Creating a Positive Safety Culture

1. Creating a Positive Safety Culture

2. Purpose • Show that safety improvement work is as much about developing a productive culture as it is about using the right safety tools and initiatives • Give an example of leadership work and the impact on safety performance

3. What do you see here? I see the standards set by the leadership. As an aside, the behaviour is rational; BUT NOT excusable.

4. Systems induced behaviour Systems encouraged behaviour Which box dominates? Error Violation Personal issues eg fatigue, language problem. Wilful negligence. One person (special cause) Training, shift pattern, poor task assignment/SOP, poor risk assessment process. Reward systems, measures, perceived requirement to rush, lack of accountability and consequences, follow my leader Most people (common cause)

5. Leadership • Leadership is recognized when it is either good or bad. • Leadership theories – often identify behavioural characteristics such as charisma, vision or courage. • However, leaders have real work to do. • This work involves the creation of a productive culture “by what they systematically pay attention to.” (Edward Schein)

6. Culture or What happens when Miss Crutchfield goes home?

7. What is Culture? …Fair… …Dignifying… …Trustworthy… …Honest… A group of people share mental models or mythologies (Ian Macdonald)

8. Good leaders can “put themselves into other people’s shoes” • Understand how team members perceive themselves and each other. • Understand how team members perceive the organisation and the leader. • Understand what behaviours are driven by the organisational systems. • Predict how team members will interpret change.

9. What people might say Unproductive culture Productive culture “My leader really cares. S/he listens to my concerns and follows up on issues.” “We are actively involved in safety improvement work. My boss supports this 100%.” “You know where you stand on safety rules. My manager is firm, but fair.” “I am personally given the authority to address safety issues and concerns.” • “Production comes first” • “We cut corners to get production” • “Work is dangerous; injuries are inevitable.” • ”They don’t care about safety, you never hear about incident investigations” • You never see the leadership out here.

10. The safety tool box Unfair No respect Incident investigation Cowardly Major hazard assessment Safety observations Bow tie diagrams Risk assessment Peer to peer Safety shares Dishonest No trust

11. Fair Respectful Incident investigation Courageous Major hazard assessment Safety observations Bow tie diagrams Risk assessment Peer to peer Safety shares Honesty Trustworthy

12. Culture change (Ian Macdonald) If there is no contradiction between what people expect and what happens (i.e. no dissonance) there will be no change in culture Start Goal Dissonance Existing Culture: Described in terms of people’s mythologies about themselves, their work, the organisation,& their Leader Desired Culture: Described in terms of how you would like people to behave and to view these things … & their Leader Behaviour What I do and say Systems The way we do things Symbols Non-verbal messages

13. Mythologies at site A – one example • A felt lack of appreciation for work done and recognition of achievement was a common theme. • “no one has courage to give honest feedback”, • “not enough individual recognition,” • “only remembered for stuff that went wrong,” • “it’s a way of keeping budgets down ‘cos if I’m a 7 and there’s not enough money then they make me a 5,” • “ if someone has the knife out for you then you are done,” • “based on plant performance not individual,” • “not much feedback, no recognition of performance, goal posts keep changing,” • “supervisor does not know what I do or my job description”

14. System change - Performance Review Redesign Team Room

15. Leadership work impact • Leadership work started in 2004 • Leadership training • Systems changes included: • Performance review • Job grades & Pay linkages • Role descriptions • Housekeeping • Car park resurfacing • Uniforms • Leaders on the shop floor

16. Change requires good social process Safety tools (Technical) Necessary but not sufficient + Improvement People process (Social) • “When human beings are part of the solution, a technical solution is no solution at all” Brig R Macdonald

17. Leadership and culture