED

An Environment Where Everyone:Takes responsibility for personal safety and safety of others;

Follows all safety rules and regulations;

Makes suggestions to improve safety;

Promptly reports accidents, losses, near misses, unsafe conditions and unsafe actions

SAFETY CULTURE DEFINED

Management and Employees: Norms…Unwritten rules; Beliefs; Actions; Practices Attitudes…The way a person views

something/someone or tends to behave towards it, often in an evaluative way

Values…to regard or esteem highlyPolicies and Procedures:

Policies…Statement of intent; Rules of order; Course of action

Procedures…Sequence of activities; Step by step instructions

Managers, Supervisors…Priorities, responsibilities and accountabilities

Employee Hiring, Training and MotivationEmployee Involvement or Buy-InActions to Correct Unsafe Behaviors and

Conditions

SAFETY CULTUREGOOD OR BAD

IS THE RESULT OF

SOCIAL CONFORMITY CAN BE RISKY

George Wills, Blacksburg,, VA

Fact or Fiction… If workers are expected to Act, Think and Work safely much

of this will come from their perception of company values and culture, not from written policies and procedures…

Question… How would your company be described when it comes to

values, character, commitment and leadership…Your Culture?

What adjectives might describe your current business? Principled…Honest…Dedicated…Loyal…Committed…

Involved Misleading…Reckless…Cut-Throat…Unfair…Dishonest

SAFETY CULTURE

Leadership at the top and throughout the organization Management practices alone are not suffi cient All company workers must be engaged and involved All workers…management, supervisors, employees, and

even contractors must be empowered to achieve safety excellence

Strict adherence to regulatory compliance alone will not ensure safety excellence

Successful companies develop their own best practices to enhance their performance

Safety and health is a shared value, belief at all levels of management and among all employees

Employees must feel confi dent that the company values safety and health comparably with other values

Company-wide engagement enhances commitment

KEY FINDINGS TO SAFETY CULTURE EXCELLENCE

THE CONFERENCE BOARD: DRIVING TOWARD “0”RESEARCH REPORT R-1334-03-RR (2003)

Companies must clearly defi ne what employees are expected to do…Policies, procedures, rules and regulations

Safety is driven at the line supervisory level just as production, scheduling, costs and quality

Safety is incorporated into a business process as an operational strategy…Applying tools and techniques of good safety management not only reduces injuries and illnesses but also improves effi ciency, quality and production

Proactive safety measurements are implemented…”If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it; if you can’t manage it, you can’t improve it” Trailing indicators alone are simply not suffi cient any more, ie. OSHA recordable/lost time rates

Proactive measures…Unsafe observations; Safety meetings; Training sessions; Near misses; Documentation

KEY FINDINGS TO SAFETY CULTURE EXCELLENCE

THE CONFERENCE BOARD: DRIVING TOWARD “0”RESEARCH REPORT R-1334-03-RR (2003)

INTERPRETATION GOES A LONG WAY TOWARDS OUR BUY-IN

George Wills, Blacksburg, VA.

Goals…Changing mindset and direction

Goal…A desired result that envisions, plans and commits to achieve…A desired end-point

We can think of a goal as doing the following: Defines the destination Changes the direction to move toward the destination Changes the mindset to adjust to and support the new

direction Creates the necessity to develop specific tactics

Goals tend to change your mindset by changing your focus.

SETTING GOALS

Objective…Establishing a series of concrete steps

If goals are about the big picture, then objectives are all about tactics.

Tactics are action plans to get from where you are to where you want to be.

A goal defines the direction and destination, but the road to get there is accomplished by a series of objectives.

OBJECTIVES

QUALITY GURU…EDWARD DEMING

“Only after we have demonstrated our

concern for, and taken care of, our

“HUMANWARE” can we expect their

concern and loyalty for the development of the

“Hardware” and “Software” aspects of

our business”

Two inseparable truths are embodied in the sayings:

“Safety is created in the boardroom”

and

“A rotten fish stinks from the head down”

A FISHY TRUTH

Safety commitment indeed starts at the top: Authentic action

Suffi cient resources allocated: Dedicated budgets and staff

Written policies and procedures are in placeSafety goals are on the “managerial dashboard”Accountability is established through job

descriptions as well as performance reviewsComprehensive inspections for hazards and

behaviors are conducted regularly.Owners, managers and supervisors walk the

talk

KEY COMPONENTS OF A TRUESAFETY CULTURE

New and transferred employees receive sound orientation training

Safety training and communication is an on-going process

There is visible, strong employee involvement and ownership

A process for analyzing all accidents, near misses, unsafe acts and conditions is in place

Progress, milestones, accomplishments are recognized and acknowledged

KEY COMPONENTS OF A TRUESAFETY CULTURE

WORKING TOGETHER WE CAN ACHIEVE SO MUCH MORE

George Wills, Blacksburg, VA

Organizational Factors Requires specific

assignment of roles and responsibilities

Operational Factors Requires things such as

concise, auditable plans/procedures

Cultural Factors Requires a continuous

improvement mind-set throughout the company

ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS

DOING THE SAME OLD THINGAND EXPECTING TO SEE A CHANGE

Like A Ship Trying To Sail

On Yesterdays Wind