Safety And Risk Success Christian Harris

In this episode of the Safety and Risk Success podcast, Christian is joined by Karen Hewitt, health & safety consultant and author, to discuss the results of her recent survey on health and safety engagement. The survey delves into how safety professionals define and approach engagement, the challenges they face, and the opportunities for improvement. Karen and Christian explore the importance of strategic planning, leadership buy-in, and effective communication techniques to foster a culture of ownership and involvement in safety.
 
Highlights:
•    Defining Engagement: Involving people and creating ownership of safety.
•    Importance of Engagement: Drives ownership and improves safety outcomes.
•    Dedicated Strategy: Needed for long-term impact and consistency.
•    Time Spent: Professionals desire to dedicate more time to engagement.
•    Challenges to Engagement: Lack of time and leadership support.
•    Drivers of Engagement: Primarily health & safety professionals, but HR and comms are key.
•    Hardest to Engage: Senior leaders and office staff.
•    Effective Techniques: Creating opportunities for two-way conversations.
•    Personalization: Adapting messages to different stakeholders and learning styles.
•    Health & Safety Identity: Often seen as trusted advisors, but also as "police".
•    Biggest Fear: Many professionals have no fear, but others may.
•    Improving Engagement: Increased leadership commitment and time are crucial.
•    Actionable Steps: Conduct a stakeholder analysis and prioritize influence.
•    Mindset Shift: View engagement as a continuous improvement process.
•    Empathy is Key: Understanding perspectives to bridge the gap.
 
Actions:
Connect with Karen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-j-hewitt/
Connect with Chrisitan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-harris-slip-safety/

How can we prove that we've achieved safety? Ahead of the release of his new book, Greg Smith joins Christian Harris this week to delve into the intricacies of legal risk management and the often misunderstood concept of safety metrics. Join us as we unravel how organisations can truly benefit from effective safety practices.
 
 
Highlights:
- Introduction to "Proving Safety": Greg Smith introduces his new book, "Proving Safety: Wicked Problems, Legal Risk Management, and the Tyranny of Metrics", discussing the motivation behind it and its focus on the real effectiveness of safety documentation and practices in organisations.
- The Tyranny of Metrics: Greg critiques the common reliance on injury rates and other quantitative metrics as misleading indicators of safety. He argues these often do not reflect the legal or practical reality of workplace safety and can misguide safety assurance efforts.
- Legal Perspective on Safety Metrics: Greg, with his legal background, points out the disconnect between common safety metrics and their utility in legal contexts, highlighting that traditional safety metrics rarely hold up in legal scrutiny during safety prosecutions.
- Moving from Metrics to Narrative: A significant portion of the discussion is dedicated to shifting from metric-focused to narrative-focused safety reporting. Greg emphasises the importance of detailed, qualitative assessments of safety processes rather than relying on quantitative metrics that may not capture the real state of safety.
- The Importance of Criticality in Safety: The conversation covers the concept of focusing on critical risks rather than superficial safety indicators. Greg discusses historical safety failures like the Texas City Refinery explosion and the Deepwater Horizon disaster to illustrate the dangers of overlooking critical safety risks.
- Implications for Safety Professionals: Offering practical advice, Greg suggests how safety professionals can reframe their approach to safety assurance to focus on what genuinely enhances safety rather than what is easily quantifiable.
 
 
Actions:
- Pick up a copy of the Proving Safety book: https://www.waylandlegal.com.au/proving-safety
- Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-smith-6a63449/
- Connect with Christian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-harris-slip-safety/
- If you enjoyed this episode, please hit follow, share it on social media and give us a positive review

Shonagh Methven brings years of experience from the political arena into the safety sector, providing unique insights into proactive safety measures and people-centred risk management. Let's talk politics vs safety, being "optimistically discontent", safety scaffolding, people-centred risk management, and much more!
 
 
Highlights:
- Transition from Politics to Safety: Shonagh discusses her journey from being a chief whip in Islington Council to spearheading safety initiatives, highlighting the skills and insights transferred between these seemingly disparate fields.
- Award Recognition: Reflection on Shonagh's recent accolade at the Health and Safety Trailblazer QP awards, celebrating innovative approaches in the sector.
- Optimistically Discontent: Exploration of Shonagh’s coined phrase, describing her drive for continual improvement in safety standards despite existing challenges.
- Grenfell Reflections: A sober reflection on the Grenfell tragedy's impact on safety protocols and the necessity for effective, inclusive emergency responses, especially for vulnerable populations.
- Legislative Insights: Discussion on the influence of politics in safety legislation and the balance between libertarian and authoritarian approaches to safety regulation.
- Cultural Empathy in Safety: Shonagh emphasizes the importance of empathy and understanding cultural contexts within safety practices, advocating for approaches that respect and adapt to diverse workplace environments.
 
 
Actions:
- If we've earned it, please hit "follow" and give the podcast a review
- Connect with Shonagh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shonagh-methven-chartered-mcipd-cmiosh-5b730721/
- Connect with Christian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-harris-slip-safety/

Today we embark on a deep dive into the traditional hierarchy of controls. Is it truly fit for purpose in today's dynamic safety landscape, or does it require a critical reassessment and possible modification to ensure its efficacy?
 
Join us as we unravel these questions through a lively and insightful Safety Roundtable discussion, aiming to shed light on the applicability and potential limitations of this fundamental safety framework.
 
 
Highlights
 
- Re-evaluation of the hierarchy: Discussion on whether the hierarchy adequately addresses the complexities of modern safety challenges.
 
- Application and adherence issues: Insights into common misapplications and the tendency to overly rely on PPE.
 
- Innovation and flexibility: Debate on whether the hierarchical model stifles innovation in safety practices.
 
- Industry-specific considerations: Consideration of whether the hierarchy suits all industries or if adjustments are necessary for particular fields.
 
- Cultural and procedural aspects: Examination of how the hierarchy integrates (or fails to integrate) with company safety cultures and administrative controls.
 
- Economic implications: Discussion on the cost implications of higher-level controls versus the practicality of lower-level measures.
 
- Real-world examples and experiences: Sharing of participants' experiences and strategies for effectively implementing the hierarchy of controls in diverse settings.
 
- Future directions: Speculation on how the hierarchy might evolve or be adapted to better serve the needs of the safety and risk management community.
 
 
Actions:
Sign up for a future Safety Roundtable: https://safetyroundtable.co.uk/
Connect with Christian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-harris-slip-safety/

Welcome to "Diverse Minds, Safer Workplaces," a podcast where we delve into the crucial intersection of neurodiversity and workplace safety. In today’s episode, we sit down with Nathan Whitbread, a renowned expert in neurodiversity, to explore how understanding and leveraging the unique perspectives of neurodiverse individuals can lead to more innovative risk management strategies and create safer work environments. Through an engaging conversation, we uncover the potential benefits of neurodiversity in the workplace and discuss practical ways businesses can support and capitalize on the strengths of their neurodiverse employees.
 
 
Highlights:
Understanding Neurodiversity: Nathan Whitbread shares his journey of discovery and diagnosis, shedding light on the broad spectrum of neurodiversity and its implications for individuals and organizations.
 
The Link Between Neurodiversity and Workplace Safety: We explore how neurodiverse perspectives can contribute to identifying risks not apparent to neurotypical individuals, enhancing safety protocols and practices.
 
Challenges and Solutions: Discussion on common challenges faced by neurodiverse individuals in the workplace, including communication barriers and the traditional approach to safety training. Nathan provides insights into innovative, inclusive strategies that cater to diverse learning and processing styles.
 
Neurodiversity as an Asset: Highlighting the positive impact of neurodiversity, Nathan talks about the unique strengths neurodiverse individuals bring to the table, such as problem-solving abilities, attention to detail, and creativity in risk management.
 
Actionable Strategies for Inclusion: Practical advice for employers on creating an inclusive workplace that supports neurodiverse employees, including flexible communication methods, personalized safety training, and fostering an open, empathetic culture.
 
Case Studies and Success Stories: Real-life examples of organizations that have successfully integrated neurodiversity initiatives into their safety and risk management programs, demonstrating the benefits of these practices.
 
Join us in "Diverse Minds, Safer Workplaces" as we uncover the transformative power of embracing neurodiversity in creating safer, more inclusive work environments.
 
 
Actions:
Connect with Nathan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanaelwhitbread/
Connect with Chrisitan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-harris-slip-safety/
 
 
 
 

In the latest episode of the Safety and Risk Success podcast, host Christian Harris delves into the vital topic of safety culture. This roundtable discussion brings together safety professionals and enthusiasts to explore the essence of safety culture, its importance, and practical steps towards nurturing a positive environment for safety within organisations. The session is not only rich in dialogue but also in sharing diverse perspectives on how safety culture impacts business performance, employee engagement, and operational risk management. Join us as we dissect the nuances of safety culture, from its historical origins to modern-day applications, and learn from real-life insights and experiences shared by our participants.
 
 
 
Highlights:
 
Definition and Importance of Safety Culture: The episode kicks off with a foundational understanding of safety culture as a commitment at all levels within an organisation, underscored by the Chernobyl disaster's lessons. It emphasises the role of safety culture in driving business performance, reducing incidents, and fostering a high-performance work environment.
 
Components of a Strong Safety Culture: The discussion identifies key components such as leadership commitment, employee involvement, and the implementation of specific risk management practices, highlighting the interplay between these elements in cultivating a robust safety culture.
 
Challenges in Fostering Safety Culture: Participants shared challenges in implementing a better safety culture, including securing leadership buy-in and the struggle of translating safety initiatives into meaningful action at all organisational levels.
 
Strategies for Improvement: Insights on how organisations can promote a culture of safety, including practical tips on enhancing engagement, communication, and teamwork, and the critical role of near-miss data in driving safety improvements.
 
Real-world Examples and Best Practices: The session brought to light examples from various industries, including the transformational story of Alcoa under CEO Paul O'Neill, demonstrating how prioritising safety can lead to unprecedented business success.
 
Interactive Engagement: The roundtable format encouraged live interaction, with participants raising hands, sharing experiences, and offering solutions to common obstacles in safety culture development.
 
Free Resource for Self-Assessment: The episode concluded with an invitation to listeners to take an online quiz designed to identify their safety champion profile, aiming to leverage individual strengths in promoting safety culture.
 
 
 
This episode serves as a comprehensive guide for safety professionals and organisation leaders alike, offering actionable insights and strategies for embedding a culture of safety that transcends compliance to become a cornerstone of operational excellence and competitive advantage.