Earlier this year we told you how ACC, the Department of Labour and the NZ Forest Owners Association worked together to gain an understanding into what constitutes a good safety culture in the forestry sector. We explained how pilot programme learning was applied to the wider forestry industry and the key insights gained from that process.

The programme was such a success that the safety culture initiative has since been implemented right across the forestry sector. Although the research is ongoing, results to date provide useful insights into what drives organisational safety performance and how it can be improved.

Forestry safety culture strengths and weaknesses

Overall, crews that completed the assessment identified three out of twelve safety culture elements they thought exceeded expectations:

1. Management’s leadership commitment for safety: Specifically managers/contractors communicate effectively with crews about safety and follow through on safety related commitments
2. Safety systems and procedures: These are well understood and used by the crew on site
3. Relationships: There is trust and openness between management and the crew, and within the crew.

They also identified significant opportunity for improvement in four areas:

1. Worker involvement: Specifically workers are invited and encouraged to contribute to safety decisions
2. Risk taking: Managers and crew step in, stop work, or speak up if they see someone working in an unsafe manner
3. Incident investigation and reporting: Hazards, near misses and accidents are reported by crew members
4. Resources: Enough time, manpower and equipment is available to do the job safely.

Key early insights emerging from the research

1. The missing link – behaviours and interactions

In the past, health and safety audits traditionally measured systems, procedures and equipment. However it was found that problems can still exist within a business that a traditional health and safety audit may not be able to identify.

The research shows that these unidentified problems relate to the behaviour and relationships between individual members of the business. These problems can have a substantial impact on organisational safety and productivity.

For example, a traditional audit will probably not identify that a particular supervisor has poor communication skills. But if that supervisor can’t communicate effectively with his (or her) crew this is likely to impact on safety and productivity.

2. No need to re-invent the wheel

One of the successful outcomes of the forestry safety culture project was the sharing of knowledge and experience. Project participants have discovered that there is a great deal to be gained from finding out how others have dealt with problems that are similar to their own.

Whilst knowledge sharing was considered a good starting point, the business (including owners, contractors and crew) recognised a need to discuss issues as a group and brainstorm solutions. Proposed solutions could then be tested against existing knowledge (i.e. what others have done) before they are implemented.

3. Be prepared to cut your own path

Strong leadership was considered vital to the implementation of any initiative. In particular leaders needed to be willing to tackle a problem, even when the solution was not immediately obvious.

There were huge benefits from picking up the challenge and giving it a go. When a problem that has negatively impacted a business was resolved, the whole organisation gained. Improvements were not restricted to the elements that were altered, and flowed across into other areas of the business.

4. Aim for a process of continuous improvement

Health and safety systems need to be periodically reviewed to ensure that they remain effective. In a similar way, the organisational safety culture needs be reviewed regularly.

Regular review stimulates a process of continuous improvement. It can also confirm whether or not previous interventions have been successful and identify further opportunities for improvement.

Where to from here

Whilst the current programme of safety culture work is with the forestry programme, ACC hopes to share the learnings from this work with other industry sectors in future. The results of the pilot programme research will be available early next year and we will update you again then.

Tools to help with Safety Culture

• The Safety Culture Snapshot tool from the Department of Labour
• Front Line Leadership - a practical e-learning resource for hands-on supervisors and leaders (ACC5709). Call 0800 844 657 to order your copy.

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Last month we updated you about progress on the new Moving and Handling Guidelines (previously known as the New Zealand Patient Handling Guidelines). If you read that story you’ll know that ACC will launch the new guidelines at the Moving and Handling conference in Auckland, in March 2012.

The conference theme is ‘Challenging the Boundaries’ and if you have any moving and handling in your work (particularly moving and handling people) we encourage you to attend.

As well as the guidelines launch, you can attend presentations from international and local leaders in the moving and handling field. There will also be interactive workshops and a showcase of latest innovations in moving and handling products and services. Presentation topics include:

• the limitations and boundaries experienced by moving and handling workers
• education pathways and qualifications available around the world
• latest international research findings
• specialised areas in moving and handling including community based work, and bariatric (overweight or obese) clients.

For the first time, this conference is jointly hosted by the Moving and Handling Association of NZ (MHANZ) and the Australian Association for the Moving and Handling of People (AAMHP).

For details and registration go to www.mhanz.org.nz

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If you have access to a Risk Reckoner (ACC5122), we would like to know how you use it. We know it’s a popular resource and your feedback will help us ensure this tool is used effectively in the future.

Click here to complete our three minute survey, and send Maddy an email if you need help to log in.

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