Please notice, my colleagues, that this post suggests that I am presenting ways that we might be delusional. I would certainly not say that we are delusional in any way (though, admittedly, there may be some around us who think we are if we say how much we love our work as a safety professional. Out loud.). However, as Corrie Pitzer pointed out in an article about her recent research findings, there are some ways that if we are not careful, we could very well be deluding outselves into a false sense of safety and security in our worksites due to our high-quality safety protocols and procedures.
In my last post, I began the discussion of Pitzer’s research article, which was featured in the April 2015 issue of Professional Safety magazine, which revealed seven “delusions” that seem to be evident in various organizations and industries when it comes ot workplace safety. We covered the first three of these so-called “Deadly Delusions,” and here we will address the other four identified “delusions” in safety. In future posts, we will follow through on these delusions by exploring seven realities.
[Image courtesy of Stuart Cole from Flickr via a Creative Commons license]Amid the pressure of making your “risk factory” safe for everyone, some of us can often be deluded into false sense of security. Make sure to pay attention to some of these potentially deadly delusions and remain engaged in your safety program.
Delusion #4: The Risk is Under Control
As you will likely notice, many of these delusions are based on human behavior and the theory that behaviors can be trained, managed and even controlled to mitigate risks and incidents. Risk control is a common theme and goal of many safety procedures, programs and initiatives, but is it truly practical? Human behavior is generally unpredictable because we can’t read each other’s minds and know what each person is thinking. But many of our procedures and protocols are designed to make human behavior predictable and reliable, so as to quickly and easily identify risky behaviors or actions. While the most comprehensive controls will make you feel like your company is the safest it could be, what actually happens can be the opposite effect – if you make your safety net so big, your workers may be more likely to jump off bridges because they believe they are so safe. Yes, more security or too much security can lead to riskier behaviors and actions, which could open the company up to risks not considered previously.
Delusion #5: To Err is Human
We all work in safety on the premise that human error is natural, but is something that can be fixed. However, what research has shown is that even with the best behavioral controls, human error still happens. Why? Behavior management is based on the theory that all human actions are intentional, yet the phrase “human error” implies unintentional or accidental behaviors or choices. No matter what we might do to control or manage the intentional and conscious actions, there are often behaviors and actions that are unconscious or unintentional, and thus are not part of the behavior management matrix. So with error being such a natural part of life in that you cannot completely eliminate it, what can you do?
Delusion #6: Data Analysis
There is no question that data are everywhere and can tell virtually any story we want to hear. Not only are there statistics in the safety world, but as with most statistics, they can be measured in a number of ways and reported in another series of ways so that we can “massage” the stats to say whatever we want them to say. Often, companies will take small data points that indicate risks for future incidents and address those issues before a major incident orrcurs. But there is little research to suggest such predictability. And in many organizations where safety metrics drive incentives for safety reporting (as in, you might be better off if you don’t report something), there is a tendency to have unreliable information if you focus solely on metrics and data. Data can be a tool, but if we use it as our only basis of measuring safety, we are deluding ourselves right into a major problem.
Delusion #7: We are Not Vulnerable
Remember all the hype surrounding the maiden launch of the Titanic? Tt was supposerd to be not just the biggest, but also the safest passenger vessel ever on the water. Someone forgot to tell the iceberg.
The point of this is the perception of unmatched safety. When there is a low incident rate and the belief that the safety protocols are robust so that there is a perceived low risk of incidence, that leads to a sense that there are no vulnerabilities. And when that perception is stamped into the culture, small signs are often ignored or minimized and risk factors can often go unreported. When your company is focused on zero and believes that it will achieve zero (incidents or fatalities or what-have-you), then it will go to any length to maintain that narrative, even if it’s not necessarily true.
Well, now that you know the seven Deadly Delusions, what are we to do now? The next step of education is to counter the delusions with the realities and help you see the differences, and then provide you with the tools to cut through the delusional fog and take the steps to improve the reality.