Psychological Determinants of Safety Culture

1. Psychological Determinants of Safety Culture Dr Herbert Biggs, Associate Professor and Principal Research Fellow, CARRS-Q, Queensland University of Technology The National Safety Psychology Conference. Sydney Harbour Marriott. 18 & 19 October 2011 CRICOS No. 00213J

2. Outline of Presentation • Safety psychology and workplace safety • Motivational and attitudinal components of safety • Psychological determinants of safety • Addressing risk-behaviour in safety • Case Study from Construction • Discussion and Questions

3. Safety psychology and workplace safety • Conceptualising Workplace Safety • Safety performance: two concepts • Antecedents of safety performance • Person related • Safety knowledge (proximal) • Safety motivation (proximal) • The big five (distal) • Conscientiousness • Neuroticism • Extraversion • locus of control • Propensity for risk taking

4. Safety psychology and workplace safety • Antecedents of safety performance • Situation related • Safety climate • Management commitment • HR practices • Safety systems • Supervisor support • Internal group processes • Boundary management • Risk • Work pressure • Leadership • Quality and type of leadership including LMX and transformational

5. Safety psychology and workplace safety.Christian, M.S., Bradley, J. C. Wallace, J.C. & Burke, M.J (2009). Workplace Safety: A Meta-Analysis of the Roles of Person and Situation Factors. Journal of Applied Psychology, 94, 5, 1103-1127

6. Motivational and attitudinal components of safety • Create an environment that enhances the motivation to engage in safety-related behaviours • Behavioural operant theory. Theory: Behaviour followed by a positive reinforcing experience is more likely to re-occur than when followed by a negative experience • Feedback. Giving employees feedback of their own safe performance of work tasks relative to goals that are set for safe work performance • Goal setting. When participative goals in safe behaviour are set employees improve performance on both set and unset behaviours

7. Motivational and attitudinal components of safety Two approaches to safety motivation • Risk Homeostasis theory • Perceived risk • Target risk level • Discrepancy between the two • Social cognition • Goals setting theory • Expectancy theory • Self-efficacy theory Based on the intentionality of human behaviour where intentions are representations of future courses of behaviour,

8. Motivational and attitudinal components of safety • Safety Climate and Leadership • Safety climate • The priority that organisations place on safety relative to other organisational goals is the primary component of safety climate • Relate to safety performance and safety outcomes • Leadership • Leadership is related to safety climate and plays a significant role in safety performance • Supervisors who engage in safe practices tend to have positive safety climates in their unit • Transformational leaders challenge subordinates to go beyond individual safety needs for the collective good

9. Motivational and attitudinal components of safety. Ford, M.T., Tetrick, L.E. (2008). Safety motivation and human resource management in North America. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 19, 8, 1472-1485. Some areas of potential future research issues include the role of values in safety motivation and the effect of shared responsibility on safety motivation.

10. Psychological Determinants of Safety. Reason, J. (2008). The human contribution. AshgatePublishing:Surrey. • Cognitive intentions • Was there a prior intention to act? • If not then this was an involuntary action rather than an error • If act intended, did the actions go as planned? • If not, then we are talking about absent minded slips and lapses • If the actions were as intended did they achieve the outcome • If not, then this is likely to be a mistake involving some failure in the planning process • If successful, was there a SOP deviation? • If so we are dealing with some kind of violation

11. Psychological Determinants of Safety • Error classifications based on action • Omissions: A planned-for step is not done at the intended time • Intrusions: The appearance of unwanted or unintended actions often recognised as being part of some other activity • Repetitions: Unnecessarily repeating actions already performed • Wrong objects: The right actions are carried out but with the wrong objects • Misorderings: The right actions are carried out, but in the wrong sequence • Mistimings: The right actions are carried out, but at the wrong time • Blends: Two action sequences meant to serve differnet goals an unintentionally merged

12. Addressing risk-behaviour in safety Three major categories of error • Slips and Lapses • Recognition failures • Memory failures • Input failures • Storage failures • Retrieval failures • Attention failures • Strong habit intrusions • Interference errors

13. Addressing risk-behaviour in safety • Rule-based mistakes • Misapply a good rule • Apply a bad rule • Fail to apply a good rule • Knowledge-based mistakes • Similarity bias • Frequency bias • Bounded rationality • Reluctant rationality • Irrationality

14. Case Study, Construction: Goals and Outcomes of the CRC Construction Innovation research • Projects: A Construction Safety Competency Framework – Improving OH&S performance by creating and maintaining a safety culture • The development of a safety culture • Identification of safety management task (SMT’s) and safety critical positions • Tasks and Positions Competency Matrix • Basic Guidelines for implementing the Framework • SMT’s and achievable Culture Outcomes • Explore and develop safety effectiveness indicators (SEI’s)

15. Case Study, Construction: Google CRC CI for free downloads • A Construction Safety Competency Framework. • A Practical Guide to Safety Leadership • Safety Effectiveness Indicators

16. Safety Competency: Key Elements Demonstrated Leadership Behaviours Increased Safety Knowledge Safety Competency: Key Elements Safety Competency Good Interpersonal Communication Postive Safety Attitudes & Beliefs

17. Case Study, Construction

18. Case Study, Construction: Leadership Behaviours to develop safety initiatives • Provision of appropriate resources (time, funds and people) to manage safety • Safety policies are developed using consultation and are adhered to • Safety related programs – such as effective and high quality training – are undertaken and supported • Enough staff are employed in the company so that it is possible to manage safety as well as productivity • Set safety, health and welfare as a high-status organisational value • Formal and informal communication promotes and validates safet • Supportive and trusting relationships are formed with staff • Stated values are adhered to, consistently communicated, clarified and reinforced

19. Case Study, Construction: Leadership Behaviours to develop safety initiatives • Allocate own work time to safety management activities • Visible safety tasks and responsibilities are assigned and undertaken by senior management • Provide Leadership • Concern for individuals (via mentoring, coaching and through supportive behaviours) is shown and communicated • Intellectual stimulation is provided (challenging, inspiring and encouraging people to think about things in different ways and engage mentally with issues) • Motivation and energy is provided to situations and a vision or plan is effectively communicated

20. Case Study, Construction:Benefits to the Construction Sector through these initiatives • Increased awareness and practice of distributed responsibility across the management team and industry • Greater integration of performance management and safety management processes • Increased use by Smaller Operators of an “Implementation Pack” to develop their own customised safety competency framework • Incentives to involve the contracting workforce in safety management initiatives

21. What we learnt on the journey • Fundamental necessity to consult with industry. Outcomes are from industry and for industry use • No substitute for field data and site visitations • Multi party solution is the best solution (industry, researchers, industry associations, unions, regulators, funders) • Solutions are constantly emerging and good practice should always evolve • Lessons learnt in one industry sector can often transfer to good practice in another

22. Thank you for your attention! • Discussion/Questions? • (h.biggs@qut.edu.au)