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Our Wellness and Cultural Drift. Date Location. 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. Cultural Drift or The Red Badge of Courage.
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Our Wellness and Cultural Drift Date Location
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
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
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
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
Why Firefighting is Dangerous • Long work hours • Strenuous physical demands • Emotional involvement • Exposure to human suffering • Exposure to heat • Exposure to chemicals • Our culture
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
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!
92.5% of All Injuries are Preventable What is Predictable Is Preventable
WORKERS COMP RATES FOR FIREFIGHTERS • YEARS 1991 2001 2011 • RANK 26 1 4 • RATE $6.60 $2.50 $1.69 • Washington $2.04
Workers Compensation Costs THE HIDDEN COSTS OF ACCIDENTS Decreased Production OSHA Investigation Re-training Costs Pain & Suffering Low Morale Litigation Family
Structural Firefighter Deaths WA OR 1972-1981 18 14 1982-1991 17 15 1992-2001 12 4 2002-2011 7 2
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
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.
Normalization of Deviance • Violating standards to achieve success • Better • Faster • Cheaper • Pushing our limits to be successful
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
Normalization of Deviance • Normalization of Deviance is the difference between a written policy and the practice Policy Practice
Historical Axioms • The Three E’s • Engineering, Education, Enforcement • The Four Element’s • Engineering, Education, Enforcement and Culture
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
Walls of defense between an action and an event P E T C Policy PPE/Equipment Training Culture
Walls of defense between an action and an event Policy PPE/Equipment Training Culture 1 P E T C
Walls of defense betweenan action and an event • POLICY • Meets the needs of the department • Resolves the problem
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
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
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
Cultural Drift How the Fire Service Approaches Safety • The Process • Injury • Policy • Personal Protective Equipment/Tools • Training • Cultural
WHEN AN ACCIDENT OCCURS • BECAUSE OF POLICY • Policy error • Policy and Practice alignment • Policy Defiance
THE BASIC REASONS FOR ERROR • A conscious decision to err • A subconscious decision to err • Accident proneness • Environmental Issues
WE NEED TO ELIMINATE • UNSAFE TRAINING EVENTS • Training fatalities continue to represent roughly 10 deaths annually • Over 10% of all injuries to fire fighters
WE NEED TO ELIMINATE • INADEQUATE TRAINING • Effective Training • Training must prepare firefighters for the dangers they will face
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