Making a Safety Culture Truly Cultural

THE DNA OF GOOD WORKPLACE HABITS

Introduction

We hear the term Safety Culture thrown around a lot today.

But does it mean anything?

We hear the term Safety Culture thrown around a lot today. But does it mean anything?

Are managers just giving it lip service? Do employees make it a part of their everyday work?

By itself, the term culture is defined as a collective commitment to values embedded within us. Like a habit – culture is a behavior that happens automatically.

Add the word safety to that and Safety Culture sounds good.

However, the 2017 National Safety Survey by Environmental Health and Safety Today says that safety professionals nationwide report that budgets, increasing work responsibilities and a relaxed regulatory environment are still reasons for concern.1

So, what’s wrong?

To answer that we need to look at where we’re at, where we want to be, and how we get there.

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Section IStatistics do show an upside –

82% of safety mangers report more support from top management and 71% report they have increased budgets for occupational health and safety.

WHAT SAFETY LOOKS LIKE TODAY

In the 2017 EHS Today survey, industry professionals said that budget and personnel concerns, plus a perception of relaxed governmental regulations are all reasons to be worried about today’s Safety Culture.1

However, statistics do show an upside – 82% of safety mangers report more support from top management and 71% report increased budgets for occupational health and safety.1

The downside is that in practice, safety resources are stretched. Safety Culture is a popular sentiment, but the organizational commitment is not yet second nature.

Survey respondents further request these wish list items1 :

• Established programs that comply withlaws, plus the appropriate automation,training, procedures and incentives thatgo with the programs.

• Directing resources toward occupationalhealth, fire protection, ergonomics,risk management and environmentalcompliance concerns.

• A government administration thatdoes not cut regulations but supportsstandards, compliance and enforcement.

Part of the issue is that safety has been given lip service. Maybe this sounds familiar – Yes, safety is job one... Yes, we have people in operations or HR who handle it… Yes, we have a safety policy… Yes, we still have the same slips, trips and falls.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, workplace injuries and illnesses have fallen 0.1 cases per 100 workers since 2015.3

Although the number of reported incidents has dropped, there are still 3 injuries and illnesses per 100 workers.4

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Section ICONTINUED

It’s one thing to talk about safety but another thing to put it on par with organizational DNA. To illustrate that this is an issue, let’s look at just one area of safety concern – fatigue.

According to the National Safety Council report Fatigue in the Workplace, the potential for injuries on the job increases as fatigue risk factors increase.2

This is not groundbreaking news.

But here’s an example of how that’s addressed in the very same report, by saying one thing yet doing another2 :

• 90% of employers want to understandroot causes of employees’ fatigue,but only 55% say they will adjustschedules or tasks.

• 51% assign a night shift to an employeeimmediately before or after a day shift.

• 60% who know rest is important lack adesignated area for employees to do so.

Of course, contrary behavior is not isolated to employers. Employees report these fatigue-related issues2 :

• 43% of employees get less than 7 hoursof sleep per night, although 94% knowthat more is optimal.

• 64% of respondents incorrectly felt thatrolling down the windows would preventdrowsy driving.

• 67% who moonlight report working50-plus hours per week contributes tosleep deprivation.

EHS Today Survey respondents want to do the right thing, not just say it. They want to see behavioral changes. Here are examples1 :

• Better communications equipment to help everyone work together and relyon each other.

• Significantly more behavioralsafety training.

• Increased employee feedbackand recognition for doing the right thing.

The conversation here is not limited to the topic of fatigue. It is to illustrate that we can’t get into the practice of saying one thing and doing another. That is not cultural. A Safety Culture has to be how we naturally behave.

EHS Today Survey respondents want to see tangible behavioral changes.

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This year, Tom Cecich, former president of the American Society of Safety Professionals, cited the concept

of safety leadership in a message to members.

I thought only the vanguards of the profession, our respected authors, known speakers and elected officers, were safety leaders...

[but] occupational health professionals are uniquely qualified to ensure that safety vacuums do not exist. Doing so requires leadership, and we must be clear

that as OSH professionals, we are all safety leaders.3

“

”

The EHS Today Survey results mirror the sentiment of inherent, take-the-lead behavior. Respondents want consistency in safety policies across the board, from the top down – not housed inside individual organizational departments.1

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Section IIWHERE SAFETY NEEDS TO CHANGE

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the workplace is getting safer.4

But is that true?

OSHA reports tens of thousands of se-vere injuries on the job across the United States, sometimes with permanent conse-quences to themselves and their families5 :

• Every year, more than 4.1 millionworkers suffer a serious job-relatedinjury or illness.

• Most general-industry incidents involveslips, trips, and falls, causing 15% of allaccidental deaths.

• Every day, more than 12 workers die onthe job – 4,500-plus employees per year.

Still, there is good news. OSHA’s figures have a silver lining. The workplace is getting safer. It would be improbable that there would never be another accident. But bad habits are truly being replaced with good habits. Behaviors are evolving.

Prevention can be brought about by working together. Changing how we behave.

Consider this OSHA initiative that began in 2015 – the Severe Injury Reporting Program. In a nutshell, employers must report to the administration within 24 hours any work-related amputation, in-patient hospitalization or loss of an eye.6

Serious injuries. Reported within one day versus letting it slide.

That’s a good habit.

In 2016, an evaluation by David Michaels, PhD, MPH, the former Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), states that this program has eliminated the potential for many more thousands of injuries. That is, with mandatory, prompt reporting, the agency was better able to target places of risk and eliminate serious hazards as a result.6

Most hazards leading to severe injuries are well understood and easily prevented, the evaluation says. Employers can prevent them in a straightforward, cost-effective manner – providing fall-protection equipment, installing guard covers over machinery and clearly marking pathways.6

Prevention can be brought about by working together.

Changing how we behave.

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Section IICONTINUED

One objective of the program was to encourage employers to work together with OSHA and find ways to eliminate hazards and protect other workers from the same injuries. Because of that, here is how specific examples are playing out today6 :

• After an arm injury in a Chicago plant,the employer installed metal guardsto shield workers’ limbs from movingmachinery, and added warning alarmsand flashing lights.

• In Idaho, a valve cover snapped shutand severed fingertips, so a hands-freetool for closing the valve was addedand employees were trained.

• A mechanized blender in a Missouriplant caused an amputation, so theemployer re-engineered the controlsystem, changed safety interlocks,and enhanced worker trainingand supervision.

In these cases, the occurrence of serious injuries prevented future injuries. Proving that a change in behavior can make a difference. Turning a bad habit of inaction (slow reporting) into a good habit of action (prompt reporting) greatly reduced future injuries.

THE ROI OF SAFETYAnother bad behavior to overcome is basing decisions on cost savings versus keeping workers safe.

Here’s why. Safety+Health magazine reports that investments in safety now will result in savings down the line. For every $1 spent on safety today, you save $2 in the future. In fact, the authors point out that you could save $3, $4 or even $6 in the future per dollar spent now.7

Although major accidents might never happen in your organization,

consider the dollar amounts that demonstrate the enormity

of the costs.

That is, put the cost of prevention into perspective.

You may think a workplace fatality is unlikely, but put it into perspective. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that a fatal injury could cost nearly $1 million. And the National Safety Council estimates the cost at $1.4 million.7

Also, factor in the indirect costs of lost productivity, employee replacement, insurance and attorneys, and the cost jumps to $3 million on average.7

For every $1 spent on safety today, you save $2 in the future.

In fact, you could save $3, $4 or even $6 in the future per dollar spent now.

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Section IICONTINUED

NEW HABITS OF OLD COMPANIESThe Schneider Electric company, based in France, already had a good safety record. But by identifying and eliminating further hazards, the company saw its injury rate drop from 3.6 per 100 to 0.5 – saving them $15 million per year in direct costs alone.7

When Alcoa focused on becoming a safer place, lost hours due to employee injuries declined over a 10-year period. Sales grew 15%, earnings increased from $0.20 to $1.41 per share and they also saw an increase in profits.7

Also, Forbes reports the following results from JUST Capital, a firm that ranks American companies on priority issues. No surprise, industries that are more prone to incidents score lowest in worker safety. However, promoting safety in the workplace is changing the landscape in those industries where risks are higher.8

Incident-risk companies that stand out for promoting safety in their workplaces include AES Corporation (utilities), Cabot Corporation (chemicals), Cimarex Energy Co. (oil, gas and consumable fuels), Home Depot (retailing), and W.W. Grainger (capital goods).8

Despite industry trends, these companies have taken the lead in providing programs for safe workplaces and had minimal or no safety incidents. They’ve committed to at least four of the following good habits of safety8 :

• A policy to improve employee healthand safety.

• A safety policy within the companyand its supply chain.

• An employee health and safety team.

• A health and safety training programfor its executives or key employees.

• Health and safety management systemsput into place.

Everyone wants to be safe. But only the companies that are

ensuring good behaviors, and focusing on people and processes, are truly creating

a Safety Culture.

Only the companies that are ensuring good behaviors, and focusing on people and processes, are truly creating a Safety Culture.

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Section IIIARRIVING AT A SAFETY CULTURE

By creating good safety habits – focusing on people versus budgets, identifying and eliminating hazards in advance, training employees and executives – companies like Schneider Electric, Alcoa and Home Depot have improved their safety.

Good behavioral habits lead to positive results and that’s why human behavior is at the heart of safety.

But how can we change old habits? Change human behavior?

In the book, The Power of Habit, author Charles Duhigg says that at one point, we all consciously decide what to do when we get to work. But then we stop making a choice and the behavior becomes automatic. The following synopsis helps explain why.9

Once the habit emerges, the brain stops evaluating the decision. So, unless we achieve new behaviors, the pattern will continue automatically. And the problem is that our brains can’t tell the difference between good habits and bad habits. They’re just habits.

Each behavior consists of a habit loop, comprised of three components – a cue, plus a routine, plus a reward, Duhigg says. One thing leads to the next and then, like a loop, it repeats.

For example, assume that not brushing your teeth is a bad habit. You finish eating a sandwich and that’s a cue that you’re done with the main course. You don’t brush your teeth because you hate what it does to your palate, that’s a routine. You follow-up dinner with ice cream and it tastes great, not like toothpaste, that’s a reward.

But we all know bad things happen when we don’t brush our teeth.

It’s hard to change habits, but we can fiddle around with the

components of the habit loop.

Duhigg tells us it’s hard to change habits, but we can fiddle around with the components of the habit loop. For example, change the cue and the reward. The routine then changes with it. Your teeth feel dirty (cue), you brush your teeth (routine), you enjoy the tingly effect of the toothpaste (reward).

The problem is that our brains can’t tell the difference between good habits and bad habits.

They’re just habits.

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Section IIICONTINUED

So, how does the concept of a habit loop translate to the workplace? The Power of Habit says that renowned pro football coach Tony Dungy used this same psychology at his job – turning around the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a dismal team.

His theory was that there is too much to remember during a football play – players think too much. Too much decision-making and reaction times are delayed.

A defensive player has to look at the lineman, the running back, the quarterback. Their legs, their hips, their movement. Gaps in the line, run or pass, ball thrown to the side or away.

These are all cues in the habit loop. Dungy had players focus on only one cue instead. The running back. And drilled it and drilled it. Then, the QB. And drilled it. And so on. Each cue became a singular, rapid-fire step in the routine instead of the defense trying to look at everything at once.

Of course – the reward – they became division champs and those players went on to win a Super Bowl.

The takeaway is, don’t try to change the entire organization all at once.

Like Dungy, Schneider Electric addressed one challenge – a piece of equipment that was a trip hazard. Remedying that would cost $1 million, but they fixed it anyway. Then, Schneider moved on to the next item, and so on.7

Not only were Schneider employees protected by correcting one issue,

but that change also increased productivity, improved processes,

improved customer service and saved money with fewer injuries.7

What if your organization could address one safety issue at a time, such as falls? For example:

• Safety harnesses are identifiedas inadequate, so they’re replaced.

• Training makes stepping on a platformsynonymous with wearing a harness.

• Compliance is satisfied with new rulesand equipment in place.

When behaviors become good habits – part of our routine and organizational DNA – that is a clear sign of developing a true Safety Culture.

The takeaway is, don’t try to change the entire organization all at once.

What if your organization could address one safety issue at a time, such as falls?

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Conclusion

Consider that there are 150 million people in the nation’s workforce, according to Pew Research. And 100 million of them are more prone to safety incidents, in industries such as construction, manufacturing, processing, warehousing and others.10

Safety can become the culture of this great workforce. Look for ways to turn these considerations into good habits:

• A focus on people not just machinery.

• Better training of workers as well assafety professionals – to influencebehavior, modify behavior and rewardsafe behavior.

• Automation that reports, tracks andcompiles observations, so that trendsand scenarios can be identified andaddressed before they become incidents.

• Better systems for communication,from inspection and auditing to programsupport and emergency response.

• Personnel committed to prevention,industrial hygiene, training, andcompliance.

Everyone wants employees to be safe, work safely and have the world be a better place because of it. But bad habits, contradictory behaviors and cost-cutting can prevent today’s Safety Culture from becoming truly cultural.

Humans err. Processes break.

Regulations change.

But a Safety Culture has a positive ROI.

A proper Safety Culture has a real ROI.

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Sources:

1Valentic, S., “National Safety Survey,” EHSToday.com, 7 Aug 2017.

2 Survey Results, “Fatigue in the Workplace: Causes & Consequences of Employee Fatigue,” National Safety Council, Jul 2017.

3Cecich, T., “We Are all Safety Leaders,” American Society of Safety Professionals, assp.com, 22 Apr 2018.

4 News Release, “Employer-Reported Workplace Injury and Illnesses, 2016,” Economic News Release, bls.gov, 9 Nov 2017.

5 White Paper, “Injury and Illness Prevention Programs,” 4OSHA, Occupational Safety & Health Administration, osha.gov, Jan 2012.

6 Michaels, D., “Year One of OSHA’s Severe Injury Reporting Program: An Impact Evaluation,” osha.gov, 17 Mar 2016.

7Morrison, K., “The ROI of Safety,” Safety+Health Magazine, 23 May 2014.

8Knauer, A., “Regulate This: Worker Safety in Trump’s America,” Forbes, 9 Jun 2017.

9Duhigg, C., “The Power of Habit,” 7 Jan 2014.

10Desilver, D., “10 facts about American workers”, Pew Research Center, pewresearch.org, 1 Sep 2016.

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