Safety
Looking for something specific? The following topics address a wide range of business needs and challenges.
Save Lives by Addressing Systemic Root Causes
A recent article in the Wall Street Journal highlighted a troubling trend on our nation’s airport tarmacs. Safety incidents among ground crew workers are on the rise. The article starts by describing…
Are Habits Bad for Safety?
The debate about whether developing habits should be a goal in safety has been going on for decades. A recent article in Professional Safety (Making Safety a Mindful Value, Not a Mindless Habit, June…
When Safety Systems Work Well
I recently had the opportunity to do an assessment with a company that is a safety culture exemplar. At ADI, we work with a lot of companies that have sophisticated safety management systems, but…
Complacency Is Not a Root Cause
Complacency as a concept in safety has been around for some time. That said, I’ve noticed an uptick in client discussions highlighting employee complacency as a contributing factor in recent…
The Importance of Psychological Safety for Safety Culture Improvement
The term “psychological safety” is having a moment. While on the surface it may seem like yet another organizational buzzword, this one has true merit, especially in safety. The term was coined by…
“New and Improved” or Just Good Marketing?
I’m troubled by what seems like an accelerating trend in safety, and that is people touting the next great thing. Don’t misunderstand…I believe in constantly looking for ways to improve. Technology…
Situational Awareness: A Safety Miracle Cure?
I recently talked to a client who was trying to gain commitment for some safety leadership improvements and was frustrated with the resistance he was facing from some of the management team. The…
Too Lean for Safety
It is an understatement to say that many organizations are running lean. The trend worsened during the pandemic and the current economic uncertainty seems destined to make matters even worse. While…
Surveillance for Amazon Drivers? Keys to Monitoring Driving Safety
Five U.S. Senators wrote to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on March 3, 2021 to express their concerns about surveillance cameras with tracking software being installed in some delivery vans operated by…
Adding Infection Control Behaviors into Behavioral Safety Systems: Beyond COVID-19
During this phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, have repeatedly advocated behavior change as mitigating steps to reduce…
Eliminating Rare Errors: Sleeping Air Traffic Controllers Are Just the Tip of the Iceberg
Several years ago it was reported that an air traffic controller deliberately made his bed and slept in it while on duty at a Tennessee airport. I am sure many people think that was an isolated…
At Risk Behavior: When Unsafe Conditions Stare You in the Face
No, the image above is not an iStock photo nor one taken from a safety magazine. This is a live action shot I took from the window of a hotel where I was conducting a Safety Leadership workshop for a…
Taking a Safety Culture Selfie
My teenage kids are constantly taking selfies. Despite my general distaste for the practice, there are some positive side effects. It occurs to me that my kids have more accurate self-images than I…
Safety Rewards Can Be Dangerous
I just finished reading an ISHN article on safety incentives and the value of a gift card reward system to promote safety. To say that I didn't like it is an understatement. It reminds me of the many…
Setting Supervisors up for Safety Success: 5 Tips for Building Engagement
No matter the industry, in all my years of experience working across organizations, from the hourly workforce to the executive team, I have always found the most difficult job to be frontline…
Is “Deskilling” a Threat to Safety in Your Workplace?
Maybe you’ve heard the term de-skilling. It refers to the loss of knowledge or skills on the part of a person as a result of technology doing more of the work for them. In work environments with…
Electronic Performance Monitoring: When Good Intentions Turn to Digital Hammers
Electronic performance monitoring tools (let’s call them EPMs) are becoming more prevalent in the workplace. The transportation sector seems to be leading the pack at the moment. Dr. Ron Knipling…
Punishment, Parenting and Safety
Recently, I came across an article that caught my eye: Parents’ Harsh Words Might Make Teen Behavior Worse. As the parent of a 13 year-old and someone who has written extensively on the ill effects…
