"Safety Culture". Does it really exist?

I recently had a conversation  with a colleague employed by a regional Safety Association who mentioned he doesn't believe there is such thing as "Safety Culture". There was interruption before I could clearly understand what he was attempting to communicate. We know Safety can never be "FIRST" (this is a commonly used misnomer) because we need to create return for stakeholders. Whether a small organization looking to make ends meet and small profits to feed and clothe the families , or a multinational conglomerate reporting, through a Board of Directors, to shareholders: Profit needs to be on the table or there is no organization. 

"Management must always in every decision and action put economic performance first. It can only justify its existence and its authority by the economic results it produces.”

— Practice of Management, Peter Drucker

So when we look at core values and a corporate culture, what does this mean and where does Health, Safety and Environment fit in? 

I believe my colleagues and I have a mutual understanding there is no separation between "Safety Culture" and Corporate Culture, and therefore the statement regarding no such thing as "Safety Culture" should be that Safety is an integral part of the Corporate Culture and needs to be addressed in front lines of defence. 

Resilient, Sustainable Organizations develop Corporate Culture from their core values and communicate these clearly throughout the Organization. A "Safety Culture" has to be in line, and built into the Corporate Culture to properly function. 

To create this Corporate Culture of the Resilient (able to spring back quickly…), Sustainable (able to be maintained, long lasting…) Organization, it is my strong belief every organization, no matter the size, must properly define Risk Tolerance of the organization, in written policy, and properly communicate this throughout all business units.

For this to happen, a Corporate Culture where everyone is on the same page, working for the sustained development of the Organization, and sharing the core values by demonstrating not only compliance to regulation but continually creating Best Practice in industry by sharing these values throughout business units and clearly communicating ideas changes and challenges. In an ever changing world where our processes are being tweaked continuously where do we find continuity and alignment?

An Organization working to remain competitive in an ever changing, global environment needs to closely look at what will keep them long lasting; read sustainable, resilient. Creating the Resilient Sustainable Organization is about having core values shared and clearly communicated; read Corporate Culture.   Within this culture we have to incorporate the best business practices to ensure our workers, the general public, stakeholders and the environment are properly protected in all areas, which means a Safe, Healthy, Happy and Productive workforce, and partners, stakeholders, neighbours, the general public and environmental concerns. 

Caught and Fined before Fatality, Serious Injury, Loss occur:

Worker, Caught by MOL Inspector, Given Significant Fine for Safety Violation: 

What behavioural change has to take place to prevent this RISK?  How can we educate in Organizational Change Management/Leadership? To properly eliminate the thinking process leads to:   http://bit.ly/1nDLBqI 

If a worker, at 15 - 20 Meters above grade, takes a leap, unprotected from a fall, what thoughts are going through this person's mind?  How can we, as Health and Safety Leaders and/or Management/Governance, change the mindset of: "it won't happen to me!" "It will only take a second!" "Oh I only did it once!" and the long-standing; "We have always done it this way!"...  Behaviour that lead to serious injury and fatality are still commonplace in industry, not only in construction, but in many high hazard industries due to a personal level of "Risk Appetite".  This is only the worker who was caught.  What percentage of the workforce does this worker belong to?  Anything over 0% is completely unacceptable.  We have to discover and propagate the required educational and instructional tools needed to arrest thought pattern leads to this behaviour.  Until we completely eliminate this thinking process we will have workplace fatalities attributable solely to worker negligence.  

Have you identified your Organization's "Risk Appetite"?  Where do you set the bar?  And how do we communicate the standards we expect our workers to abide by?  What we publish as our 'Corporate Culture', and what really happens on the shop floor need to align.  It is well to make a commitment to "Zero" incident, no accidents, Loss Prevention.  How do we properly educate our workers, contractors, partners?  How do we communicate this effectively and measure outcomes?  No incidents for x days? x weeks? x years?  yet our "Risk Tolerance" may increase as our record ameliorates.  What Risk Management tools can we use to instil proper behaviour in our members?  How do we properly communicate this? Where is the onus on Management and Governance to properly demonstrate care and understanding of our workforce, members, partners, contractors etc.....  Setting a good example is a start.  Properly defining Corporate Culture which will instil a Safety Culture while maintaining and increasing productivity and return (ROI) are the new goals of Learning Organizations. 

Working towards Sustainable, Resilient Organizations and the mindset we have to create, in a Learning Organization, is the wave of the future.  With Globalization and a multicultural and ever diverse workforce we will need to create new lasting tools to sustain Resilience in Organization.

Paul E. Marquis CHSC CSO

+1.604.889.7140