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[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]In his first episode for SHP Safety Talks, Dominic Cooper discusses the safety culture concept, explaining three elements: behavioural aspects, psychological aspects and situational aspects.
He also explains the business process model of safety culture, and explains the hearts and minds ingredients using a champagne glass and a few sweets.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]
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Video: The Safety Culture Concept with Dominic Cooper, episode 1In his first video for SHP Safety Talks, Dominic Cooper discusses the safety culture concept, explaining three elements: behavioural aspects, psychological aspects and situational aspects. He also explains the business process model of safety culture, and explains the hearts and minds ingredients using a champagne glass and a few sweets.
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Beyond the norm – Have you risk assessed your safety culture?
Fantastic to have the legendary Dominic Cooper involved in the series. Articulate, knowledgeable and charismatic as ever. Thanks for this excellent contribution Dom!
Thank you Dominic i really enjoyed that, particularly the ‘leadership souffle’. You mentioned 2 models of safety culture, one being reciprocal determinism, what is the other?
Hi Steve, The other is Schein’s ‘Organizational Culture” Model. Schein asserts that “Culture is a pattern of basic assumptions, invented, discovered, or developed by a group as it learns to cope with its problems of external adaptation and internal integration”. This provides an Interpretive View of Culture , where it just IS, whereas the model I formulated is Functionalist (an organisation HAS a safety culture). Schein does not believe in a safety culture as he argues it cannot be the property of a concept (i.e. culture). Huge debates on this in Academic arena!
Anyhow, Schein uses ‘Behaviours and Artefacts’ (i.e. What people do, and what they have) as the top layer of his 3-layer hierarchical model, followed by ‘Espoused Values & Beliefs’ (i.e. Why people do what they do, and why they have what they have) at the middle layer, both which need to be interpreted to discover the ‘Core Underlying Assumptions’ (i.e. Unwritten codes of conduct – the way we do things around here). He states ‘Culture’ is learned. Culture is surfaced in this model generally by ‘focus group exercises’. I have used this model to some degree in Safety Culture assessments for clients via Focus Group exercises . Whichever model people think is appropriate to them, it must be remembered that they merely provide a guiding framework with which to place the object of culture in, to aid diagnosis and interpretation. The trick with both models is to target relevant aspects of ‘safety culture’ . I like to focus on those known features of major catastrophes derived from incident investigations and public enquiries:
[1] a culture of ‘profit before safety’
[2] a culture of ‘fear’ so that problems remain hidden
[3] a culture of ‘ineffective leadership’
[4] a culture of managerial ‘non-compliance’ to rules & procedures
[5] a culture of ‘miscommunication’
[6] a culture of ‘competency failures’
[7] a culture of ignoring ‘lessons learned’
Thank you Dominic, that really does help. I have previously read a little of Schein’s work and although it’s very intersting i found it’s depth a little too much for now. Your interpretation of reciprocal determinism is simple, workable and easy to relate to. Thank you again for your response and i’m very much looking forward to watching the rest of your videos.
I meant to add that if a company recognises it has one of the above 7 safety culture features it has a problem. If it has two it has a bigger problem and if three or more then it is just waiting for the “big” event to happen! I can’t help but wonder, how many of these were present in yesterday’s “Didcot” event.
Thank You Steven. I appreciate the compliment. There are 4 more to go, each of which was fun to do. The people at SHP are good at what they do, and are easy to work with. We should all direct our thanks to them also for their hard work to make these video’s happen. Thanks Heather, Mark and Rick.
Thank you. Subtitles may be a bit difficult, but a great idea. Perhaps SHP (who make and organise the videos may entertain the idea in the main european languages). I can pass on suggestion, but it is out of my control. You would have to e-mail me on info@bsms-inc.com to send any invitations for which I thank you. Best wishes.
Just come across this, and boy, does it take me back! What Dom is describing is nothing new, as I can remember having these discussions with him way back in the 90’s. Excellent and clear description of what is required to really have a positive impact on safety. More than that, it does what it says on the tin. Glad to see he is still using sweets to help him describe processes!! Well done Dom.
Fantastic to have the legendary Dominic Cooper involved in the series. Articulate, knowledgeable and charismatic as ever. Thanks for this excellent contribution Dom!
Thank you Prof. Tim. Kind words indeed. I try to do my best
Enjoyed the video.
Thank You Diego. Pleased to be of service
Really useful – look forward to the next one
Thank You Hilary. I am glad you found it useful. Lets hope others do to, and that they use if to make a difference
Excellent presentation – very enjoyable and very though provoking.
Thank you for the compliments Richard. They are greatly appreciated
Thank you, love the short, snappy video.
Thank You Jill. It was a great to work with the SHP folks and very enjoyable to do
Thank you Dominic i really enjoyed that, particularly the ‘leadership souffle’. You mentioned 2 models of safety culture, one being reciprocal determinism, what is the other?
Hi Steve, The other is Schein’s ‘Organizational Culture” Model. Schein asserts that “Culture is a pattern of basic assumptions, invented, discovered, or developed by a group as it learns to cope with its problems of external adaptation and internal integration”. This provides an Interpretive View of Culture , where it just IS, whereas the model I formulated is Functionalist (an organisation HAS a safety culture). Schein does not believe in a safety culture as he argues it cannot be the property of a concept (i.e. culture). Huge debates on this in Academic arena!
Anyhow, Schein uses ‘Behaviours and Artefacts’ (i.e. What people do, and what they have) as the top layer of his 3-layer hierarchical model, followed by ‘Espoused Values & Beliefs’ (i.e. Why people do what they do, and why they have what they have) at the middle layer, both which need to be interpreted to discover the ‘Core Underlying Assumptions’ (i.e. Unwritten codes of conduct – the way we do things around here). He states ‘Culture’ is learned. Culture is surfaced in this model generally by ‘focus group exercises’. I have used this model to some degree in Safety Culture assessments for clients via Focus Group exercises . Whichever model people think is appropriate to them, it must be remembered that they merely provide a guiding framework with which to place the object of culture in, to aid diagnosis and interpretation. The trick with both models is to target relevant aspects of ‘safety culture’ . I like to focus on those known features of major catastrophes derived from incident investigations and public enquiries:
[1] a culture of ‘profit before safety’
[2] a culture of ‘fear’ so that problems remain hidden
[3] a culture of ‘ineffective leadership’
[4] a culture of managerial ‘non-compliance’ to rules & procedures
[5] a culture of ‘miscommunication’
[6] a culture of ‘competency failures’
[7] a culture of ignoring ‘lessons learned’
Hope this helps
Thank you Dominic, that really does help. I have previously read a little of Schein’s work and although it’s very intersting i found it’s depth a little too much for now. Your interpretation of reciprocal determinism is simple, workable and easy to relate to. Thank you again for your response and i’m very much looking forward to watching the rest of your videos.
Hi Steven
I meant to add that if a company recognises it has one of the above 7 safety culture features it has a problem. If it has two it has a bigger problem and if three or more then it is just waiting for the “big” event to happen! I can’t help but wonder, how many of these were present in yesterday’s “Didcot” event.
Got it! Thanks again Dominic.
This was great, as a graduate student, it gives me more concepts an theories to approach. Thank you Dr. Cooper
John Fallucca
Thank You John. Enjoy your explorations and share your findings with us.
Great video. Looking forward to the next one.
Thank You Steven. I appreciate the compliment. There are 4 more to go, each of which was fun to do. The people at SHP are good at what they do, and are easy to work with. We should all direct our thanks to them also for their hard work to make these video’s happen. Thanks Heather, Mark and Rick.
Hear, hear!
Goodmorning Dr. Cooper,
Is it possible to get subtitles for foreigner ?
I would like to invite you in Italy!!
Thank you so much from Torino,
Marco
Hi Mario
Thank you. Subtitles may be a bit difficult, but a great idea. Perhaps SHP (who make and organise the videos may entertain the idea in the main european languages). I can pass on suggestion, but it is out of my control. You would have to e-mail me on info@bsms-inc.com to send any invitations for which I thank you. Best wishes.
Just come across this, and boy, does it take me back! What Dom is describing is nothing new, as I can remember having these discussions with him way back in the 90’s. Excellent and clear description of what is required to really have a positive impact on safety. More than that, it does what it says on the tin. Glad to see he is still using sweets to help him describe processes!! Well done Dom.