Journey to Zero: Achievable or Impossible?

Absolutely loving the conversation sparked around the concept of a zero harm culture! As we navigate these discussions, it’s inspiring to reflect on the words circling in the realm of innovation and safety—we often overlook how small, consistent efforts can lead to monumental changes. A recent piece in Forbes highlighted an emerging thought leader who said, embracing imperfections while striving for excellence sets the stage for transformative growth. At The Point Co., we're all about fostering environments that prioritize safety and innovation hand in hand. Let's keep pushing the envelope, exploring how every step towards zero harm not only enhances safety but also empowers a culture of continuous improvement. ???? #InnovationInSafety #ContinuousGrowth

Here is an article I wrote in response to statements Murray Elliott (CEO), Energy Safety Canada, has made in a recent article on the subject (moving away from zero harm messaging). https://www.leancompliance.ca/post/the-trouble-with-zero

Q1 - Yes...at a cost Q2 - Yes..at a cost Q3 - NA Almost anything is achievable and sustainable at a cost. In my opinion the concept of "Zero Harm" is aspirational and serves as a guiding principle for decision making regarding safety. Organizational behavior, group dynamics, and the multitude of safety culture variables can all impact the success/effectiveness of a Zero Harm initiative. Things like complacency, normalization of deviance, over confidence, production pressure, and fear of reprisal, will always be a factor in how employees actually behave. Just saying........

No, not until all recognized and unrecognized risks that humans interface with are removed from the workplace. Zero initiatives, unless the zero refers to PSIFs, are a waste of company resources and often times focus people's attention towards active triggers, or worker behaviors, and away from systemic, latent conditions that will continue to exist if not addressed. If an organization achieves zero, I would expect that to be fleeting, especially in the construction industry where many near misses are a result of luck and not because of the presence of effective barriers against negative outcomes.

It depends on what is considered harm. When I was growing up, people might call you names, tease you to get a reaction. Did it hurt my feelings, sometimes. But did it harm me, NO. I was able to use those times to grow and be a better person. But in todays fragile society, being called a name or teased, or even not calling someone by their preferred pronouns is considered harmful. Just look at the political parties labeling people because the other person believes differently. For some reason those people believe they are right to label and call someone a racist or homophobic because they voted for a different political party.