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.
Respirators in smelter

4. Systems induced behaviour Systems encouraged behaviour
Which box dominates?
Error
Violation
Personal issues eg fatigue, language problem.
Wilful negligence.
One person
(special cause)
“Persistent offender”
Deming common cause is a leadership problem. Leaders design and implement systems.
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)
Systems induced behaviour
Systems encouraged behaviour

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? A group of people share mental models or mythologies
…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
“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.
“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.”

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

11. Fair Respectful Courageous Honesty Trustworthy Risk assessment
Incident investigation
Courageous
Major hazard assessment
Safety observations
Risk assessment
Bow tie diagrams
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
Existing Culture:
Described in terms of people’s mythologies about themselves, their work, the organisation, & their Leader
Dissonance
Desired Culture:
Described in terms of how you would like people to behave and to view these things …
& their Leader
Its not one thing – “all managers are bastards”
It needs consistency.
You need to understand your audience.
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. Mythologies continued
Leaders perceived not to care about safety – them and us
“supervisors just want tonnage, trucks are not being parked up if it is not safe,”
“safety actions on backlog are huge,”
“follow up on safety issues; seem to go in a black hole.”
“Management should spend more time out there talking with people, it’s all very well sitting in a cool room and talking about safety”.

15. System change - Performance Review Redesign Team Room

16. 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

17. 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

18. Leadership and culture