CommuniSAFE #014

Greetings RedLings...

Time is flying super fast here at RedRisks HQ and doing these newsletters every week makes me realise just that!

I kept content brief for this week with just a short video on using Heat Maps for Communicating Risks and a guest post by Kelvin Roth , Vice President, Environmental, Health, Safety, and Quality at CF Industries titled "Practical Safety".

I recall a Live Event I did with Kelvin and what struck me was his no-nonsense, practical and pragmatic approach for solving real HSE problems and challenges. I am sure you will find Kelvin's post a great read. Thank you Kelvin for sharing.

Before we dive in, check out the FREE "SaferWorking " App. New content is added regularly including Checklists, Courses, Quizzes, Videos etc. Download the App from Google Play (Android ) or Apple Store (iOS ).

??GUEST POST

"Practical Safety" by Kelvin Roth , Vice President, Environmental, Health, Safety, and Quality at CF Industries .

There have been a lot of articles, discussions, posts, and even arguments about the “true path” for achieving safety excellence, including:

• Are we doing “Safety Differently”?
• Is “Zero Injuries a good goal”?
• Is Safety First?
• Is behavior-based safety good or bad?

I’m a big Star Wars fan and these discussions often remind me of the Mandalorian and his “This is the way” approach.

I value the input from consultants, academics, and other subject matter experts. They challenge me to think about things in a different light but also provide me with valuable knowledge and tools.

However, in their zeal to share this great information, they can sometimes present the world or safety challenges in a much simpler light.

The “this is the way” creed might work for the Mandalorian, but that view doesn’t withstand the reality that safety professionals face on a day-to-day basis.

The practice of safety is a messy, complicated field.

Cultures is unique and complex because people are unique and complex.

The landscape on which we practice is constantly changing… changes in regulations, technology, production, and business imperatives.

In reality, there are very few absolutes in safety, except, of course, always wear a hardhat (that was a joke but please feel free to leave comments below anyway). And using a dogmatic approach may mean that you miss out on opportunities to improve or strengthen, or worse, leave you with blind spots and poor performance.

Rather than advocating for a particular program, process, theory, I believe safety professionals are best served by taking a practical view.

• Listen to your Organization – It’s rare that any of these approaches work as a plug-and-play. You need to make sure they use your “language” and incorporate your company “stories.” The more you make it feel like evolution instead of revolution, the easier it is to engage others.
• Understand the Goal–You need to understand what you’re specifically trying to accomplish or improve in your safety programs, processes, or culture to make sure you use the right approach. What is your strategy? What are your short-term goals? What are your long-term goals? Which approach
• Context is Critical - It’s important to contextualize all of these approaches into your situation. What is the culture around you? What are leaders saying and doing? What other programs/approaches have worked or failed and why?
• Know your Tools - This means taking the time to understand all the various theories and systems… why they work and what happens when they don’t. What problems are they effective in addressing and when might they be less effective? What cultural elements are important for this to be effective?

As you can see, the practical view also relies on a little bit of LUCK.

Stay positive, remain flexible and ready to adapt, and don’t shy away from using the momentum of other events – good or bad – to help move you forward on your safety excellence journey.

There may not be a silver bullet for safety, but silver buckshot may get the job done.

??VIDEO

???AND FINALLY...

A great big thank you to Kelvin for that valuable insight on "Practical Safety". I hope Kelvin can share more golden nuggets in the future.

Also, a big thank you to you for subscribing to this newsletter, We are heading towards 5.5K subscribers and I never imagined that this would have ever happened.

If you like this, pls?SHARE.

If you don’t like it, pls?CONNECT?with me and let me?LEARN.

Till next week...stay safe and well.

Sonni xx

---------------------------------

???ARCHIVE

All Checklists, Courses, Quizzes, Videos, Quizzes etc can now be accessed via the App "SaferWorking ". Download the App from Google Play (Android ) or Apple Store (iOS ).