Improving Safety Through Psychological Safety

Breaking the Chain of Command

Introduction

  • Safety is a holistic concept
  • Historical definition of safety focused on physical safety
  • Psychological safety is equally important
  • Three hazard categories: ergonomic, physical, chemical, and psycho-social
  • Psychological safety completes the framework

Definition of Psychological Safety

  • Psychological safety defined as a culture of rewarded vulnerability
  • Modeling and rewarding vulnerability as a mechanism to increase psychological safety
  • Withholding and punishing vulnerability as a mechanism to decrease psychological safety

Hidden Mistakes and Ignored Hazards

  • Mistakes and hazards are hidden in a low psychological safety environment
  • Causes of hidden mistakes and ignored hazards
  • Real-world consequences of hidden mistakes and ignored hazards

Passive Observation vs. Active Participation

  • Spectrum from passive observation to active participation
  • Passive observation characterized by low psychological safety
  • Active participation characterized by high psychological safety
  • Importance of moving towards active participation

Safety Systems: Breakdown, Preventive, and Predictive

  • Three types of safety systems: breakdown, preventive, and predictive
  • Breakdown system relies on reacting to failures
  • Preventive system focuses on replacing and fixing based on time or usage
  • Predictive system uses continuous monitoring and adjusting to prevent failures
  • The impact of culture on safety systems

Poll Results: Safety Systems in Your Organization

  • 33% breakdown system
  • 58% preventive system
  • 9% predictive system