Our Wellness and Cultural Drift

1. Our Wellness and Cultural Drift Date Location

3. Our Goals • Discuss what role health and wellness should have in our organization • Examine our current practices • Discuss how to improve our wellness • Review Cultural Drift • Identify Solutions

5. Cultural Drift orThe Red Badge of Courage

6. Should WellnessBe a High Priority in our Organization How big is the problem of accidents and injuries? • $2,500 per firefighter a year • $2.7 billion direct costs each year

8. What is Wellness • Wellness is a term that refers to an individual’s state of mind as well as their physical state, balancing between health and physical, mental, emotional and spiritual fitness

9. Should Risk LeadershipBe a High Priority in our Organization • Insurance companies spend $1.5 to $2 Billion on firefighter injuries • For every dollar an insurance company spends on a Fire Department claim, the Fire Department will spend an additional $4.00in other expenses • And, 23 criminal charges in 2011

10. Why Firefighting is Dangerous • Long work hours • Strenuous physical demands • Emotional involvement • Exposure to human suffering • Exposure to heat • Exposure to chemicals • Our culture

13. The Leading Cause of Death • For all age groups of firefighters less than 30 years of age is MVA’s • Responding to the station • Responding to the alarm • Returning to quarters

15. NFPA FIREFIGHTER INJURIES IN THE US

17. FIREFIGHTER DEATHS

18. If it is PREDICTABLE It is PREVENTABLE • Regulations and standards are only the starting point for a quality wellness program • 7.5% of injuries are attributed to things • Focusing on the Human Factor is the key to a successful Cultural change • 92.5% of all injuries have one common thread!

19. If it is PREDICTABLEIt is PREVENTABLE YOU & I

20. 92.5% of All Injuries are Preventable What is Predictable Is Preventable

22. WORKERS COMP RATES FOR FIREFIGHTERS • YEARS 1991 2001 2011 • RANK 26 1 4 • RATE $6.60 $2.50 $1.69 • Washington $2.04

23. Workers Compensation Costs THE HIDDEN COSTS OF ACCIDENTS Decreased Production OSHA Investigation Re-training Costs Pain & Suffering Low Morale Litigation Family

25. Structural Firefighter Deaths WA OR 1972-1981 18 14 1982-1991 17 15 1992-2001 12 4 2002-2011 7 2

26. The Law and Then Some “Close only Counts in Horseshoes” • Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 • Risk Management that missed the mark • Fixing blame doesn’t fix problems • L & I is the law and the minimum standard

28. National Fallen Firefighters Foundation • Initiative #1 Cultural Change • Define and advocate the need for a cultural change within the fire service relating to safety; • Incorporating leadership, management, supervision, accountability and personal responsibility.

29. Normalization of Deviance • Violating standards to achieve success • Better • Faster • Cheaper • Pushing our limits to be successful

30. Normalization of Deviance • Seeing others take risks and then taking larger risks ourselves • Positive rewards • Unpleasant, Predictable Surprise • The result - Frequently Injury or even Death Mike Mullane; Normalization of Deviance

31. Normalization of Deviance • Normalization of Deviance is the difference between a written policy and the practice Policy Practice

33. Historical Axioms • The Three E’s • Engineering, Education, Enforcement • The Four Element’s • Engineering, Education, Enforcement and Culture

34. Building on the Basics • The 5 steps to Changing Our FS Culture • Identify • Analyze • Make a Plan • Execute the Plan • Monitor/Modify the Plan • Take two aspirin, this will not be easy

35. Walls of defense between an action and an event P E T C Policy PPE/Equipment Training Culture

36. Walls of defense between an action and an event Policy PPE/Equipment Training Culture 1 P E T C

38. Walls of defense betweenan action and an event • POLICY • Meets the needs of the department • Resolves the problem

39. Walls of defense betweenan action and an event • PPE/EQUIPMENT • Acquire that equipment meets standards • Require the equipment to be used • Use the equipment as intended • football vs. rugby

40. Walls of defense betweenan action and an event • TRAINING • Demonstrate to and ensure everyone understands the training • Train in the same manner that you will use the equipment

41. Walls of defense betweenan action and an event • CULTURE • Involve personnel in the process • Provide experience • Pair the assignment to the knowledge • Make sure your personnel are trained

42. Cultural Drift How the Fire Service Approaches Safety • The Process • Injury • Policy • Personal Protective Equipment/Tools • Training • Cultural

43. WHEN AN ACCIDENT OCCURS • BECAUSE OF POLICY • Policy error • Policy and Practice alignment • Policy Defiance

44. THE BASIC REASONS FOR ERROR • A conscious decision to err • A subconscious decision to err • Accident proneness • Environmental Issues

46. WE NEED TO ELIMINATE • UNSAFE TRAINING EVENTS • Training fatalities continue to represent roughly 10 deaths annually • Over 10% of all injuries to fire fighters

48. WE NEED TO ELIMINATE • INADEQUATE TRAINING • Effective Training • Training must prepare firefighters for the dangers they will face

50. WE NEED TO ELIMINATE • MEDICALLY UNFIT FIREFIGHTEERS • Fit for duty - fit to train • 48-52 % of all injuries to firefighters are sprains and strains • Every age group above 40 years of age the leading cause of death is heart attack