Page 96 - OHS, July/August 2020

BREAKTHROUGH STRATEGIES
BY ROBERT PATER
Ten Questions Focusing JTowards Higher Level Safety
ust recently, I was speaking with an EHS regional support sive with little built-in involvement? manager of a dispersed company who requested some direc- In what ways does our system stymie tion on how to effect next level change. One of her missions personal safety responsibility and indi- is augmenting a strong “partnership between Operations vidual leadership?
leaders and EHS professionals.” While her CEO is hotly committed to HSE, his ardor for safety performance becomes cooled as report- ing distance from him increases.
Not that long ago, only some managers were aboard the safety train, mostly glancing at the locomotive as they zoomed by in their productivity-bound cars as if they’re trying to beat the train to the crossing. Sure, there were some enthused and committed outliers, but these were often seen as misguided or off the deep end.
Fast forward a few years: the clear progression towards diesel train engines became apparent. Here, many executives and man- agers gladly spoke about the importance of safety, but this didn’t alwaysconsistentlyshowintheiractions.Theirattentiontosafety rarely trickled down to front-line supervisors, who were often pre- occupied with juggling increasing loads of direct reports while in- tent on getting the work out.
Now moving ahead another generation to Tesla-powered trains: many have instituted an array of initiatives they expect will make a difference—with better trailing results. However, it’s not al- ways clear that going beyond just “expressing” value for safety is expected on all levels. Talk alone doesn’t create change.
So, what to do? Here are ten suggested starter questions leaders should ongoingly reflect on:
1. How clear is the balance between central versus local direc- tion? Many companies seem to flex between these two approaches. Each has its strengths and limitations (for example, HQ-driven safety is theoretically more consistent, saves time, offloads local op- erations that might have part-time or overwhelmed safety person- nel, and enlists economy of scale—but is obviously removed from the realities and unique concerns of outlying sites. Plus, it doesn’t
build in ongoing/growing support and buy in).
2. How are we integrating HSE into all operations? Ask
yourself what steps you are taking to integrate HSE into everything, instead of just seeing and communicating safety as an add-on, or worse, as somewhat at odds with efficient overall performance.
3. To what degree does the safety approach shift from a driver-centered “Do it for me” to a more internalized, “Do it for yourself”, mindset? Where does safety motivation increasingly generate from within, and where do people learn to more effectively and readily monitor their own decisions and actions?
4. Are we simultaneously infusing culture AND injury re- duction into all of our safety training/programs/messaging? Ask yourself if you are including culture and injury reduction into all programs rather than having separate approaches for “engagement” that don’t fully integrate with specific injury-reduction methods.
5. To what degree does our structure encourage or discour- age building blocks to safer performance? Are safety investiga- tions too punitive—or just pencil-whipping superficial? Do in- cident reports seem too complicated or arduous for those you’d wish would thoughtfully fill out? Are safety meetings mostly pas-
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6. Is there a process in place for validating/certifying steps up in safety performance for different sites and/or business units? Most people need to clearly understand what is expected, the path(s) forward to improvement and be applauded/ reinforced for taking even small positive strides.
7. What is the level of consistent attention/support/follow-through
on safety concerns and actions?
Consistency demonstrates where leaders direct their attention. Tom Peters said that everything he’s learned in working with numerous companies could be summed up in five words: “Attention is all there is.” Consistency is one (significant) factor directly proportional to credibility—and to the belief that leaders actually value and expect higher level actions. Do we bite off more than we can chew much less swallow and say we’re “focusing” on 23 goals—which basically set us up for failure?
8. Are we running pilots aimed at addressing ongoing/ tenacious safety problems? This fosters creative solutions and again demonstrates the resolve to actually make improvements, to get beyond doing “the same old things” or accepting safety obsta- cles as unsolvable. We often simultaneously guard against chasing a fad that promises instant turnaround for little effort or price, and our world has so many solutions that were not available 30 years ago (innovations in gas monitoring, lifesaving drones, smartphone safety apps, back up cameras, remote inspection cameras, fall protection, QR labeling, movement safety etc. For example, there are proven creative solutions to prevalent injuries such as strains/ sprains and slips/trips/falls).
9. Do we showcase successes in safer actions, interventions, results? By showcases successes in safety, a company a) tangibly marks that change is not only possible for people within the com- pany but is also practical/doable, b) spurs further ideas for going to next level up and c) gives deserving kudos/recognition that re- wards and encourages ongoing developments.
10. How easy do leaders make it for everyone—from ex- ecutives to operations managers to workers—to lead safety for themselves and others to make decisions and to act, reflexively, by default in safest ways? The easier it is to change, the more likely people will do so.
Each of us can continue to develop our ability to affect change by continually monitoring and asking the right questions—and for activating others to become stronger safety leaders throughout the organization though leading by example.
Robert Pater is Managing Director and creator of MoveSMART. www.ohsonline.com
Most people need to clearly understand what is expected, the path(s) forward to improvement and be applauded/ reinforced for taking even small positive strides.