PS Blog 94 – The Rebranding of Process Safety

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a conceptualisation of the needs (or goals) that motivate human behaviour, proposed by the American psychologist Abraham Maslow in the middle of the last century. According to Maslow’s original formulation, there are five sets of basic needs that are related to each other in a hierarchy of pre-potency (or strength). The pyramid begins at the bottom with physiological needs (the most pre-potent of all) and culminates at the top with self-actualization needs.

The impetus to strive to satisfy the higher levels of need is predicated on being comfortable that the lower levels are met. Basically, in an either-or conflict, needs lower on the pyramid will always trump those higher. In fact, the higher needs will not even register in your consciousness if the lower ones are in play. This is borne out by the harrowing tale of holocaust survival [1] where love needs and even safety ones hardly register in the day-to-day privations of food, water, warmth and rest.

This also has an impact on how we perceive our surroundings. Our appreciation of Individuals and groups in our surroundings will be affected by where we judge they fall on the hierarchy, both from a positive and negative perspective. The presence of an entity which we sense can help secure the lower levels of our pyramid will be afforded more kudo than for the higher levels. Conversely, if their presence threatens our lower levels, we are likely to be less inclined towards them.

For me, there is an interesting correlation between the most respected professions [2] and where they might be placed on the hierarchy level protection. Teachers, Firefighters and Doctors are 4th, 3rd and 1st respectively:

So, where would you place Process Safety Engineers on this graphic? For me, if our presence is noted at all, it would probably be in the self-actualising quadrant (striving to save future lives perhaps). However, our job description would probably largely overlap with that of firefighters (although I'm not sure alluring I'd be as Mr July?!) On the negative side however, there can be a strong association with harm and death (threatening physiological needs) when things go wrong. For evidence, you need look no further than the media vilification of Safety Engineers on the Deepwater Horizon at the time of the blowout – Jimmy Harrell and Don Vidrine.

However, the faintness of our presence may be an advantage if it allows us to take some control of the narrative. We are able (and in my opinion, should) not be afraid to rebrand ourselves. We can choose how to promote ourselves and our profession. To avoid conflict, perhaps we should adopt and adapt a persona which would certainly get hearts racing in the right direction. Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you Process Safety Engineers: Disaster Prevention Technicians or, if you’re feeling really bold - The Modern Day Lion Tamers!

References

1.?????? Cold Crematorium. Jozsef Debreczeni. ISBN-13: 978-1787334649

2. Insider Monkey. Afifa Mushtaque. June 6, 2023