Full Transcript

• What key elements contribute to a strong safety culture? As a General Manager, how do you reinforce those elements?
• I believe the key elements of a strong safety culture are trust, commitment and communication at all levels. As the GM the best way for myself to reinforce those elements is to clearly define and communicate H&A's expectations while allowing for the capacity of failure without the fear of retribution, understanding that those in the line of fire are those that we have the most to learn from, I must commit to all those staff that I will support Stop Work authority allowing for their safety to take precedent over the financial performance of the organization.
• How do you believe effective communication contributes to building a strong safety culture within a team or organization?
• I think it's completely essential for all elements of a successful project or relationship. We often talk about our work in terms of inanimate objects, like a project or a task, but it really all comes down to people and people are inherently fallible. And the best way to overcome that is with communication. If we start by telling our staff what we expect in terms of preparation performance, then allow for and plan for questions, errors issues, then we can begin to build relationships based on trust and respect. We can then count on not only safer job sites and workplaces but also higher quality performance. I have a great example of how clear, open and honest communication was showcased on a project that I managed years ago in Evans, Washington, we were drilling an open field and during the daily tailgate, our field lead asked if anyone cared to share any of their allergies. We had a driller's helper who indicated that he had a bad allergy to bee stings and had an EpiPen but wasn't really sure where it was located. Field lead paused the work, told them that it would be great if they could find where it was just in case something happened. We spent about 30 minutes looking for this EpiPen. Luckily he found it, the guy was really nervous that he was holding up the work, but we insisted that this was something that we needed to do to make sure that he'd be safe. I'm sure you know how this story goes. And not 60 minutes later while running a wheelbarrow of sand over to the well that he run over a ground nesting wasp nest and was stung multiple times before he could get clear. But luckily we took the time for him to find his medication and he successfully self administered the EpiPen. He later came back to us and told if we hadn't taken that time and clearly communicated how important it was for him to find his medication, he could have died.
• In your experience, what role does trust play in fostering a positive work culture, particularly in regard to safety?
• As I mentioned earlier, trust is essential for safety, but it's also essential for our clients, our regulators, our government officials, the overall success of our organization as much as our projects. It's management's responsibility to allow the capacity to fail and to build the trust with our staff so that they can openly talk about their safety concerns. For staff, they must trust that they have the authority to stop work and address safety and performance issues without repercussions. The more open we are with each other, the more we learn, the more we succeed. One issue we all have to work on is our potential emotional response to inquiry. Oftentimes Stop Works or stopping progress on something whether related to safety or project execution can leave some staff feeling attacked and we must all remember that Stop Works are carried out with the best of intentions and the inquiry only leads to further clarification, not judgment or blame. If all staff can take that to heart, we really can start to build a trusted positive relationship with each other.