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Safety by Choice, Not by Chance: The DNA of a Resilient Organization
For decades, many organisations have measured safety with a single, misleading metric: the number of days without a lost-time incident. A "zero" on the board was seen as the ultimate symbol of success. But what if that "zero" was just luck? What if it was a quiet period before a storm, masking underlying risks that were waiting to align?
The time has come to challenge this outdated paradigm. True safety is not a passive state achieved by chance; it is an active, deliberate culture built by choice. It is a conscious commitment, woven into the very fabric of an organisation, from the boardroom to the front line.
This is the shift from hoping for the best to planning for the worst. This is Safety by Choice.
Imagine a ship sailing in calm seas. The journey is smooth, and there are no incidents. Is the ship safe? We don't know. The true test of its safety isn't the calm weather, but the strength of its hull, the skill of its crew, the reliability of its navigation systems, and the readiness of its lifeboats.
The same is true for our workplaces. A period without incidents doesn't necessarily mean we are safe; it might just mean we haven't been tested yet. True safety is defined by the presence and effectiveness of our controls.
It’s about:
Robust Systems: Are our permits-to-work, risk assessments, and management of change procedures strong enough to withstand human error?
Effective Training: Is our workforce truly competent and confident in their ability to perform tasks safely?
Well-Maintained Equipment: Are our physical assets reliable and fit for purpose?
Proactive Behaviours: Are our people actively identifying hazards and reporting near misses?
When we focus on strengthening these controls, we are not leaving safety to chance. We are building a resilient organisation that is prepared for turbulence, not just one that performs well in calm weather.
When an incident occurs, the knee-jerk reaction is often to ask, "Who is to blame?" and "How did this happen?" This approach is fundamentally flawed. It fosters a culture of fear, drives underreporting, and stops us from uncovering the real, systemic issues that allowed the incident to occur.
A mature safety culture shifts the focus from who to why.
Instead of stopping at "human error," we must ask:
Why did the procedure not work for the person performing the task?
Why was the risk not identified earlier?
Why did the existing safety barriers fail?
Why did the team feel that a shortcut was an acceptable option?
By relentlessly pursuing "why," we move beyond individual blame and uncover weaknesses in our systems. This is how we learn, adapt, and prevent recurrence. A near miss reported openly and analysed deeply is infinitely more valuable than an incident that is hidden for fear of blame.
Procedures, policies, and PPE are essential, but they are useless without the most critical control of all: personal integrity. True safety culture lives in the moments when no supervisor is present.
It's the welder who takes the extra two minutes to double-check his grounding. It's the operator who stops the job because something "doesn't feel right," even under pressure. It's the team member who reminds a colleague to put on their safety glasses.
This is the essence of "Safety by Choice." It’s a personal commitment to not cut corners, to follow the rules not because you have to, but because you understand their purpose and believe in them. This behaviour cannot be mandated; it must be inspired, valued, and normalised until it becomes second nature.
Nothing reveals the true state of an organisation's safety culture more than a leader's response to an incident. This is the moment of truth where values are either solidified or shattered.
A leader who reacts with anger and blame sends a clear message: "Do not bring me bad news. Hide your mistakes." This single act can destroy years of trust and drive safety reporting underground, making the workplace catastrophically less safe.
A leader who responds with curiosity and a desire to learn sends a completely different message: "Your safety is my priority. We are in this together, and we will learn from this to become stronger." They ask questions like:
"First and foremost, is everyone okay?"
"What support do you and your team need right now?"
"What can we learn from this to protect everyone in the future?"
This response builds psychological safety, encourages transparency, and turns a negative event into a powerful catalyst for relentless improvement—the final cornerstone of a world-class safety culture dedicated to safeguarding our people, assets, and environment.
Ultimately, a safe workplace is not a fortunate accident. It is the result of countless conscious choices made every single day by every single person. It is a culture built by design, not by default.
Let us commit to building organisations where safety is defined by the strength of our defenses, not the absence of attacks. Where we seek to understand, not to blame. Where integrity guides our actions, and where our leaders champion learning over punishment.
Let's choose safety, every time.
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