SCENARIO
The wildlife park
Wig moss Wildlife Park (WWP) is a tourist attraction celebrating its 50-year anniversary this summer. When it first opened, WWP consisted of a large mansion and gardens, with a small number of animal enclosures. Since then, the WWP complex has expanded to be five times larger. WWP has a workforce of 200 permanent and 200 temporary workers, and has 800000 visitors per year.
Forty-five years ago, a fire destroyed a monkey enclosure attached to the mansion. The ruined enclosure was demolished and replaced with a large café. To celebrate their anniversary, WWP began three months ago to convert part of the café back into a monkey enclosure. During the construction work, 70% of the café area has been cordoned off. The rest of the café remains open.
The Grounds Manager (GM) hired a construction company called ‘CP’ for the work, after a friend recommended them. The GM was impressed by CP’s online portfolio. During a telephone call, CP confidently assured the GM that they could complete the work. This was despite having never built an animal enclosure before. The GM was happy not to spend time searching for other potential contractors and hired CP immediately. The GM arranged for CP to conduct a risk assessment of the site before construction began. CP told the GM to “leave everything else to us” including the “difficult health and safety stuff”, which the GM readily agreed to.
The ‘talks’
Each morning the CP construction workers gather to discuss the plans for the day, and possible improvements. Recently, a few WWP team leaders overheard these discussions and started similar
‘talks’ with their teams. Within a month of these talks accident rates reduced. The WWP teams involved in these talks now work less overtime and look happier. These teams enthusiastically recommended the new system and discussed it with other teams. Other team leaders who heard this, became interested in trying this new system in their own teams. Now, most of the WWP team leaders start their day with a team ‘talk’.
You joined WWP this year, as a team leader, with responsibility for one of the animal enclosures. You have health and safety qualifications as part of your university degree. This impressed WWP in your original interview, because “safety is vital in this type of work”. The interviewers boasted about being accident-free for 10 years. They talked about how the chief executive meets all new workers at the thorough induction training. The interviewers proudly described a range of worker health and wellbeing benefits, as well as specific health and safety training.
You are also trying to incorporate the talks into your team’s daily schedule, but so far, your team have been unwilling to participate. Most of your team has worked together for 30 years and are called The Gang by other workers. They are always quiet around you, so you want to use these talks to involve the team more. This way you can understand your team better and improve work activities.
You eventually gather your team and explain the reason for these talks, then ask if anyone has any suggestions or questions. After a long silence, the youngest and least confident team member starts speaking. They are immediately interrupted by the longest-serving team member (LSTM). They announce: “You should have brought snacks for us, otherwise this talk will just be a waste of time.” The youngest team member who was interrupted looks away, while everyone else awkwardly nods in agreement. You explain why it is not a waste of time, but the team look towards the LSTM who stubbornly remains silent. You sigh and tell the team to discuss ideas while you buy snack food from the WWP café.
On the five-minute walk to the café, you pass several other animal enclosures and the construction workers’ facilities. Before entering the café, you take out a packet of disposable ear plugs from your pocket and put them into your ears. You started bringing the ear plugs to work with you when the construction began, and always keep a pack on you. While walking across the café your foot suddenly slips on the stone floor and you fall, but you grab a nearby table and avoid hitting the ground.
Looking down at the floor, you discover dust and dirt trailing from the café toilets towards the emergency exit door. This door is being partially held open with a wedge of wood. Following the trail, you open the emergency exit door wider to discover it leads to the mansion’s main entrance hall, where visitors normally enter WWP. This hall gives access to the gift shop, information centre, the ticket booths, and the temporary construction site entrance.
The construction site
You leave the café through the emergency exit and stand at the temporary construction site entrance gate. You shout to gain the attention of anyone inside, but you do not receive a response. Carefully opening the gate, you see that building materials and equipment are piled on the floor. Cables trail across the ground to a noisy old diesel generator. Additionally, loud music is playing from a radio. You see a stationary forklift truck (FLT) with a wooden plank across its raised forks. A CP worker is standing on top of the plank welding a metal framework. The worker is shifting their weight from side to side in time with the music. Their long, loose, sleeves slip over their gloves as they move. You look around for the site supervisor, but there is nobody else in sight.
You immediately leave the site and go to find the GM, to tell them everything you have seen. The GM assures you that they will contact the site supervisor straight away. The GM is impressed with your knowledge and reliability and asks if you will take on a health and safety role. You say you will think about it. Before you leave, the GM reminds you to fill in the near-miss book for your slip.
On the way back to the café, you inform the relevant WWP worker that the café floor needs cleaning. The near-miss book in the café is easily located. As you record the incident you are surprised to see a large increase in entries over the last six months. Before leaving the café, you find two ‘Slippery Surface’ signs (A-boards) and put them on either end of the dirt trail.
You return to your team but find they have abandoned the talk. This does not surprise you since you were away for longer than expected. At this time of day, the youngest team member routinely makes a hot drink in a nearby worker kitchen. You look for them, hoping that they will tell you about their suggestions from the talk. When you find them, you ask what they thought. You learn that the LSTM told everyone not to “hang around when there is work to do” only 5 minutes after you left. You notice that the drink they have made is coffee; this confuses you because you know they dislike coffee. You ask them about it and they reply that it is the LSTM’s regular morning drink.
The accident
The conversation ends when you hear emergency sirens near to the mansion. You quickly walk towards the sound to find out what has happened. You see a person being carried out of the entrance hall on a stretcher, towards an ambulance. Burns cover the person’s arm, and their collar bone has broken through the skin. Horrified, you recognise them as the construction worker who was standing on the FLT.
Nearby, the GM is speaking to WWP’s lead first-aider, and the construction site supervisor who looks annoyed and dismissive. The GM appears to be in a state of shock when they approach you. They reveal that they searched for the site supervisor after you left their office. They had just entered the construction site when they saw the accident happen. After seeing this, and the conditions on the site, they do not trust CP’s health and safety standards anymore. The GM asks you to look at the risk assessment that CP completed six months ago. They want you to check if it is suitable and sufficient, and if it covers how risks should be controlled
Task 4: Determining positive indicators of health and safety culture
What are the positive indicators of health and safety culture at WWP?
Note: You should support your answer, where applicable, using relevant information from the scenario.
Comment
on the influence of peers at WWP.
Some
positive indicators of a health and safety culture at Wigmoss Wildlife Park
(WWP), taking into account general guidelines and examples from the scenario:
- Strong
Management Commitment: A positive health and safety culture starts
at the top with visible commitment from management. In the scenario, WWP's
management boasts about their accident-free record for 10 years and provides
various health and safety benefits. This demonstrates an initial commitment to
safety.
- Open
Communication: An organization with a healthy safety
culture encourages open communication about safety concerns. The fact that
workers have started morning "talks" to discuss improvements and that
team leaders are interested in implementing this practice indicates a
willingness to communicate about safety.
- Employee
Engagement: An engaged workforce actively participates in safety
initiatives. The scenario portrays some teams actively embracing the morning
"talks," sharing recommendations, and advocating for the system. This
indicates that employees are engaged and interested in improving safety
practices.
- Proactive
Near-Miss Reporting: A culture that encourages reporting of
near-miss incidents indicates a focus on prevention. The near-miss book in the
café suggests that workers are encouraged to report incidents and potential hazards.
- Continuous
Improvement Mindset: A health and safety culture emphasizes
ongoing improvement. The interest of team leaders in implementing the new
system of morning talks, as well as the initiative to use these talks to
improve work activities, showcases a focus on continuous improvement.
- Training
and Qualifications: Providing proper training and
qualifications in health and safety is crucial. The scenario mentions that you,
as a team leader, possess health and safety qualifications as part of your university
degree. This indicates that the organization values the knowledge and expertise
required for safe operations.
- Investment
in Worker Wellbeing: A holistic approach to health and safety
includes worker wellbeing. The interviewers at WWP describe a range of worker
health and wellbeing benefits, demonstrating a commitment to employee welfare.
- Prompt
Action in Response to Incidents: Responding promptly and
effectively to incidents and accidents is indicative of a safety culture. The
GM's immediate response to the construction worker's accident and their
intention to revise CP's risk assessment show a willingness to address issues
swiftly.
- Employee
Empowerment: Empowering employees to voice their
concerns and suggestions can foster a strong safety culture. The fact that team
members feel comfortable recommending new practices in the morning
"talks" and are interested in participating shows that they feel
empowered to contribute to safety.
- Incorporating
Safety in Decision-Making: Integrating safety considerations into
decision-making processes demonstrates a commitment to safety. The GM's request
for you to review CP's risk assessment and assess its suitability indicates a
focus on making informed decisions based on safety considerations.
- Regular
Training and Skill Development: A commitment to regular
training and skill development ensures that employees are equipped with the
knowledge and skills needed to perform their tasks safely. The interviewers
mention specific health and safety training and your health and safety
qualifications, demonstrating an investment in training.
- Visible
Leadership Participation: When leadership actively participates
in safety initiatives, it encourages others to follow suit. The GM's
involvement in responding to incidents and seeking your expertise for health
and safety matters indicates visible leadership participation.
- Positive
Role Modeling: When leaders and experienced employees set
positive safety examples, it influences others to follow suit. The GM's trust
in your expertise and willingness to offer you a health and safety role
highlights a commitment to safety expertise.
- Prompt
Incident Reporting and Investigation: A proactive approach to
incident reporting and thorough investigation showcases a safety-conscious
environment. The GM's request for you to fill in the near-miss book after your
slip demonstrates a commitment to reporting and addressing incidents promptly.
- Support
for New Safety Initiatives: When management and teams support and
implement new safety initiatives, it shows adaptability to change. The fact
that most WWP team leaders have adopted the morning "talks" and
recommend the new system demonstrates support for a safety initiative.
- Feedback
and Continuous Engagement: An organization that values feedback
and engages in regular discussions about safety fosters a culture of
improvement. The scenario portrays the morning "talks" as a platform
for discussions and improvements, promoting continuous engagement.
- Recognition
and Rewards for Safe Practices: Acknowledging and
rewarding safe practices encourages employees to prioritize safety. If WWP
acknowledges and rewards teams that actively participate in safety talks and
contribute to improvements, it would reinforce a positive safety culture.
- Collaboration
between Teams: Collaboration between different teams for
safety improvements signifies a holistic approach to safety. The interactions
between construction workers and WWP team leaders during the morning
"talks" showcase a collaborative effort.
- Regular
Safety Audits and Inspections: Conducting regular safety
audits and inspections indicates a proactive approach to identifying potential
hazards. The scenario highlights your observation of the construction site
conditions, suggesting a level of vigilance.
- Shared
Learning from Incidents: Learning from incidents and near
misses to prevent recurrence is a key element of a safety culture. The increase
in entries in the near-miss book indicates a willingness to document and
potentially learn from incidents.
- Visible
Safety Signage and Instructions: Properly placed safety
signs and clear instructions demonstrate a focus on safety awareness. The
placement of "Slippery Surface" signs in the café after your slip is
an example of taking immediate action to address a safety concern.
- Regular
Review and Improvement of Policies: A commitment to reviewing
and improving safety policies over time shows a dedication to staying
up-to-date with best practices. The GM's request for you to review CP's risk
assessment reflects a willingness to ensure policies are effective.
- Worker Empowerment to Stop Unsafe Work: Empowering workers to stop unsafe work ensures that everyone takes responsibility for safety. If WWP encourages workers to halt any unsafe practices they encounter, it would reflect a strong safety culture.
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