New Approaches to Establishing a Safety Culture Orientation in the Workplace

1. New Approaches to Establishing a Safety Culture Orientation in the Workplace Maureen C. Shaw, President & CEO IAPA (Industrial Accident Prevention Association) 207 Queens Quay West, Suite 550 Toronto, Ontario M5J 2Y3 www.iapa.ca

2. Marc Shaw Injury Survivor

3. What is Culture? “A way of life, the sum total on one’s philosophy, beliefs, norms, values, morals, habits, customs, arts and literature…” Aviel 1990

4. According to Edgar Schein, in his book “The Corporate Culture Survival Guide: Sense and Nonsense About Culture Change”…. • Culture is always a group phenomenon, a product of social learning. It is essentially that unconscious and invisible set of forces that determines both the individual and collective behaviour of a group – it consists of shared perceptions, thoughts, feelings and beliefs. Workplace Culture encompasses shared thought patterns and is the ultimate source of values – “the way we do things around here” • The most important mechanism through which leaders create culture and embed culture is through the leader’s own behaviour “walking the talk” • Employees pay more attention to the “walk” rather than the “talk”

5. NASA’s Cultural FlawsJim Fisher How is the space agency ensuring the safety of future mission and their crews? • NASA’s engineers will have reassuring answers to the mechanical risks and, looking deeply into the agency’s organizational structure, processes and stated policies, the high priority on safety is clear • If NASA has the scientific and operational processes right, are the astronauts safe? • To be sure, signs of a healthy organization must also be evident: a culture that promotes open enquiry, that lacks group think, and that values such human traits as instinct and intuition as much as detached engineering science

6. NASA’s Cultural Flaws cont’d… • In the two weeks between launch and re-entry, NASA experienced a massive internal communication collapse for such astonishingly pedestrian reasons as emails that went unanswered • In both the Challenger and Columbia cases, individuals recognized potential problems and reported them • But in neither instance, and in spite of NASA’s stated culture of safety first, could they induce management to act. A clear case of institutional failure • NASA had all the silent killers of collaboration: silos, a hierarchy of fear, values that lacked clarity, and little vertical communication

7. NASA’s Cultural Flaws cont’d… • Everything about the response suggests NASA has put “culture” on the task list and is proceeding as if it is something that can be changed as easily as making revisions to a flight manual • NASA reveals its naivety and the ugly truth that it remains an engineering organization that doesn’t understand much about humanity • Reforming culture in NASA – complex, established, geographically dispersed and fiscally stretched – is a massive assignment, requiring substantial doses of creativity and patience. The art of leadership Jim Fisher is an associate dean, and professor of strategic management at the University of Toronto’s Rothman School of Management – The Toronto Star, July 13, 2005

8. “Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes … but no plans.” Peter Drucker

9. Safety Culture • Safety culture is not merely a company’s safety program, policies and procedures – it is the incorporation of safety into the informal and formal parts of the company – safety must be integrated into every aspect of a company’s “way of doing business” • Safety requires strong commitment from a company’s leadership – leadership must continuously show that working in a safe manner and maintaining a safe workplace are core values • Leadership needs to ensure that the necessary support and training are available – employ effective communication, provide recognition, actively gather input and involve employees in decision-making, regularly tour the plant, attend safety meetings

10. “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you.” Max DePree

11. Purpose The charter is intended to support the continuous improve-ment of healthy and safe workplaces. It is founded on the principle that effectively managing health, safety and wellness is essential to the operation of a successful business. Participation in this charter is a visible commitment from business leaders to actively participate within a learning community that provides and receives best practices for the enhancement of employee physical, social, and mental well-being. The benefits will be realized as this learning is integrated into organizational business strategies, systems, and processes.

12. This is an exciting opportunity for us as leaders to take action and work together to achieve breakthroughs in health and safety performance through partnerships. “The bottom line is that people sharing their expertise in any area and in any sector leads to improvement. When you factor in the natural drive that leaders have to improve their business, then ultimately performance improvement is very possible. Good safety performance is good business as far as I am concerned.” Duncan Hawthorne President & CEO Bruce Power

13. Duncan Hawthorne presented his proposal for a CEO Charter at the meeting of federal, provincial, and territorial ministers responsible for labour on January 27 and 28, 2005 • The Charter was launched at IAPA’s Health & Safety Conference 2005 on April 4, 2005 • 50 CEOs and companies have signed the Charter with another 18 indicating an interest to participate • Ontario Service Sector Alliance conducted a CEO charter workshop for their member firms on June 9, 2005 – approximately 50 CEOs signed or committed to sign the charter

14. Benefits • Participation in the Charter by business leaders is a visible commitment to improving health, safety and wellness within their workplaces • It is a visible commitment to the employees in those workplaces and it will positively affect the organizational culture • Firms will improve their health & safety performance by learning from and helping each other by sharing, mentoring, and coaching • The Charter will establish a sustainable platform for dialogue at the national level between Canada’s labour ministers and industry leaders • Enhance profile of health and safety in workplaces in Canada • Link with the US National Safety Council’s “CEOs Who Get It” project

15. “The profit paradox:companies that exist only to produce a profit don’t last long. And companies that don’t pay attention to profits can’t exist to fulfill their long term purpose.Pursuing profits without a higher purpose or pursuing a purpose without profit are equally fatal strategies….” Jim Clemmer “Profits are a Reward, Not a Purpose”

16. YOUNG AND NEW, INEXPERIENCED WORKERS ARE OVER 5 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO GET HURT THEIR FIRST MONTH ON THE JOB

17. What About The First 4 Weeks? • First month on any job poses the highest risk for all new, inexperienced workers – including young workers • For young workers, injuries potentially increase the years of disability and the risk of future injuries

18. Who Is The “New, Inexperienced Worker”? • 15-19 yrs age group – high school or summer student – first real job • 20-24 yrs – goes straight to full time job from high school • 25 yrs plus – working in an unfamiliar environment and doing an unfamiliar job

19. Why Are “New Workers” At Risk? • Poor hazard perception • Poor risk perception • Poor self-assessment of skill • High acceptance of risk • Trouble understanding and applying general orientation training

20. Why Are “New Workers” At Risk? • Trouble balancing the key components of the job: • Productivity (how much) • Quality (how well) • Safety (behaviours)

21. A Positive Safety Climate • Compliance • Balance of the key job components: productivity, quality and safety • Rewards for good safety practice • Continuous improvement of safety climate

22. Role Of The Supervisor • Past • Present • Future

23. Role Of The Supervisor During the first 4 weeks, young and new, inexperienced workers need: • Department Orientation • Job-specific hazard training • On-the-job observation • On-the-job coaching Invest time up front and get the benefits!

24. Summary • Strategies to Reduce Risk during the First 4 Weeks: • A positive safety climate to reduce high acceptance of risk • The supervisor as coach: • Department orientation to enlarge hazard scan • Job-specific training to improve hazard and risk perception • Observation to correct high-risk behaviours • Coaching to achieve a balance of productivity, quality and safety

25. AWCBC Public Forum M. C. Shaw - July 25, 2005 #25 MISSION Our mission is to help families heal through a community of support and to promote the elimination of life altering workplace injuries, illness and deaths

26. AWCBC Public Forum M. C. Shaw - July 25, 2005 #26 Family Support Program • Unique one-on-one peer support program • Managed by Program Manager • Trains family members to become Volunteer Family Guides • 10-day residential training program • 8 Ontario Volunteer Family Guides • Next Training- February 2006

27. AWCBC Public Forum M. C. Shaw - July 25, 2005 #27 Family Support Program (cont’d) • Provide National / Regional Forums for families and friends to network and share experiences • Publish a quarterly newsletter that highlights key activities and next steps and promotes healthy coping skills (over 200 family members on distribution list)

28. AWCBC Public Forum M. C. Shaw - July 25, 2005 #28 Some of the families of the young workers commemorated on the LifeQuilt “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” Helen Keller

29. “In organizations, real power and energy is generated through relationships. The patterns of relationships and the capacities to form them are more important than tasks, functions, roles, and position.” Margaret Wheatly Leadership and the New Science Photo:www.town.fort-smith.nt.ca.

30. Thank You