Achieving Physical Safety Through Psychological Safety

Psychological safety is the key to creating a safer workplace where employees can bring up concerns and problems before they become disasters. This week Tim and Junior explore the link between psychological safety and physical safety for organizations where lives are on the line.

(02:24) Tim shares a personal experience about his time managing the Geneva Steel Plant.
Safety protocols were not followed and a critical accident happened. The life of a worker was lost.

(11:26) The Duty of Care and the fundamental hazard categories.
In 1788 British Parliament passed The Chimney Sweepers Act which established a legal and a moral obligation to keep each other safe in the workplace. Frameworks have evolved around this duty and we've identified four fundamental hazard categories. They are chemical, biological, ergonomic and physical. We've used that framework for more than 200 years to make the workplace a safer place by identifying and removing hazards in these four categories.

(28:36) Passive observation vs active participation.
When we engage in an activity we do so on a spectrum of passive observation to active participation. During activities where safety is at risk passive observation enhances that risk. Passive observation is more likely to occur in environments with low levels of psychological safety.

(36:18) Toyota production lines and the andon cord.
Toyota's introduction of the andon cord is a great example of what it means to "stop the line". The andon cord enabled anyone on the production line regardless of position, title, or authority, to stop the line by pulling the cord. The main concern for Toyota was quality assurance. We can apply this same concept to safety. Anyone on the job, regardless of position, title, or authority should be given the power to "stop the line" at any moment and not be punished for it.

Important Links
Ebook - Breaking the Chain of Command: Achieving Physical Safety through Psychological Safety
Webinar - Breaking the Chain of Command: Improving Physical Safety through Psychological Safety