Tool Box Talk: An injury Free Culture

An injury Free Culture

What Injury-free is not

• It is not the same as zero
• It is not a goal, but rather a value
• It is not a guarantee
• It is not a prescription
• It is not the elimination of all risks

What Injury-free is

• It is about caring for one another and demonstrating that care on a daily basis
• It is about all workers going home safely every day
• It is about a mind set intolerant of any level of injury (remember the Injury Pyramid)
• It is about taking responsibility for your own safety and those that work with you and around you
• It is about being proactive and asking questions such as what is the most dangerous thing that can happen to me on this job/task and how can I mitigate against it?
• It is about an attitude of choosing to follow the safety rules and procedures (versus having to follow them)
• It is about speaking up and expressing your concern when you see something unsafe

No single raindrop believes it is responsible for the flood!

What our leaders should expect from us!

• If it is not safe, do not do it, and do not have our co-workers do it either.
• If we see something that is unsafe, speak up immediately, there and then, to our supervisor / line manager no matter whom –no matter what.
• If we are not sure of something (it does not look right, you do not understand the assignment or are unsure of how to do the job safely), speak up and ask.

What we should expect from our leaders!

• If we stop the task for a safety reason, we will back you up.
• If we bring up a safety concern, we will address it promptly. It will not go into a black hole.
• If there is an injury, we will conduct an Event Investigation in such a way that the person is NOT blamed. We need to learn so that we can eliminate the next injury.

What are the Key Challenges?

• Observing my co-workers and myself “asleep at the wheel” or preoccupied
• Speaking up when I see someone At-Risk
• Being open to change when someone speaks to me
• My intervention failing

The Personal Challenge

• Individual commitment -The right to intervene.
• Answer these questions: Why do we not like to intervene? Why don’t we like being challenged? Why Should We Intervene In “At-Risk Acts”?
• To prevent injury or loss
• Ignore it and we condone it
• Lead by your example
• We’ll get the standards we are prepared to accept
• Learn from experience to prevent a recurrence
• Drive the organization towards World Class Safety
• To support each other & constructively challenge to deliver operational excellence

Barriers to Intervening In At-Risk Acts

Want to avoid confrontation or looking silly? We can give you some tools to manage confrontation. Too busy to get involved or stop on your way to a meeting? Explain on arrival that you have just stopped an at risk act.

You do not realize that you have seen an at-risk act. Would you feel comfortable watching a loved one do this at home? It is not my job or department. Injury Free is a basic right for all -you have a duty to intervene. Not safe to approach. Make a phone call or find the supervisor. A daily occurrence or normal practice. Even more need to stop the act! It is raining. You’re already wet!

And a bonus quote from Martin Luther King Jr:

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the little things.”

Thanks for the share, TO!