new approaches to establishing a safety culture orientation in the workplace

New Approaches to Establishing a SafetyCulture Orientation in

the Workplace

New Approaches to Establishing a SafetyCulture Orientation in

the WorkplaceMaureen C. Shaw, President & CEOIAPA (Industrial Accident Prevention

Association)207 Queens Quay West, Suite 550

Toronto, Ontario M5J 2Y3 www.iapa.ca

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AWCBC Public Forum, VancouverM. C. Shaw - July 25, 2005

Marc Shaw

Injury Survivor

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What is Culture?What is Culture?

“A way of life, the sum total on one’s

philosophy, beliefs, norms, values, morals, habits,

customs, arts and literature…”

“A way of life, the sum total on one’s

philosophy, beliefs, norms, values, morals, habits,

customs, arts and literature…”

Aviel 1990

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According to Edgar Schein, in his book “The Corporate Culture Survival Guide: Sense and Nonsense About Culture Change”….

According to Edgar Schein, in his book “The Corporate Culture Survival Guide: Sense and Nonsense About Culture Change”….

• Culture is always a group phenomenon, a product of social learning. It is essentially that unconscious and invisible set of forces that determines both the individual and collective behaviour of a group – it consists of shared perceptions, thoughts, feelings and beliefs. Workplace Culture encompasses shared thought patterns and is the ultimate source of values – “the way we do things around here”

• The most important mechanism through which leaders create culture and embed culture is through the leader’s own behaviour “walking the talk”

• Employees pay more attention to the “walk” rather than the “talk”

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NASA’s Cultural Flaws Jim FisherNASA’s Cultural Flaws Jim Fisher

• NASA’s engineers will have reassuring answers to the mechanical risks and, looking deeply into the agency’s organizational structure, processes and stated policies, the high priority on safety is clear

• If NASA has the scientific and operational processes right, are the astronauts safe?

• To be sure, signs of a healthy organization must also be evident: a culture that promotes open enquiry, that lacks group think, and that values such human traits as instinct and intuition as much as detached engineering science

How is the space agency ensuring the safety of future mission and their crews?

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NASA’s Cultural Flaws cont’d…NASA’s Cultural Flaws cont’d…

• In the two weeks between launch and re-entry, NASA experienced a massive internal communication collapse for such astonishingly pedestrian reasons as emails that went unanswered

• In both the Challenger and Columbia cases, individuals recognized potential problems and reported them

• But in neither instance, and in spite of NASA’s stated culture of safety first, could they induce management to act. A clear case of institutional failure

• NASA had all the silent killers of collaboration: silos, a hierarchy of fear, values that lacked clarity, and little vertical communication

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NASA’s Cultural Flaws cont’d…NASA’s Cultural Flaws cont’d…

• Everything about the response suggests NASA has put “culture” on the task list and is proceeding as if it is something that can be changed as easily as making revisions to a flight manual

• NASA reveals its naivety and the ugly truth that it remains an engineering organization that doesn’t understand much about humanity

• Reforming culture in NASA – complex, established, geographically dispersed and fiscally stretched – is a massive assignment, requiring substantial doses of creativity and patience. The art of leadershipJim Fisher is an associate dean, and professor of strategic management at the University of Toronto’s Rothman School of Management – The Toronto Star, July 13, 2005

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“Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes … but no

plans.” Peter Drucker

“Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes … but no

plans.” Peter Drucker

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Safety CultureSafety Culture• Safety culture is not merely a company’s safety

program, policies and procedures – it is the incorporation of safety into the informal and formal parts of the company – safety must be integrated into every aspect of a company’s “way of doing business”

• Safety requires strong commitment from a company’s leadership – leadership must continuously show that working in a safe manner and maintaining a safe workplace are core values

• Leadership needs to ensure that the necessary support and training are available – employ effective communication, provide recognition, actively gather input and involve employees in decision-making, regularly tour the plant, attend safety meetings

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“The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality.

The last is to say thank you.”Max DePree

“The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality.

The last is to say thank you.”Max DePree

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PurposeThe charter is intended to support the continuous improve-ment of healthy and safe workplaces. It is founded on the principle that effectively managing health, safety and wellness is essential to the operation of a successful business.

Participation in this charter is a visible commitment from business leaders to actively participate within a learning community that provides and receives best practices for the enhancement of employee physical, social, and mental well-being. The benefits will be realized as this learning is integrated into organizational business strategies, systems, and processes.

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“The bottom line is that people sharing their expertise in any area and in any sector leads to improvement. When you factor in the natural drive that leaders have to improve their business, then ultimately performance improvement is very possible. Good safety performance is good business as far as I am concerned.”

This is an exciting opportunity for us as leaders to take action and work together to achieve breakthroughs in health and safety performance through partnerships.

Duncan HawthornePresident & CEO Bruce Power

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• Duncan Hawthorne presented his proposal for a CEO Charter at the meeting of federal, provincial, and territorial ministers responsible for labour on January 27 and 28, 2005

• The Charter was launched at IAPA’s Health & Safety Conference 2005 on April 4, 2005

• 50 CEOs and companies have signed the Charter with another 18 indicating an interest to participate

• Ontario Service Sector Alliance conducted a CEO charter workshop for their member firms on June 9, 2005 – approximately 50 CEOs signed or committed to sign the charter

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Benefits• Participation in the Charter by business leaders is a visible

commitment to improving health, safety and wellness within their workplaces

• It is a visible commitment to the employees in those workplaces and it will positively affect the organizational culture

• Firms will improve their health & safety performance by learning from and helping each other by sharing, mentoring, and coaching

• The Charter will establish a sustainable platform for dialogue at the national level between Canada’s labour ministers and industry leaders

• Enhance profile of health and safety in workplaces in Canada

• Link with the US National Safety Council’s “CEOs Who Get It” project

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“The profit paradox: companies that exist only to produce a profit don’t last long. And companies that don’t pay attention to profits can’t exist to fulfill their long term purpose. Pursuing profits without a higher purpose or pursuing a purpose without profit are equally fatal strategies….”

“The profit paradox: companies that exist only to produce a profit don’t last long. And companies that don’t pay attention to profits can’t exist to fulfill their long term purpose. Pursuing profits without a higher purpose or pursuing a purpose without profit are equally fatal strategies….”

Jim Clemmer “Profits are a Reward, Not a Purpose”

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YOUNG AND NEW, INEXPERIENCED WORKERS ARE OVER 5 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO GET HURT THEIR FIRST MONTH ON THE JOB

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What About The First 4 Weeks?

What About The First 4 Weeks?

• First month on any job poses the highest risk for all new, inexperienced workers – including young workers

• For young workers, injuries potentially increase the years of disability and the risk of future injuries

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Who Is The “New, Inexperienced Worker”?

Who Is The “New, Inexperienced Worker”?

• 15-19 yrs age group – high school or summer student – first real job

• 20-24 yrs – goes straight to full time job from high school

• 25 yrs plus – working in an unfamiliar environment and doing an unfamiliar job

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Why Are “New Workers” At Risk?


• Poor hazard perception• Poor risk perception• Poor self-assessment of skill• High acceptance of risk• Trouble understanding and applying

general orientation training

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• Trouble balancing the key components

of the job:– Productivity (how much)– Quality (how well)– Safety (behaviours)

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A Positive Safety ClimateA Positive Safety Climate

• Compliance• Balance of the key job components:

productivity, quality and safety• Rewards for good safety practice• Continuous improvement of safety

climate

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Role Of The SupervisorRole Of The Supervisor

• Past• Present• Future

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Role Of The SupervisorRole Of The Supervisor

During the first 4 weeks, young and new, inexperienced workers need:• Department Orientation• Job-specific hazard training• On-the-job observation• On-the-job coaching

Invest time up front and get the benefits!

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SummarySummary

• Strategies to Reduce Risk during the First 4 Weeks:

• A positive safety climate to reduce high acceptance of risk

• The supervisor as coach:– Department orientation to enlarge hazard scan– Job-specific training to improve hazard and risk

perception– Observation to correct high-risk behaviours– Coaching to achieve a balance of productivity,

quality and safety

MISSION

Our mission is to help families heal through a community of support and to promote the

elimination of life altering workplace injuries, illness and deaths

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AWCBC Public ForumM. C. Shaw - July 25, 2005

Family Support Program• Unique one-on-one peer support program

• Managed by Program Manager

• Trains family members to become Volunteer Family Guides

• 10-day residential training program

• 8 Ontario Volunteer Family Guides

• Next Training- February 2006

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Family Support Program (cont’d)

• Provide National / Regional Forums for families and friends to network and share experiences

• Publish a quarterly newsletter that highlights key activities and next steps and promotes healthy coping skills (over 200 family members on distribution list)

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Some of the families of the young workers commemorated on Some of the families of the young workers commemorated on the LifeQuiltthe LifeQuilt

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

Helen Keller

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

Helen Keller

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“In organizations, real power and energy is generated through relationships. The patterns of relationships and the capacities to form them are more important than tasks, functions, roles, and position.”

“In organizations, real power and energy is generated through relationships. The patterns of relationships and the capacities to form them are more important than tasks, functions, roles, and position.”

Photo: www.town.fort-smith.nt.ca.

Margaret Wheatly Leadership and the New Science

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Thank YouThank You

new approaches to establishing a safety culture orientation in the workplace

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