The Safety of Work

We examine whether a safe work environment truly enhances productivity and engagement or if it stifles business efficiency. Historical incidents like the Union Carbide disaster and BP's Deepwater Horizon blowout are analyzed to question if neglecting safety can still lead to profitability. Finally, we break down the misconception that good safety practices automatically translate to business profitability. We highlight the tangible benefits such as enhanced publicity, stronger client relationships, and improved employee satisfaction, and stress the importance of complex discussions about the actual costs vs. benefits of safety practices.The Paper’s AbstractThis research addresses the fundamental question of whether providing a 15 safe workplace improves or hinders organizational survival, because there are conflicting predictions on the relationship between worker safety and organizational performance. The results, based on a unique longitudinal database covering over 100,000 organizations across 25 years in the U.S. state of Oregon, indicate that in general organizations that provide a safe workplace have significantly lower odds and 20 length of survival. Additionally, the organizations that would in general have better survival odds, benefit most from not providing a safe workplace. This suggests that relying on the market does not engender workplace safety.Discussion Points:Is safety “good for business”? Examining the relationship between safety and business viabilityBhopal and the costs, Occidental - you can still make money without safetyThe backgrounds and qualifications of the paper’s authorsWorkplace safety can both benefit and hinder organizational survival due to productivity prioritization and potential risksWorkplace safety and business performance are complexly related, with a study showing a decrease in survival odds and length due to safety prioritizationSafety compliance at the lowest minimal cost may hinder productivity and divert attention from safety, leading to increased risksSafety is not inherently good for business; instead, it can bring tangible benefits like publicity, client relationships, and employee satisfactionStrict regulations and upfront investments in safety are necessary for fostering a safer work environment and ensuring business successTakeaways - Stop claiming safety is “good for business”The answer to our episode’s question is, “So the short answer is on average, no. At least according to this study, businesses are more likely to survive in the short term and long term if they're hurting more people more seriously.”Quotes:“The sorts of things that you do to improve safety are the sorts of things that I thought should also improve productivity and reliability in the long run.” - David“Which is science, right? That's what it's about. We think we're right until we get a new piece of information and realize that maybe we weren't as right as we thought we were.” - David“Even though there is a reasonably high volume of research out there, it's really hard to look very directly at the question.”- Drew“So we know from this data that it's not true that providing a safe workplace makes you more competitive.” - DrewResources:The Paper: The Tension Between Worker Safety and Organization SurvivalThe Safety of Work PodcastThe Safety of Work on LinkedInFeedback@safetyofwork

David and Drew share insights into Dr. Provan’s PhD research journey, exploring the scarce guidance and fragmented views within academic research on safety practices. They discuss the challenges of painting a clear picture of the day-to-day responsibilities of safety professionals and how this prompted an in-depth investigation into the profession. As we peel back the layers of existing literature, we touch on the difficulty and complexity of condensing a vast array of theories and studies into a cohesive academic narrative.The varied titles and the global patchwork of research that span numerous fields are explored, and although David’s search through databases and beyond revealed a trove of about 100 relevant articles, more insights may remain hidden. The discussion culminates with a look at the strategies employed by safety professionals to wield influence, foster trust, and align safety objectives with organizational goals. David's firsthand experiences and academic findings paint a vivid picture of the complex identity and influence that safety professionals must navigate in their pivotal roles.The Paper’s AbstractSafety professionals have been working within organizations since the early 1900s. During the past 25 years, societal pressure and political intervention concerning the management of safety risks in organizations has driven dramatic change in safety professional practice. What are the factors that influence the role of safety professionals? This paper reviews more than 100 publications. Thematic analysis identified 25 factors in three categories: institutional, relational, and individual. The review highlights a dearth of empirical research into the practice and role of safety professionals, which may result in some ineffectiveness. Practical implications and an empirical research agenda regarding safety professional practice are proposed.Discussion Points:Safety professionals - are they a “necessary evil”?The role and perception of safety professionals, scarcity and fragmentation of literature, and challenges in condensing research. Safety positions have many varying titles globally.Institutional, organizational, and individual factors, regulatory environments, and professional associationsSafety professionals face challenges when reporting to line managers, limiting their ability to challenge leadership and prioritize protection over workers.Balancing safety independence and bureaucracyA construction industry study - testing bureaucracyAlliance vs. Influence - Safety professionals act as the conscience of the organization, using constructive challenge and alliances to advocate for safety and align goals with broader objectives.Influence and trust in safety management - relational legitimacy, influence tactics, and symbolic enablers to promote best practices and trust within organizations.Practical takeaways from the paperThe answer to our episode’s question is, “This is still an area of safety science that is a prime candidate for more PhD and postdoc research.” Quotes:“I went into this going, what has been published on the safety profession? And to do that, went to a couple of the key databases and used very deliberate keyword searches…” - David“That was probably one of the first challenges- is that this role gets called so many different things in one country, let alone globally.” - David“The included pieces were all in peer-reviewed publications, but there's a range of quality to those publications.”- David“This connection between the bureaucratic activities of safety professionals and the value that the people who are exposed to the risk see in having a safety team was one of the most stark research findings in the literature.” - David“Don't learn how to do your job from a TED Talk regardless of how inspirational a new view that talk is.” - DrewResources:The Paper: Bureaucracy, Influence, and BeliefsThe Safety of Work PodcastThe Safety of Work on LinkedInFeedback@safetyofwork

Exploring accident investigation techniques with a focus on systemic contributors over root causes. Critiquing traditional root cause analysis and emphasizing the importance of organizational pressures on safety incidents. Analyzing factors contributing to accidents through categorization and diagramming. Discussing organizational pressures and work adaptations in incident analysis. Reevaluating incident interpretations and investigative approaches in light of missed failure modes and learning from past events.

Using the Waterfall incident as a striking focal point, we dissect the investigation and its aftermath, we share personal reflections on the implementation of safety recommendations and the nuances of assessing systems designed to protect us. From the mechanics of dead man's systems to the critical evaluation of managerial decisions, our dialogue exposes the delicate balance of enforcing safety while maintaining the practicality of operations. Our aim is to contribute to the ongoing conversation about creating safer work environments across industries, recognizing the need for both technological advancements and refined human judgment.  Discussion Points:Drew loves a paper with a great nameThe circumstances surrounding the Waterfall rail accidentHow the “dead man system” works on certain trainsRecommended changes from investigation committeesIn the field of safety, we seem more certain about our theoriesExploration of narratives and facts in accident investigationsDead man's system and Waterfall derailment's investigationPost-accident list of operator failuresSafety theories and organizational fault correlation critiquedEvolution of railway safetyDiscussion on managerial decisions amidst imperfect knowledgeThe importance of context in incident investigationsSafety management systems and human judgmentInsights on enhancing organizational safetyTheoretical conclusionsPractical takeawaysThe answer to our episode’s question is, “yes, keep it in mind as a digital tool” Quotes:“I find that some of the most interesting things in safety don't actually come from people with traditional safety or even traditional safety backgrounds.”- Drew“Because this is a possible risk scenario, on these trains, we have what's called a ‘dead man system.” - David“Every time you have an accident, it must have objective physical causes, and those physical causes have to come from objective organisational failures, and I think that's a fairly fair representation of how we think about accidents in safety.” - Drew“They focused on the dead man pedal because they couldn't find anything wrong with the design of the switch, so they assumed that it must have been the pedal that was the problem” - DrewResources:The Paper: Blaming Dead MenThe Safety of Work PodcastThe Safety of Work on LinkedInFeedback@safetyofwork

Using the paper, “Digital Twins in Safety Analysis, Risk Assessment and Emergency Management.” by Zio and Miqueles, published in the technical safety journal, Reliability Engineering and System Safety, we examine intricate simulations that predict traffic flows to emergency management tools that plan safe evacuation routes, and we delve into how these virtual counterparts of physical systems are redefining risk assessments and scenario planning.As we navigate the world of operational safety, we discuss the diverse array of models—from geometric to sophisticated hybrid simulations—and their groundbreaking applications in forecasting fire spread and optimizing evacuation procedures. These digital twins aren't just theoretical concepts; they're powerful, real-time lifesavers in emergency situations, emblematic of the future of safety science.  Discussion Points:What are digital twins and how are they used?Use of digital twins is de rigueur in traffic flow, fire engineering, water flow structureIdentifying all recent papers written on digital twinsVirtual simulations offer advanced risk assessment capabilitiesOverview of tasks and functions identified, industries - construction, naval engineering, manufacturingTechnical discussion on digital twin creation and maintenanceSix key challenges of digital twinningSmart paint innovation improves virtual model accuracyCybersecurity risksReal-time operational safety monitoringDigital twins promise improved safety and operational efficiencyEmergency management potentially bolstered by real-time simulationsPractical takeawaysIndustry practice may surpass academic digital twin findingsThe answer to our episode’s question is, “yes, keep it in mind as a digital tool” Quotes:"Ideally, a digital twin is a complete virtual copy of a product or service that is an electronic simulation that is completely accurate compared to that real product or service.”- Drew“One of the first documented digital twins was in the aerospace industry -  NASA [used it] during the Apollo 13 program.” - David“this idea of having a complete digital picture of the thing that you're building is becoming fairly common, so that  lends itself very much towards using it for things like digital twins.” - Drew“we may never quite know exactly how different the digital twin is from the physical object itself. That’s the challenge.” - David Resources:The PaperThe Safety of Work PodcastThe Safety of Work on LinkedInFeedback@safetyofwork

Expert Ben discusses the shortcomings of safety audits, focusing on paperwork over tangible work practices. He highlights the disconnect between safety goals and actual results, emphasizing the need for substantive changes. They explore how audit reports may not effectively evaluate work safety, leading to potential catastrophic outcomes. The discussion calls for a reimagined approach to audits to truly protect workers.

Safety isn't one-size-fits-all, especially for subcontractors who navigate multiple sites with varying rules and equipment. This episode peels back the layers on the practical safety management challenges subcontractors endure, revealing how transient work complicates the integration of safety protocols. We scrutinize the institutional oversights and fragmented safety systems that often overlook the needs of these critical yet vulnerable players in the industry. Our conversation isn't just about identifying problems; it's an urgent call to action for better practices and a safer future for all involved in subcontracting work. Discussion Points:The vagaries of subcontracting workBackground on the paper being discussedFindings presented in the paperInstitutional safety vs. the subcontractor’s workExpertise in the work does not equal expertise in safetyCommunication and safety work activitiesInstitutional safety mechanismsDangerous environments and lack of safety knowledge in that environmentSubcontractors in the mining industry and the many layers and risksSafety rules are perceived differently by subcontractorsFinancial and other burdens to following safety protocols for subcontractorsKey takeawaysThe answer to our episode’s question –the short answer in some of it is that there are lots of filtered and missing communication towards contractors' gaps in situational specific expertise that don't get identified and just our broad safety management systems and arrangements that don't work well for the subcontractor context. Quotes:"Subcontracting itself is also a fairly undefined term. You can range from anything from large, labour -higher organisations to what we typically think in Australia of a small business with maybe one to four or five employees." - Drew “All of the normal protections we put in place for safety just don't work as well when there are contract boundaries in place.” - Drew“the subcontractor may be called in because they've got expertise in a particular type of work, but they're in an environment where they don't have expertise.” - Drew Resources:Link to the PaperThe Safety of Work PodcastThe Safety of Work on LinkedInFeedback@safetyofwork

Lastly, we delve into the role of leadership in addressing psychosocial hazards, the importance of standardized guidance for remote work, and the challenges faced by line managers in managing remote workers. We wrap up the episode by providing a toolkit for managers to effectively navigate the challenges of remote work, and highlight the need for tailored safety strategies for different work arrangements.  Discussion Points:Different work-from-home arrangementsSafety needs of work from homeChallenges of remote worker representationUnderstanding and managing psychosocial risksLeadership and managing technical risksRemote work challenges and physical presencePractical takeaways and general discussionSafety strategies for different work arrangementsThe answer to our episode’s question – the short answer is that there definitely isn't a short answer. But this paper comes from a larger project and I know that the people who did the work have gathered together a list of existing resources and toolboxes and, they've even created a few prototype tools and training packagesQuotes:"There's a risk that we're missing important contributions from workers with different needs, neurodiverse workers, workers with mental health issues, workers with particular reasons for working at home and we’re not going to be able to comment on the framework and how it might affect them." - Drew “When organizations' number of incident reports go up and up and up and we struggle to understand, is that a sign of worsening safety or is that a sign of better reporting?” - David“They do highlight just how inconsistent organisations approaches are and perhaps the need for just some sort of standardised guidance on what is an organisation responsible for when you ask to work from home, or when they ask you to work from home.” - Drew“I think a lot of people's response to work from home is let's try to subtly discourage it because we're uncomfortable with it, at the same time as we recognise that it's probably inevitable.” - Drew Resources:Link to the PaperThe Safety of Work PodcastThe Safety of Work on LinkedInFeedback@safetyofwork

The conversation stems from a review of a noteworthy paper from the Academy of Management Review Journal titled "The Paradox of Stretch Goals: Organizations in Pursuit of the Seemingly Impossible," which offers invaluable insights into the world of goal setting in senior management. Discussion Points:The concept of seemingly impossible goals in organizationsControversial nature and impact of ‘zero harm’The role of stretch goals in promoting innovationPotential negative effects of setting stretch goalsPsychological effects of ambitious organizational targetsParadoxical outcomes of setting seemingly impossible goalsThe role of emotions in achieving stretch goalsFactors that contribute to the success of stretch goalsReal-world examples of successful stretch goal implementationCautions against blind imitation of successful stretch goal strategiesThe concept of zero harm in safety initiativesNeed for long-term research on zero harm effectivenessThe answer to our episode’s question – they're good when the organization is currently doing well enough, but stretch goals are not good when the organization is struggling and trying to turn a corner using that stretch goal. Quotes:"The basic idea [of ‘zero harm’] is that companies should adopt a visionary goal of having zero accidents. Often that comes along with commitment statements by managers, sometimes by workers as well that everyone is committed to the vision of having no accidents." - Drew “I think organizations are in this loop, where I know maybe I can't achieve zero, but I can't say anything other than zero because that wouldn't be moral or responsible, because I'd be saying it's okay to hurt people. So I set zero because it's the best thing for me to do.” - David“The “stretch goal” was credited with the introduction of hybrid cars. You've got to have a whole new way of managing your car to get that seemingly impossible goal of doubling your efficiency.”-  Drew Resources:Link to the PaperThe Safety of Work PodcastThe Safety of Work on LinkedInFeedback@safetyofwork

You’ll hear David and Drew delve into the often overlooked role of bias in accident investigations. They explore the potential pitfalls of data collection, particularly confirmation bias, and discuss the impacts of other biases such as anchoring bias and hindsight bias. Findings from the paper are examined, revealing insights into confirmation bias and its prevalence in interviews. Strategies for enhancing the quality of incident investigations are also discussed, emphasizing the need to shift focus from blaming individuals to investigating organizational causes. The episode concludes with the introduction of Safety Exchange, a platform for global safety community collaboration. Discussion Points:Exploring the role of bias in accident investigationsConfirmation bias in data collection can validate initial assumptionsReview of a study examining confirmation bias among industry practitionersAnchoring bias and hindsight bias on safety strategiesRecognizing and confronting personal biases Counterfactuals in steering conversations towards preconceived solutionsStrategies to enhance the quality of incident investigationsShifting focus from blaming individuals to investigating organizational causesSafety Exchange - a platform for global safety communityThe challenges organizations face when conducting good quality investigationsStandardization, trust, and managing time and production constraintsConfirmation bias in shaping investigation outcomesTechniques to avoid bias in accident investigations and improve their qualitySafety Exchange - a safe place for open discussionSix key questionsThe answer to our episode’s question – Very, and we all are as human beings. It does mean that we should probably worry more about the data collection phase of our investigations more than the causal analysis methodology and taxonomy that we concern ourselves with Quotes:"If we actually don't understand how to get a good data collection process, then it really doesn't matter what happens after that." - David "The trick is recognizing our biases and separating ourselves from prior experiences to view each incident with fresh eyes." - Drew"I have heard people in the industry say this to me, that there's no new problems in safety, we've seen them all before." - David"In talking with people in the industry around this topic, incident investigation and incident investigation quality, 80% of the conversation is around that causal classification taxonomy." - David Resources:Link to the PaperThe Safety of Work PodcastThe Safety of Work on LinkedInFeedback@safetyofwork