Safety And Risk Success Christian Harris

For this episode of the Safety and Risk Success Podcast, Christian shares actionable strategies to prevent slips, trips, and falls, with a focus on the rail sector. Get ready to implement some of these tips today!
 
 
Highlights:
 
 
- Slips, trips, and falls are a major cause of injuries in the rail sector: 67% of severe passenger injuries in stations.
- Slips are more common than trips: 30%-33% of reported RIDDOR incidents are slips, trips, and falls.
- Slips are more complex to mitigate than trips: You need to take a scientific approach.
- Trip hazards can be identified and mitigated through the "TIDY" method: Tidy, Identify, Route, Plan.
- Slip hazards need to be assessed using "Slipology": Assess, Amend, Advocate, Assure, Affirm.
- It's important to understand that the risk of slips can be significantly reduced: 85% reductions have been seen in swimming pools and hotels.
- We can identify slip risks with the "CHIMES" method: Contamination, Heal, Individual, Maintenance, Environment, Surface.
- A pendulum test helps identify the slip resistance of flooring: Floors that don’t meet the required PTV level could cause falls.
- The most common slip hazards are in 5% of areas: Entrance matting, washrooms, kitchens, bathrooms, loading bays.
- Signs on their own are not enough: They’re only needed in a few cases, namely during cleaning, and immediately after a spillage.
- Wet-floor signage is a symptom of a problem: Always look beyond the sign.
- Christian has helped over 1,000 organisations assess slip risks: His Slip Prevention Scorecard can help you assess the slip resistance of your organisation.
- Don't delay tackling slip risks: There's a lot you can do to reduce risk.
 
 
 
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/

Christian chats with John Barnacle-Bowd, from RS Group, a leader in the health and safety PPE market. They discuss the findings from RS Group’s second annual health and safety survey and John’s insights on a range of issues, including the lack of KPIs in some organisations, the importance of sustainable PPE, and the ever-increasing demand for mental wellbeing. This episode explores how safety professionals can strive for excellence, best practice, and community to improve the overall landscape of health and safety.
 
 
Highlights
 
 
- Survey: The second annual survey focused on PPE.
- KPIs: A high proportion of organisations don’t have KPIs for health and safety.
- Women’s PPE: It’s an important issue, but not being addressed by many organisations.
- Sustainability: Organisations are interested in sustainable PPE, but not in the purchasing decision.
- Mental wellbeing: 76% of respondents highlighted its importance.
- Sharing best practice: It’s crucial for improving health and safety, but more can be done.
- Community: Building a safety community is key for improving the sector.
- Learning and development: The importance of continual learning and development to stay ahead of the curve in a fast-paced industry.
- Key Takeaways: Talk to each other. Get the training. Talk to experts. Share best practice.
 
Actions:
 
- RS Report Link: https://uk.rs-online.com/web/content/m/hs-industry-report
- Connect with John: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-barnacle-bowd-88594215/
- John's LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12899500/
- Connect with Chrisitan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-harris-slip-safety/

Ever wondered how to get your insurer to fund safety improvements? Well, we've got the answer for you! In this episode of the Safety and Risk Success Podcast, we unpack the concept of the "Insurer Carrot," a little-known secret that can help you secure the funding you need to improve safety in your business.
 
Highlights:
- Insurers care about safety because it reduces their costs. : Safety improvements are profitable for insurers.
- Insurance companies are looking for ways to reduce claims. : They want to see a lower cost of claims and a higher trading profit.
- There are many ways that insurers will fund safety projects. : They may offer bursaries for driver training, safety equipment, etc.
- Make sure your risk management is good. : They are more likely to fund your projects if you have a strong risk management system.
- Insurance companies are looking for quick wins to reduce claims. : Focus on projects that can immediately impact claims.
- Make the case to your broker. : Explain how safety improvements will help their bottom line.
- There’s a financial case to be made for proactive safety. : You can save the insurance company money, which is important to them.
 
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/
 

Christian welcomes Anna Keen, a safety and sustainability specialist who recently launched her own business after a 20-year career. Anna shares her insightful perspective on the challenges faced by professionals in the “sticky middle” of their careers, those who are stuck between entry-level roles and leadership positions. They discuss the importance of mindset shifts, continuous learning, and how organisations can better support these individuals to unlock their potential.
 
 
Highlights:
 
 
- The Sticky Middle: A unique set of challenges for professionals stuck in mid-career: stuck in org charts, lacking skills for advancement, or isolated in silos.
- Beyond Skills: Focusing solely on technical skills is insufficient. We need to tap into deeper rooted identity, values, and limiting beliefs to create true change.
- Shifting Mindset: Moving away from binary thinking and embracing curiosity as an expert, combined with a willingness to challenge assumptions, leads to growth.
- Personal Responsibility: Individuals must recognise the power of their own actions in creating change. If you want to create positive change in your organisation, first, change yourself.
- The Drama Triangle: This model highlights the need for professionals to move beyond the “hero”, “victim”, and “villain” roles to an empowered, “happens by us, not to us” mindset.
- The R-Rate of Safety: How we influence others, whether consciously or unconsciously, is crucial. Strive to positively impact colleagues and build trust, not perpetuate stereotypes.
- Embracing Failure: Learning from mistakes and failures, rather than solely focusing on successes, is critical for growth.
- The Future of Safety: AI and technology will reshape the industry. Professionals must adapt and focus on their unique human-centered skills like communication and leadership.
- Supporting the Sticky Middle: Organisations must create development pathways and open dialogues to support mid-career professionals and address their unique needs.
 
 
Actions:
 
 
Connect with Anna: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-keen-6159687/
Connect with Chrisitan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-harris-slip-safety/

Christian discussed the critical transition from a safety professional to a safety leader. The discussion explored the differences between the two roles, the importance of this transition, and practical steps that safety professionals can take to develop the skills and mindset needed to become leaders.
 
Highlights:
 
- Defining the safety leader: Participants shared their thoughts on what makes a safety leader, including inspiring, motivating, creating a safety culture, and influencing senior leaders.
- The transition from safety professional to safety leader: The conversation delved into the shift from technical safety skills to soft skills like influence, communication, and strategic thinking.
- Benefits of becoming a safety leader: Personal benefits like increased influence, career advancement, and recognition were highlighted, alongside organisational benefits like improved safety culture, productivity, and employee engagement.
- The importance of communication: Participants emphasized the importance of effectively communicating safety issues to all levels of the organisation, tailoring the message to different audiences.
- Building relationships and influence: The discussion focused on developing relationships with stakeholders at all levels of the organisation and understanding their needs and motivations.
- Measuring success: The need for both lagging and leading indicators was discussed, with an emphasis on celebrating positive outcomes and recognising progress.
- Being a safety leader in practice: Participants shared their experiences, including the importance of personal development, the need to be a business partner, and the challenges of convincing organisations to prioritise safety.
- Developing leadership skills: The session offered advice on pursuing leadership training, building relationships, and being open and transparent.
- Next episode preview: The next Safety Roundtable will focus on "The Insurer Carrot," discussing how to secure funding for safety improvements from insurance companies.
 
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/
 

Can technology truly revolutionize safety? Join Christian and Ronan Finnegan, co-founder of spacebands for a fascinating discussion on the evolving world of safety technology. Ronan dives into the innovative features of spacebands, offering valuable insights into the challenges of adoption and the critical role of human expertise in navigating this rapidly changing landscape.
 
Highlights:

- spacebands: A wearable safety device designed to track and alert employees in real-time to various hazards, with features covering loud noise, PPE compliance, unauthorised access, and more.
- Privacy First: spacebands prioritises data privacy, working offline with no GPS or internet connectivity, focusing on user trust and empowerment.
- Technology as an Aid: Ronan champions technology as a tool to assist safety professionals, not replace them. Human interaction, trust, and emotional intelligence remain vital.
- Shifting Mindset: Safety professionals need to embrace a “what's in it for me?” approach when introducing new technologies, understanding the end-user’s needs and motivations.
- Data Refinement: Data, like oil, needs refinement to become valuable. Reporting and analysis are critical to turning raw data into actionable insights.
- Gamifying Safety Performance: spacebands  aims to gamify safety performance through anonymised data, enabling benchmarking against industry standards and providing clear feedback on the effectiveness of safety initiatives.
- Future Proofing: The future of safety tech holds immense potential for continuous development and innovation, enabling the integration of diverse hazard monitoring and data analysis.
- Embracing Technology: The health and safety profession should embrace technology to streamline administrative tasks, free up time for impactful work, and enhance overall safety performance.
 
Actions:
 
Website: https://www.spacebands.com/
Connect with Ronan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronanfinnegan/
Connect with Chrisitan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-harris-slip-safety/