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Is an SMS enough to make our organisations safer?
By Jan PeetersRIO DE JANEIRO – 20/10/2015
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We built a great tool box.
What are we using it for?
SMS: where we are.
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Tools are only useful if you use them!
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…with the right intentions…
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SMS ICG
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SMS: where we need to go
The purpose of SMS is to allocate resources to reduce
risk.
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How is SMS supposed to reduce risk?
Hazard ID
Risk Assess
Investigate/
ID Risk Control/Review
with SAG/SRB
Implement ACTION
Assure
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1. What is most likely going to cause your next accident/incident?
2. How do you know that?
3. What are you doing about it?
4. Is it working?From William R. VOSS, FSF, “SMS reconsidered”
Safety Risk Mgt in 4 questions:
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3 common problem areas
Understanding riskUnderstanding reality of OPSTaking ACTION
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Understanding risk
Complicated vs complexHuman factors and riskOur mental limitations
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Complicated
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Complex socio-
technical
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Understanding riskconsequences of complexity- Knowledge & understanding of the system is limited and local
- Behaviour of people and human error is a consequence not a cause!
- Small actions can have big consequences
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Our tendency is to go down and inward
Engineers try to find broken components,
“Who/what caused it?”
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Looking up and outwardSystems thinking:
What relationships caused failure or
behaviour to emerge?
Safety professionals ask
“Why did it happen?”
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Local rationalityPeople do things that make sense to them given: • their goals, • understanding• focus
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Risk mgt ≠ reversed accident chain of events
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Look at the system to determine risk
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Human Factors and RISK
Human performance limits
Violations
Is our operational environment set up to allow our people to succeed?
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Our mental limitationswhy we suck at statistics
Mental biases
Heuristics
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Skills for the Safety professional Agility and adaptability
Critical thinking – asking really good questions
Understanding the psychology of risk
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Is this your SMS?
Understanding reality of OPS
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Understanding reality of OPS
Work as imagined vs work as done Just Culture Successful investigations
Practical drift... Why Murphy is wrong
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“Pra
ctic
al d
rift”
Work as done
A Work as imagined B
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Who dunnit?
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Just Culture Is the organisation focusing on the right questions?
Are you creating an environment where staff are willing to report?
Are your interventions effective or just addressing symptoms?
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Successful safety investigations Learning from operational experience Listening and involving sharp-enders, understand local rationality Understand why not who!
Start with the goal in mind: EFFECTIVE RECOMMENDATIONS
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Skills for the safety professionalSRMCOACH.EU
Critical thinking – asking good questions
Accessing and analysing information
Curiosity and imagination
Communication – Listening, observing and FEEDBACK
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Taking action
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Who manages Safety?The Safety manager cannot directly decide or change the operation!
Can assist management:- Clarify the system
rationality- Reveal the operational
reality- Clarify available options
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Perceived goal conflicts & different local rationalities
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Obstacles to becoming pro-active:Firefighting and swatting mosquitos
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Obstacles:Forgetting the WIIFM
If you see this face during your safety meeting…You forgot the WIIFM!
Make the Safety meeting relevant for the people attending!
How will SMS help to solve THEIR problem?
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Obstacle:Analysis paralysis - small actions - short feedback cycle and Assess if it works - experiment - KAIZEN approach, small but continuous steps to improve the operation
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Skills to generate action! Coaching instead of advising
Effective communication and influence
Collaboration across networks and leading by influence
Initiative and entrepreneurialism
Measuring safety successObjectives that inspire ACTION
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