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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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