Safety Culture as primer for Organizational Learning and Organizational Psychological Health and Safety?

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1 Safety Culture as primer for Organizational Learning and Organizational Psychological Health and Safety? CIRPD Conference - Creating and Sustaining Psychologically Healthy Workplaces (June 26/27, 2014) Heinrich Beukes, Director of Safety and Prevention Vancouver Coastal Health 1

2 Learning Objectives 25 years of OHS! Defining: Safety Culture Organizational Learning Agenda Organizational Psychological Health Characteristics of organizations with a healthy Safety Culture Considering Safety Culture as primer for organizational learning and organizational Psychological health. 2

3 Learning Objectives 1. Understand what is safety culture, organizational learning and organizational psychological health and safety 2. Become aware of the characteristics of organizations with a healthy safety culture 3. Potential overlap of the factors influencing them 4. Consider a healthy safety culture as a primer for organizational learning and organizational psychological health and safety 3

4 Walking the way! 4

5 Cape Town, South Africa 5

6 25 years of OHS! Career started in 1989 Transnet (Risk Professional) 6

7 2 Depots Electrification 25 years of OHS! Electrification North vs South 7

8 2 Electrification Depots Electrification North Electrification South Maintenance on High Voltage Power lines and equipment Maintenance on High Voltage Power lines and equipment Employees 95 Employees 97 NOSA - Safety Management System rating: 3 Star NOSA - Safety Management System rating: 3 Star Risk index: 4.2 Risk index: 4.2 Loss Time Injury Rate: 3.5 ( ) Loss Time Injury Rate: 15.2 ( ) 8

9 Big Puzzle! Why the difference? Observed the 2 depots over a period of 12 years 9

10 North vs South Department Head Reaction to accidents - personally involved with investigations, Holding people accountable Red in the face, slamming fist on the table; very passionate 10

11 North vs South Supervisors More knowledgeable about OHS regulatory requirements More discussions about OHS (not only at the JHSC meetings, but during regular work) Gave workers autonomy (trusted their judgement) to deal with hazards Compassion shown when accidents happened (sat by bedside for 3 nights) Open door 11

12 North vs South Workers More involved in risk assessment process Keen to participate on JHSC (higher participation rates) Higher usage of OHS suggestion box Spoke about safety issues during lunch breaks, around water cooler etc. 12

13 North vs South Risk Awareness Almost everybody understood and knew risk rating 90% compliance in hazards awareness training Knew consequences (exposure impact on health or safety, cost implications) 13

14 North vs South Compliance More regular observations and record keeping of it Lower non compliance ratings On the spot fixing coaching of noncompliance Peer accountability 14

15 North vs South Trust, Workplace Morale Managers willing to roll up their sleeves Supervisors seen as coaches/friends Respect 2 way apparent (not us and them ) 15

Health Care - Ontario OHS Advisor (2001-2006) South Western Ontario 580 Clients Same kind of

16 Health Care - Ontario OHS Advisor ( ) South Western Ontario 580 Clients Same kind of observations Recognize the same patterns Started to become aware of the Safety Culture literature 16

Molson Breweries, Burrard Street, Vancouver OH&E Manager (2006-2007)

17 Molson Breweries, Burrard Street, Vancouver OH&E Manager ( ) Better/worse performing departments Same kind of observations Affirming patterns 17

18 FIOSA-MIOSA Director of Services & Resources ( ) Food Processing and Manufacturing 1900 clients Over 150 GAP analysis Same kind of observations Convinced of the impact added Safety Culture to the COR program 1 st Safety Association in BC to do so 18

19 What is Safety Culture? Multitude of definitions No real consensus (F.W. Guldenmund, 2000) 19

20 What is Safety Culture? The product of individual and group values, attitudes, perceptions, competencies, and patterns of behaviour that determine the commitment to, and the style and proficiency of, an organization s health and safety management. - Health & Safety Executive, UK (1993) 20

21 What is Safety Culture? The values, attitudes, motivations and knowledge that affect the extent to which safety is emphasized over competing goals in decisions and behavior. (Barnes, 2009) 21

22 What is Safety Culture? For our discussion: A strong Safety Culture consists of Shared Beliefs, Sound Philosophy and Practices as well as Healthy Attitudes. 22

23 What are the Characteristics of a healthy Safety Culture? Management commitment, leadership, involvement Strong communication channels (vertical and horizontal) Promotion of near miss reporting Hazard Awareness, good housekeeping Mature stable workforce Good personnel selection, job placement and promotional procedures Well trained and educated workforce Extensive Orientation program (Cooper,1998) 23

24 What is Organizational Learning? No commonly held definition (Wiseman, 2007) Organizational learning is a cyclical process through which knowledge that is learned on an individual or group level is objectified on the organizational level, institutionalized and embedded in the organizational memory. (Wiseman, 2007) 24

25 What factors influence Organizational Learning? Supportive Leaders Clear vision/goals Champion/role model Culture of Continuous Improvement Aligned believes and values Reinforcing incentives Commitment to Measuring results Intuitive knowledge processes Defined processes to capture, distill, apply and share knowledge Technology platform Defined Learning Structure Defined roles and responsibilities to capture, distill, apply and share knowledge Networks and coordination (Katie Smith Milway & Amy Saxton, The Challenge of Organizational Learning - Stanford Social Innovation Review, 2011) 25

26 What is Organizational Psychological Health and Safety? A psychologically healthy and safe workplace is one that actively works to prevent harm to worker psychological health, including in negligent, reckless, or intentional ways, and promotes psychological well-being. (CSA-Z1003, Psychological health and safety in the workplace, 2013 ) 26

27 What Factors Influences Organizational Psychological Health and Safety? 1. Organizational Culture 2. Psychological and Social Support 3. Clear leadership and expectation 4. Civility and Respect 5. Psychological Demands 6. Growth and Development 7. Recognition and Reward 8. Involvement and influence 9. Workload Management 10.Engagement 11.Balance 12.Psychological Protection 13.Protection of Physical safety (CSA-Z1003, Psychological health and safety in the workplace, 2013 ) 27

28 Safety Culture as Primer for Organizational Learning and Organizational Psychological Health & Safety Safety Culture Learning Organization Organizational Psychological Health & Safety Management commitment, leadership, involvement Strong communication Promotion of near miss reporting Hazard Awareness, good housekeeping Mature stable workforce Good personnel selection, job placement Well trained and educated workforce Extensive Orientation program Supportive Leaders Clear vision/goals Champion/role model Culture of Continuous Improvement Aligned beliefs and values Reinforcing incentives Commitment to Measuring results Intuitive knowledge processes Defined processes to capture, distill, apply and share knowledge Technology platform Defined Learning Structure Defined roles and responsibilities to capture, distill, apply and share knowledge Networks and coordination Organizational Culture Psychological and Social Support Clear leadership and expectation Civility and Respect Psychological Demands Growth and Development Recognition and Reward Involvement and influence Workload Management Engagement Balance Psychological Protection Protection of Physical safety 28

29 You cannot expect to be a world class company if you do not manage all aspects of your business well especially safety - Heinrich Beukes, Director Services and Resources, FIOSA-MIOSA 29

30 Identified Co-Factors Management commitment, Leadership Involvement at all levels High Moral and Ethical Values Responsiveness to challenges Good Training Infrastructure Good recruitment processes Organizational Culture & a Just Culture Measuring performance Communication processes Physically safe environment Continuous improvement philosophy and systems 30

31 Conclusions A strong safety culture can be seen as a primer for organizational learning and organizational psychological health. Several key areas still need to be addressed even if a healthy safety culture is in place to produce a psychologically safe workplace. Chicken-and-egg scenario exists between a strong safety culture and organizational learning. 31

32 Aim High! Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in; aim at earth and you will get neither. C.S Lewis Aspire to the highest moral values, ethical standards and the rest tends to fall into place. 32

33 References & Suggested Reading CSA-Z Psychological health and safety in the workplace - Prevention, promotion, and guidance to staged implementation, Dominique Cooper - Improving Safety Culture, A Practical Guide, 1998 John Wiley and Sons ltd. Erica Wiseman The Institutionalization of organizational learning: A neoinstitutional perspective, Proceedings of OLKC Learning Fusion 2007 European Guide to Good Practice in Knowledge Management, Part 1: Knowledge Management Framework, Brussels: European Committee for Standardization, March Grantmakers for Effective Organizations "Learning for Results," GEO Action Guide, December 2007; Hay, Douglas, Safety Culture Assessment Tool, Workplace Press, New Zealand,

34 References & Suggested Reading Hewitt, Mike, Relative Culture Strength A Key to Sustainable World Class Safety Performance, Du Pont 2009 McDaniel, "Creating Competitive Advantage by Effectively Managing Knowledge, Journal of Knowledge Management Practice, October 2002; and Neill Allan, et al., Ralph Hamilton, Prue Brown, Robert Chaskin, et al., Learning for Community Change: Core Components of Foundations that Learn, Chicago: Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago, October 2005; Sam Wamuzri - Factors that influence safety culture in construction Proceedings of the ICE - Management, Procurement and Law, Volume 166, Issue 5, March 2013 pages Valerie Barnes, What is Safety Culture? Theory, Research, Challenges, United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission,

35 Web references Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety alth_work.html Transport Canada Guarding Minds at Work 35

Improving Safety Culture: Barriers, Challenges and Potential Solutions

Improving Safety Culture: Barriers, Challenges and Potential Solutions CIRPD Webinar (March 26, 2015) Heinrich Beukes, Specialist: Safety Management Systems EPCOR Utilities 1 Agenda What is Safety Culture?