Sam Eathington’s Post

10min read that is well worth the time. Great perspective, great content that is critical to a successful organization. People first, culture and compassion through actions, will inevitably lead to a safer and happier team. Safety First, Safety Last, Safety Always.

We all have a voice in safety. There is nothing we do that is worth risking our lives or the lives of others. Today’s message centers around reinforcing the voice that each team member holds on the project. It is the right and responsibility of every team member to exercise their Stop Work Authority when we see something that could lead to an unwanted event. #StopWorkAuthority #SafeProduction #ConstructionSafetyWeek

GOOD DAY PROFESSIONALS Our safety topic for discussion today is *Weakest Link on Your Team* Have you ever heard of the saying, “you are only as strong as your weakest link”? The weakest link on a team can be a variety of people on any given day. Traditionally, the weakest link is usually considered the lazy guy or the new guy. No matter who is the weakest link on that day, they can be a huge liability for your entire team to work safely. A new guy may not always be a liability to the safety culture of a company, but a lazy worker almost certainly is. Lazy workers are workers who take shortcuts and do not want to do the job correctly for the sake of making the task easier on themselves. Taking shortcuts often leads to safety rules and procedures being broken. When rules and procedures weakest link on the teamare broken, the entire workforce on that job is at risk. While the shortcuts may be “small” in nature, even the smallest of injuries or incidents can have a large impact on the company as a whole. For example, many industries use a company’s total recordable incident rate into account when considering bids for work. Small injuries due to taking “small shortcuts” can lead to big effects on the company’s ability to keep current work and to get future work. This affects the entire workforce, not just the individual taking shortcuts.

Clear and effective communication is an important element of a behaviour-based safety programme. Supervisors and team leaders have an important role to play in the flow of information. You have the responsibility to: Act as a conduit, upwards and downwards Use your experience to act as a filter Communicate clearly with your team and check understanding Be proactive and look for problems Be thorough and follow up on the actions you take Ensure that the programme makes sense to your team

🧐 Understanding Why It Makes Sense to Them 🧐 In safety, it's crucial to understand why people make certain decisions, especially when they deviate from established safety protocols. Human Performance encourages us to put ourselves in the workers' shoes and explore the context and reasoning from their perspective. Consider this: • When a worker skips a safety step, are they doing it because they don't care or because they believe it will save time without causing harm? • If someone uses a non-standard procedure, is it because they're ignoring rules or found a method they believe is safer or more efficient under the circumstances? • When a safety incident occurs, do we focus solely on the mistake, or do we examine the work environment, pressures, and constraints that influenced their decision? These perspectives help us see that what might seem like reckless behaviour often makes sense to the individual at the time. Here’s how we can incorporate this understanding: 1. Seek to Understand: Engage with team members to understand the context and pressures they face. Ask why they made a particular decision and listen without judgment. 2. Reflect on Systems: Examine whether systemic issues or constraints lead to these decisions. Are there areas where safety protocols are impractical or misunderstood? 3. Collaborate on Solutions: Work together with your team to develop practical and realistic safety measures. Involve them in the process to ensure the solutions make sense in their daily work context. By understanding the reasoning behind decisions, we can foster a more supportive and effective safety culture. Let’s move beyond blame and focus on creating an environment where safe choices are the easiest choices. 🌟

"Safety is a continuing journey, not a final destination.” This is 100% true. You are never all the way ‘there’ on safety. It is a continuing journey. There are always new team members, new technologies, new risks, and on and on and on. You have to continually evolve and need to establish a culture of safety. Do you agree? #safety #safetyprofessionals #safetymanagement

Working together for safety Did you know that safety people just want to help? Their job is make sure nobody gets hurt. But some workers think safety rules get in the way. Or that safety people just say "no" and don't understand their work. The truth is, safety people don't want to cause problems. They have tough choices where there is risk. They have to follow laws too. It's not easy! They have to let work happen, but also keep people safe. The best thing is for everyone to work as a team. Talk to safety people if you have questions. They want to listen. Together you can find ways to get the job done safely. Safety people learn from workers too. No one is perfect. By working together, we can protect each other from accidents. The most important thing is that everyone goes home in one piece at the end of the day. How can we make safety more of a team effort at your workplace?

𝗟𝗲𝘁'𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰. What went wrong and how could this have been prevented? How come there wasn't observation and intervention from his colleagues? Let's get it straight, accidents are often unexpected and unannounced, and being aware and prepared is critical in preventing them (safety 101). I prioritise safety, perhaps because of my training and expect the same from you. A few safety reminder for the year as we go through our tasks... Safety and procedures should be followed at all times, no matter how experienced or skilled you are. 𝘿𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙖 𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙢 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙘𝙪𝙩𝙨! Pay attention to your surroundings and be sensitive to potential hazards. 𝘿𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙡𝙮. 𝘼𝙨𝙠 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨! Speck up when in doubt and against safety concerns and issues. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙇𝙏𝙄 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙨! Be proactive in identifying and addressing safety risks. 𝙄𝙛 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙨𝙖𝙛𝙚, 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙝 𝙙𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜! Stay up-to-date on safety training and best practices. 𝙄𝙜𝙣𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙖 𝙝𝙖𝙯𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙢 𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙨! To leaders, lead by example and set a positive safety culture for your team. Like I was taught in SLB, stay off the line of fire, and never attempt to tease the tiger. You might not be alive to tell the story. Remember, you need to be alive to work and you are always replaceable.

🧐 Critical Role of Reporting and Investigating High Potential Incidents 🧐 In safety management, the true measure of our vigilance isn't only in preventing accidents but also in handling near misses and high-potential incidents (HiPos). Though they might not result in immediate harm, if left unaddressed, they carry the seeds of future Serious Incidents and Fatalities. Consider this: • When a near miss occurs, do we see it as a fortunate escape or a warning sign? • Are High-Potential Incidents promptly reported and thoroughly investigated, or do they get brushed aside as non-events? • Do we leverage these incidents to enhance our safety practices, or do we risk letting history repeat itself? How we respond to HiPos is a testament to our commitment to safety. Here’s how we can ensure they are properly addressed: 1. Encourage Reporting: Foster an environment where team members feel comfortable and obligated to report all incidents, regardless of the outcome. Emphasise that HiPos are opportunities for learning and improvement. 2. Thorough Investigate: Treat HiPos with the same rigour as actual accidents. Investigate the root causes, examine contributing factors, and understand the potential consequences if circumstances were slightly different. 3. Implement Lessons Learned: Use insights from HiPos to proactively improve safety measures. Share findings with the team and update practices to prevent future incidents. By prioritising reporting and investigating high-potential incidents, we can uncover hidden risks and strengthen our safety culture. Let’s turn near-misses into valuable lessons and ensure a safer workplace for everyone. 🌟

What experience helped you prioritize safety in your job? ✏️ One significant experience that helped me prioritize safety in my job was when I witnessed a workplace accident that resulted in injuries to a colleague. This experience made me realize the importance of safety protocols and procedures in the workplace and the potential consequences of overlooking safety measures. The incident served as a wake-up call, highlighting the critical need to prioritize safety at all times. Witnessing the impact of the accident on my colleague and the surrounding work environment made me acutely aware of the potential risks and hazards present in the workplace. As a result of this experience, I became more proactive in identifying safety hazards, reporting any concerns to the appropriate channels, and actively participating in safety training and initiatives. I recognized that ensuring a safe work environment is a collective responsibility that requires constant vigilance and adherence to safety protocols by all team members. Overall, this experience heightened my awareness of safety issues, reinforced the importance of prioritizing safety in my job, and motivated me to promote a culture of safety within my workplace to prevent future accidents and injuries.