Ah, that doesn't happen to me!
Many accidents are caused by bullying causes and factors. This makes it all the more difficult to accept its consequences. Why did nobody see this? Why did nobody take action? Why should something bad always happen before we take action? As a Safety Manager, are you helpless on the sidelines or can you actually change something?
It's always going well
If the risk of an accident in a given activity is equal to 1 out of 100,000, this statistically means that in 99,999 cases it is just going well. If you are never confronted with negative consequences of your activities, you will automatically take a different view of the associated risks. Your positive experiences with these activities are stored in your memory. You're going to feel safer and safer - whether it's right or wrong. The motivation to keep to certain safety rules is therefore reduced and the willingness to take risks increases. We call this false sense of security complacency. It is a well-known phenomenon that, if everything goes well, your vigilance decreases. You take less and less account of the fact that things can sometimes go wrong.
Attention to safety has weakened
Complacency is strengthened when other interests are also taken into account. These include commercial interests, meeting deadlines, but also hidden agendas. If nothing ever happens, the focus on safety disappears and other interests are given higher priority. For this reason, abuses can be present in an organisation for many years without people being aware of them. People feel safe while the risk remains unchanged.
What is the lesson?
Listening to your feelings is wise when it comes to safety. But do realize that your feeling is based on your knowledge, insight and experience. A feeling of security is not always a right feeling! Therefore, always be vigilant, remain vigilant and remain suspicious about accepting risks. The results achieved in the past are no guarantee for the future.
Be aware: Grim Reaper is extremely ruthless with regard to negligence, incompetence or neglect !!
Train under realistic conditions
The best way to suppress complacency is by regularly training under realistic scenarios, in which you are confronted with those few times that things do go wrong. That is why pilots sit in a simulator every six months in which all possible scenarios are trained and checked - from a simple hydraulic failure to an uncontrolled cabin fire. In addition to the individual performance of crew members, the most important thing is how they deal with these circumstances as a team. The collaboration is discussed in detail, with the debriefing session often being at least as instructive as the simulator session. Competence for the function has limited validity and must be demonstrated every six months.
Not everyone has the opportunity to use a simulator and this is often not necessary. What is necessary, however, is that people are regularly made aware of the possible dangers of their work and are confronted with the phenomenon of complacency. Everyone is affected to a greater or lesser extent - that applies to the staff but also to the manager. Creating awareness that things can sometimes go wrong is an important task for the Safety Manager.
What methods do you use to suppress complacency with yourself and your team members? I'm curious about your ideas and experiences? Your reaction can be entered in the comment box below.
Let's create a safer world,
Geert