Between the recent articles in safety publications and the capsizing of the Costa Concordia, there is a renewed dialogue among safety professionals and others about accident causation.In the first third of the last century Heinrich proposed, from his observations of accident reports, that 88% of all accidents were the result of unsafe acts, 10% from unsafe conditions, and 2% from undetermined causes.One author recently refuted this, mainly citing the tendency to blame employees for accidents when much of the “cause” was due to systems issues controlled by managers.
While there is validity in looking beyond human behavior, there is great danger in overlooking it and its critical role in accidents.We should always look at the “why”, but we can’t forget the “what.”It looks like we have opened the door to a whole new set of terminology around what has been traditionally labeled “immediate cause,” “underlying cause,” “root cause,” and “contributing factor.”If changing terminology or consolidating terminology helps prevent accidents, I am all for it.
From the discussions on line, there may be a need for better developing the talking points around accident causation.It is hard to synergize solutions when it takes 1200 comments in a LinkedIn group just to get everyone agreeing on terms.
The main point that must not get lost in this discussion is the fact that behaviors , regardless of what causes, prompts, or influences them are critical to risk control and, thus critical to accident prevention.We have assumed a lot over the years about what causes human behavior and how to change it.However we approach it in the future, we must not forget it.If a driver swerves into the other lane, the probability of an accident just dramatically increased.THAT is human behavior.
Now, how do we keep drivers in their own lanes? That is the next level.We err when we think that changing the influences on behavior will automatically and completely and immediately change behavior.If we don’t change behavior, we have missed the mark or are shooting at the wrong targets.It is not about blame, it is about prevention.
If we forget this basic premise as we strive to better understand its causes and influences, we are taking a step forward and falling hopelessly backwards.We need to understand the next level of causation or influence or systems issues or whatever we decide to call it so we can use it to shape behavior, not forget it.
Shawn M. Galloway of ProAct Safety discusses how to change workforce behavior through training. MetaPower's Carl Green asks: "How can we design training vehicles with both technical and cultural parameters?" This conversation is Part 2 in the Listening To Learn series from MP Media. Visit the MetaPower Blog for more Messages That Matter: blog.MetaPower.com For more about Shawn Galloway or ProAct Safety visit: www.ProActSafety.com.
The interview took place in Philadelphia on October 31, 2011 at the National Safety Council Congress & Expo. Produced by Greg Gibson of MP Media/MetaPower International, with assistance from Kevin Healy. You can watch or download the video here, or watch it on YouTube:
Are you integrating safety into your business? If so, great it is a wonderful thing to do. But, have you also integrated your business into safety? One cannot successfully be accomplished without the other. If you are a successful business and are on the path to safety excellence, what business principles and practices helped you become successful in the marketplace? How can those practices enhance other areas of operations like, safety?
If people do not see the same level of efficiency and effectiveness in safety as they do in their business, how excited are they going to be when being told safety needs to be the way they do their business? If we want people to see how safety helps them with their performance, they have to see integration potential from all angles. What practices do you excel at in business and how could those practices enhance the value-add of safety?
Greetings all! For the video podcast this month, I'd like to share with you one of my models that explains my theory on how we can help people internalize a needed focus in safety. If we want people to be safe, this means risk-free. For this to happen, safety strategies need to be portable and facilitate internalization. I hope you will use these steps to help the people you are supporting in safety. You can either watch the video here at www.SafetyCultureExcellence.com, or you can watch it below from YouTube.
Greetings all! For the video podcast this month, I'm sharing one of my models on the steps towards excellence in individual performance. As always, customization is a critical first step to ensure sustainability; so take these ideas and make them fit your group. You can either watch the video here at www.SafetyCultureExcellence.com, at www.ProActSafety.com/Insights, or directly on the magazine’s site at: http://cos-mag.com or you can watch it below from YouTube.
Greetings, this podcast recorded while working in Lodi, California. For the podcast this week I’d like to share an article I wrote that was published in my column for Canadian Occupational Safety in November 2011. It was titled “10 Questions To Ask About Your Safety Programs”. The published article can either be found at www.COS-MAG.com or under Insights at www.ProActSafety.com.
I hope you enjoy the podcast this week. If you would like to download or play on demand our other podcasts, please visit the ProAct Safety’s podcast website at: http://www.safetycultureexcellence.com
Greetings all! For the video podcast this month, I'm sharing strategies on how to develop and the key considerations when deciding to carry out self-observations. This can be a great supplement to a Behavior-Based Safety process, or simply as an effective self-coaching tool. As always, customization is a critical first step to ensure sustainability; so take these ideas and make them fit your group. You can either watch the video here at www.SafetyCultureExcellence.com, at www.ProActSafety.com/Insights, or directly on the magazine’s site at: http://cos-mag.com or you can watch it below from YouTube.
Greetings, this podcast recorded while working in Anchorage, Alaska. For the podcast this week I’d like to share an article I wrote that was published in the October 2011 edition of EHS Today. It was titled “Safety Measurement: The Dysfunctional Big Picture”. The published article can either be found at www.EHSToday.com or under Insights at www.ProActSafety.com.
I hope you enjoy the podcast this week. If you would like to download or play on demand our other podcasts, please visit the ProAct Safety’s podcast website at: http://www.safetycultureexcellence.com
Greetings, this podcast recorded while working in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. For the podcast this week I’d like to share an article I wrote that was published in the October 2011 edition of BIC Magazine. It was titled “Becoming a L.E.A.D.E.R.”. The published article can either be found at www.BICALLIANCE.com or under Insights at www.ProActSafety.com.
I hope you enjoy the podcast this week. If you would like to download or play on demand our other podcasts, please visit the ProAct Safety’s podcast website at: http://www.safetycultureexcellence.com
Greetings everyone, this podcast recorded while working in Menomonie, WI. For the podcast this week I’d like to share an article I wrote that was published in the September 2011 edition of BIC Magazine. It was titled “Five Steps to Sustainable Safety Culture Excellence”. The published article can either be found at www.BICALLIANCE.com or under Insights at www.ProActSafety.com.
I hope you enjoy the podcast this week. If you would like to download or play on demand our other podcasts, please visit the ProAct Safety’s podcast website at: http://www.safetycultureexcellence.com
