• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Safety Risk .net

Humanising Safety and Embracing Real Risk

  • Home
    • About
      • Privacy Policy
      • Contact
  • FREE RESOURCES
    • FREE SAFETY eBOOKS
    • FREE DOWNLOADS
    • TOP 50
    • FREE RISK ASSESSMENT FORMS
    • Find a Safety Consultant
    • Free Safety Program Documents
    • Psychology Of Safety
    • Safety Ideas That Work
    • HEALTH and SAFETY MANUALS
    • FREE SAFE WORK METHOD STATEMENT RESOURCES
    • Whats New In Safety
    • FUN SAFETY STUFF
    • Health and Safety Training
    • SAFETY COURSES
    • Safety Training Needs Analysis and Matrix
    • Top 20 Safety Books
    • This Toaster Is Hot
    • Free Covid-19 Toolbox Talks
    • Download Page – Please Be Patient With Larger Files…….
    • SAFETY IMAGES, Photos, Unsafe Pictures and Funny Fails
    • How to Calculate TRIFR, LTIFR and Other Health and Safety Indicators
    • Download Safety Moments from Human Resources Secretariat
  • PSYCH. OF SAFETY & RISK
    • Safety Psychology Terminology
    • Some Basics on Social Psychology & Risk
    • Understanding The Social Psychology of Risk – Prof Karl E. Weick
    • The Psychology of Leadership in Risk
    • Conducting a Psychology and Culture Safety Walk
    • The Psychology of Conversion – 20 Tips to get Started
    • Understanding The Social Psychology of Risk And Safety
    • Psychology and safety
    • The Psychology of Safety
    • Hot Toaster
    • TALKING RISK VIDEOS
    • WHAT IS SAFETY
    • THE HOT TOASTER
    • THE ZERO HARM DEBATE
    • SEMIOTICS
    • LEADERSHIP
  • Robert Long
    • ALL POSTS
    • Learning Styles Matter
    • There is no HIERARCHY of Controls
    • Scaffolding, Readiness and ZPD in Learning
    • What Can Safety Learn From Playschool?
    • Presentation Tips for Safety People
    • Dialogue Do’s and Don’ts
    • It’s Only a Symbol
    • Ten Cautions About Safety Checklists
    • Zero is Unethical
    • First Report on Zero Survey
    • There is No Objectivity, Deal With it!
  • Quotes & Slogans
    • Researchers Reveal the Top 10 Most Effective Safety Slogans Of All Time
    • When Slogans Don’t Work
    • CLASSIC, FAMOUS and INFAMOUS SAFETY QUOTES
    • BEST WORKPLACE HEALTH and SAFETY SLOGANS 2022
    • CATCHY and FUNNY SAFETY SLOGANS FOR THE WORKPLACE
    • COVID-19 (Coronavirus, Omicron) Health and Safety Slogans and Quotes for the Workplace
    • Safety Acronyms
    • You know Where You Can Stick Your Safety Slogans
    • Sayings, Slogans, Aphorisms and the Discourse of Simple
    • Spanish Safety Slogans – Consignas de seguridad
    • Safety Slogans List
    • Road Safety Slogans 2022
    • How to write your own safety slogans
    • Why Are Safety Slogans Important
    • Safety Slogans Don’t Save Lives
    • 40 Free Safety Slogans For the Workplace
    • Safety Slogans for Work
  • Safety Culture
    • Safety Culture Silences
You are here: Home / Hard Hat Mentor / How to ‘come out of there alive’….

How to ‘come out of there alive’….

June 7, 2016 by Drewie 4 Comments

 

Many readers have been asking for more ‘real’ and practical stuff and here it is:

How to ‘come out of there alive’….

By Drewie: Part Two of “She may not come out of there alive…”

clip_image002

Here is the promised follow up to:

https://safetyrisk.net/she-may-not-come-out-of-there-alive/

This is a true story, for those of you who have been asking. For future reference, I choose to only write about what I have experienced, that is my ‘data’.

‘Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn’t.’~ Mark Twain

So the ‘safety stand down’, spoken of in my previous post, was on a power station construction site. It was the way forward as far as the EPCM Company running the show was concerned.

It was not the first for this project and it would not be the last.

This was no ordinary show.

The Client representative even had the circus theme music as his ring tone: it really was that ‘interesting’.

Sadly this saying was prevalent behind closed doors:

‘We may not have the biggest circus, but we have the best clowns.’

clip_image004Needless to say the EPCM Company did not last to the end of the project and actually went bust to my recollection.

My time there was very challenging, yet tempered by some great people banding together in a turbulent time.

That company did make bloody good pens though! We still talk about that to this day.

Now this story is in no way an endorsement for procedural review as an effective method to reduce risk. Procedures have their place, yet when mixed with humans… well let us car park that on for another chat.

Back to the topic at hand. Remember that the challenge was:

To deliver a ‘procedural review’ to a room full of angry riggers and crane operators. They had had several incidents in the previous 2 weeks.

Knowing the mood of the site therefore armed with the likely mood of the room, I figured the best way to prepare was to utilise this resource:

http://www.linkedin.com/pulse/where-your-bps-hiding-drewie-dionne-drew?trk=pulse_spock-articles

That being front of mind, the ‘BPs’ (quiet achievers) were approached one by one then asked to come for a chat just before the review was about to commence.

We spent about 20 minutes together. I had not spent much time with them previous to that yet seemed to gain instant rapport, perhaps by saying something along the lines of,

“Look you guys are the experts here, I would like to tap into your extensive knowledge as I could really use your help”

Not professing to be an expert, yet it was not my first rodeo:

We then went over the said procedure/s together with me pointing out questions I had on certain elements in the procedure which had been highlighted (literally) and gave them a copy.

It freaked them out a little that the only parts of the documents (ridiculously large and laborious) which really didn’t ring true for me……..didn’t ring true for them either. It was all about significant lifts etc.

clip_image008The strategy was to clarify with the crane operator and the 3 riggers how we might address this possible confusion and no doubt questions which may come up in the room when we got to that part of the procedure. Yes the expectation was to go through every word on every page OMG what a joke: Cue circus music…..

That did not happen and as long as my arse points to the ground it never will – not with a procedure that bloody long, and there were 3 of them. (Though every person who entered that room left with a set of the full documents and signed off on that fact.)

Instead we found the critical elements together and skimmed over the rest. This was always the intention yet naturally let the 4 influential ‘leaders’ in the chat before the review ‘come up with that idea.’

Cutting a very long story short:

I asked the 4 guys if I could throw to them early in the piece to break down the barriers in the crowd (they were all looked up to) and to show the rest of them that engaging with this process was cool.

They assured me they would ‘have my back’ if the boys got restless. Perfect.

It worked an absolute treat. The opening statement to the room went something like this:

‘Look I know you don’t want to be here, perhaps I don’t either, yet here we are for the next 4 hours.

(The elephant in the room needed to be addressed)

The best news is no one has been hurt….yet.

These procedures need help, badly.

You know what you are doing, you do it every day.

How about we have a crack at actually improving them’.

No one in the room knew that their 4 mates had been with me just minutes before, so when they started piping up immediately with comments like ‘Yeah bout time we had a say instead of some pen pusher’ and

‘Most of us, if we admit it, haven’t even laid eyes on those procedures before.’ It showed everyone else that they were on board.

clip_image010So that set the scene for engagement and lively debate did occur, yet they came up with some great changes and ideas to simplify and clarify for the future. The secret little thumbs up I spotted from one of the 4 about 5 minutes in really warmed my heart and gave me more confidence that I may indeed ‘get out of there alive.’

It also inspired me to be even bolder and suggest that we broke up into groups, change the table lay out in the room and go through sections of the documents then present back to the room.

After a stunned silence, action stations!

Everyone started dragging chairs and tables around and laughing at the prospect.

The anger had vanished and the work had begun.

The groups all nominated a speaker to present their section for familiarisation and with suggested changes and the reasons why. It was a beautiful thing.

It was very memorable and mutual respect was given by all.

My new ‘protectors’ on site looked after me from that day forth.

The power of relationship building, mutual trust and respect was not lost on me.

This experience has stayed with me for many years and that strategy has been used in various forms with the same successful results.

No doubt many of you have used similar tactics to achieve a desired outcome. Not just before a review or presentation, yet in many various scenarios the same basic tactics work:

The ‘meetings’ before the meeting.

The one on ones before the group engagement.

The belief that giving a crew, (even an angry one), the right environment and opportunity, they may show what they are capable of when given a chance.

Something ‘shifted’ that day, in me and I believe in the crew. Subtle yet powerful. For me it was:

There is always a better way.

It does not have to be ‘us’ and ‘them,’ that has never worked and never will.

If you have tried a similar approach please feel free to share your experience and the outcome.

If you have not tried this sort of approach, give it a crack. Let me know how it goes.

If you have tried yet not succeeded, please don’t give up. Perhaps adjust your approach.

Yes it always starts with ‘us’ first.

Be the ‘Adult’ not the ‘Parent’ and we may have less ‘children.’ Hard Hat Mentor

clip_image012Possibly ‘Transactional Analysis’ (Eric Berne) can be the subject of the next post……Yet because I am Drewie we shall call it Ego States.

Stay safe and keep smilin’

Cheers HHM

  • Bio
  • Latest Posts
  • More About Drewie
Drewie

Drewie

‘Fly in Fly out Life’ Mentor: supporting on-site teams + Women in ‘boots’ Mentor. at Hard Hat Mentor
Drewie

Latest posts by Drewie (see all)

  • Downturn Doin’ Your Head In? Let’s Chat…. - September 17, 2016
  • How was your break? - September 7, 2016
  • Wishing our lives away.. - August 23, 2016
  • Something’s gotta give.. - August 13, 2016
  • Quality of Life - July 30, 2016
Drewie
Drewie has worked her way up through the ranks on remote FIFO sites all over Australia and one project in Canada to date. With a career spanning 30 years, she estimates, a culminated 5 years 'off' trying the 'other life’ here and there in the hospitality and fitness industries. Her first day on a remote site was her milestone 18th birthday and she also celebrated her 21st living in a donga and blowing the candles out on the cake at the wetty. Apparently if her upcoming 50th ends up being the same scenario, that would be ok too. “Though my family may have other ideas about that”. She is currently and shall continue working with Clive Lloyd's team at GYST Consulting where Values Based Safety - using 'The Care Factor' approach to Culture development and Authentic Leadership are front and centre. The big news is that 'Hard Hat Mentor', Drewies’ own consultancy, is now in an exciting development phase where all energy and focus shall be channelled into two causes very close to her heart. The first will be supporting on-site leadership/teams/work crews and individuals to thrive in the, at times, very challenging FIFO work and lifestyle. The second is to be a mentor to the gutsy 'Women in Boots' who may need a hand now and then in a male dominated arena with its own unique set of bumps in the road to navigate. Drewie says, “One cannot spend so very long working remotely on gruelling rosters without picking up some wisdom along the way, albeit at times seemingly from osmosis alone! There are many hard won lessons we learn in such a unique environment, mine are demanding to be shared now, very loudly, they refuse to be ignored, so my new journey begins.' Drewie has also taken her first steps to study ‘The Social Psychology of Risk’ formally and has a new skip in her step due to all the knowledge to be gained and shared in the future.

Please share our posts

  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Hard Hat Mentor, Positive Safety Stuff, Safety Leadership Tagged With: Safety Procedures

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Search and Discover More on this Site

Never miss a post - Subscribe via Email

Enter your email address and join other discerning risk and safety people who receive notifications of new posts by email

Join 7,433 other subscribers

How we pay for the high cost of running of this site – try it for free on your site

NEW! Free Download

Please take our 2 minute zero survey

Recent Comments

  • Rob Long on Culture Silences in Safety – Socialitie
  • Joe Zinobile on Culture Silences in Safety – Socialitie
  • HASSAN MOHAMMED on Free Online Safety Training Courses
  • Rob Long on Safety Climate / Safety Leadership Survey
  • Ann on Safety Climate / Safety Leadership Survey
  • Rob on Near Miss or Near Hit
  • Robert Long on The Convenience of Complacency
  • patricia on Free Hotel and Resort Risk Management Checklist
  • William McGinty on The Convenience of Complacency
  • Patrick on Free Health and Safety Manual Template

FREE eBOOK DOWNLOADS

Recent Posts

  • Ritual Performance and Risk
  • Asking Better Questions in Risk
  • The Toxic Language of ‘Performance’ and Risk
  • OHS Compliance Puts Lives in Danger
  • Talking About Teams
  • The Art of Active Listening in Risk
  • Understanding The Social Psychology of Risk And Safety
  • You Market What You Believe in Safety
  • The Noise of Safety Leadership
  • That’s Not a Knife, That’s a Knife

What is Psychological Safety at Work?

Footer

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address and join other discerning risk and safety people who receive notifications of new posts by email

Join 7,433 other subscribers

AUTHORS

  • Alan Quilley
    • Heinrich–Industrial Accident Prevention
    • The Problem With ZERO Goals and Results
  • Bernard Corden
    • After the goldrush
    • The Internationale
  • Bill Sims
    • Employee Engagement: Chocolate, Vanilla, or Strawberry?
    • Injury Hiding-How do you stop it?
  • Craig Clancy
    • Task Based vs Activity Based Safe Work Method Statements
    • Safety And Tender Submissions
  • Daniel Kirk
    • It’s easy being wise after the event.
    • A Positive Safety Story
  • Dave Whitefield
    • Safety is about…
    • Safety and Compliance
  • Dennis Millard
    • Are You Risk Intelligent?
    • Honey they get me! They get me at work!
  • Drewie
    • Downturn Doin’ Your Head In? Let’s Chat….
    • How was your break?
  • Gabrielle Carlton
    • All Care and No Care!
    • You Are Not Alone!
  • George Robotham
    • How to Give an Unforgettable Safety Presentation
    • How To Write a Safety Report
  • Goran Prvulovic
    • Safety Manager – an Ultimate Scapegoat
    • HSE Performance – Back to Basics
  • James Ellis
    • Psychological Core Stability for Wellbeing in Workers Comp
    • In search of plan B in workers’ recovery
  • James Parkinson
    • To laugh or not to laugh
    • People and Safety
  • John Toomey
    • In it for The Long Haul – Making the most of the FIFO Lifestyle
    • Who is Responsible for This?
  • Karl Cameron
    • Abby Normal Safety
    • The Right Thing
  • Ken Roberts
    • Safety Legislation Is Our Biggest Accident?
    • HSE Trip Down Memory Lane
  • Mark Perrett
    • Psychology of Persuasion: Top 5 influencing skills for getting what you want
  • Mark Taylor
    • Build a Psychologically Safe Workplace by Taking Risks and Analysing Failures
    • Enculturing Safety
  • Max Geyer
    • WHS Legislation is NOT about Safety it’s about Culture
    • Due Diligence Is Not Just Ticking Boxes!
  • Matt Thorne
    • Safety Culture–Hudson’s Model
    • Culture – Edgar Schein
  • Peter Ribbe
    • Is there “Common Sense” in safety?
    • Who wants to be a safety professional?
  • Phil LaDuke
    • Professional Conferences Are A Sleazy Con
    • Hey Idiots, You’re Worried About the Wrong Things
  • Admin
    • OHS Compliance Puts Lives in Danger
    • Talking About Teams
  • Dr Rob Long
    • Ritual Performance and Risk
    • Asking Better Questions in Risk
  • Rob Sams
    • The Learning (and unlearning) that Revealed my Vocation
    • I’m just not that into safety anymore
  • Barry Spud
    • Things To Consider When Developing And Designing Your Company SWMS
    • Bad Safety Photos
  • Sheri Suckling
    • How Can I Get the Boss to Listen?
  • Simon Cassin
    • Safety values, ideas, behaviours and clothes
  • Safety Nerd
    • The Block isn’t portraying safety as it should be
    • Toolbox Talk Show–PPE
  • Wynand Serfontein
    • Why The Problem With Learning Is Unlearning
    • I DON’T KNOW
  • Zoe Koskinas
    • Why is fallibility so challenging in the workplace?

Top Posts & Pages

  • BEST WORKPLACE HEALTH and SAFETY SLOGANS 2022
  • Road Safety Slogans 2022
  • Free Safety Moments Examples, Tips and Resources
  • COVID-19 (Coronavirus, Omicron) Health and Safety Slogans and Quotes for the Workplace
  • 15 Safety Precautions When Working With Electricity
  • CATCHY and FUNNY SAFETY SLOGANS FOR THE WORKPLACE
  • Download Safety Moments from Human Resources Secretariat
  • CLASSIC, FAMOUS and INFAMOUS SAFETY QUOTES
  • Free Risk Assessment Template in Excel Format
  • Free Workplace Health and Safety Downloads

Most commented on

Forecasting Safety

The Banned Objects Index – A New Development in Safety Culture

Dumbs for Safety

The Real Barriers to Safety

Safety as Faith Healing

Who Said We Don’t Need Systems?

How to use signs, symbols and text effectively in communicating about risk

Why Safety Controls Don’t Always Work

Safety Should NOT Be About Safety

Why Personify Safety?

FEATURED POSTS

‘Pause and Ponder’ – what we can learn from social psychology academics

Do we Need a Different Way of Being in Safety?

We need to make sure this can never happen again

Adversarialism and the Politicisation of Safety

Some Basics on Social Psychology & Risk

I Just Want Clear Answers

Dialogue Do’s and Don’ts

Defining Safety

What Can Safety Learn from Barbie

Calculators, Matrices and Mumbo Jumbo Risk Assessment

Biases and Perceptions in Safety

Unthinkable

Towards Dumb

Binary Opposites and Safety Goal Strategy

Independent Thinking in an Uncertain World, A Mind of One’s Own

Safety-as-Persona

The New Leadership – Risk and Safety

Is Complacency Evil?

Safety as a Patriarchal Activity

Zero Accident Vision Non-Sense

More Posts from this Category

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address and join other discerning risk and safety people who receive notifications of new posts by email

Join 7,433 other subscribers

How we pay for the high cost of running of this site – try it for free on your site

 

How To Make Your Own Hand Sanitizer

 

 

How to Make your own Covid-19 Face Mask

 

Covid-19 Returning To Work Safety, Transitioning, Start Up And Re Entry Plans

 

How’s the Hot Desking Going Covid?

imageOne of the benefits of the Covid-19 epidemic is a total rethink about how we live and work (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-28/coronavirus-could-reshape-how-australians-work-forever/12097124 ).

Expertise by Regurgitation and Re-Badging

One of the fascinating things about the Coronavirus pandemic is watching Safety morph into epidemiology expertise. I would like a dollar for every flyer, presentation, podcast, powerpoint, checklist template, toolbox talk and poster set that had jumped into my inbox… Read the rest

The Stress of Stasis

One of the challenging things about the Coronavirus crisis is stasis. For those without work and confined to home, for those in self-isolation, it’s like life is frozen in time. ‘Stay at home’ is the mantra. The trouble is, in… Read the rest