Seeing Risk Before It Sees You: Building a Risk-Searching Culture

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In the world of heavy industry, safety is a constant challenge. No matter how many policies or procedures you put in place, there’s always something unexpected waiting around the corner. It’s a fast-changing environment—full of uncertainty, complexity, and, frankly, chaos. So how do we keep people safe in a world like this? That’s exactly what this webinar explores.

The speaker dives into how flipping the traditional safety culture mindset helps organizations move beyond simply checking boxes. Instead, it’s about creating a culture where everyone— from leadership to frontline workers—actively identifies and addresses risks before they result in serious incidents.

Flipping the VUCA Model

The webinar starts by introducing a familiar term: VUCA. Originally used by the military, VUCA stands for Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous—basically, the unpredictable nature of the modern world.

Rather than being overwhelmed by this chaos, the speaker shares how their company flips VUCA on its head:

• V = Vision: Having a clear direction and understanding your goals.
• U = Understanding: Knowing the people, culture, and context you operate in.
• C = Clarity: Ensuring everyone sees the path ahead, but staying flexible.
• A = Agility: Being ready to adjust when the unexpected happens.

This approach allows the organization to navigate challenges while staying focused on what really matters: protecting people.

Focusing on Risk That Really Matters

Here’s a sobering fact shared during the session: every ten seconds, someone dies because they went to work. That’s roughly three million workplace deaths each year. It’s a staggering number, and it serves as a powerful reminder of why safety professionals do what we do.

The speaker makes a strong case for shifting focus away from minor incidents—like small first aid cases—and instead, concentrating efforts on the hazards that can cause life-altering injuries or fatalities. It’s not about ignoring the little things but prioritizing the big ones.

People-Centered Safety: More Than a Slogan

One key theme throughout the webinar is that safety culture isn’t separate from business culture—it’s woven into it. People aren’t just part of the process; they’re the driving force behind it.

The speaker emphasizes that true safety success hinges on understanding that:

• People are the greatest strength.
• Without people, a company is just machinery and buildings.
• Safety strategies should involve employees at all levels.

It’s not about catchy phrases like “zero harm”—it’s about genuine care and purpose.

Risk-Searching Culture in Action

The speaker outlines how their organization has built a risk-searching culture instead of just a safety culture. The idea is simple: train people to spot risks and take action, rather than expecting management to catch everything.

Several key programs drive this:

1. LIFE Program (Life-changing Incident or Fatality Event)
   • Focuses on engineering controls that design out hazards before they can cause harm.
   • Includes over 270 specific solutions aimed at eliminating fatal risks.
   • Encourages learning not just from internal incidents but from other companies’ experiences.
2. Global Hazard Assessment Procedure (GAP)
   • Senior managers are asked blunt, powerful questions like:
     • “How could someone in my team die?”
     • “How could we cause irreversible injury?”
     • “Could someone develop a terminal illness after working here?”
   • These questions shift mindsets and spark real conversations about serious risks.
3. Visible Felt Leadership
   • It’s not enough for leaders to talk about safety—they need to show it through actions employees can feel.
   • Managers work directly with teams to identify hazards and follow through on fixes.
   • Corporate tracks how many action items are completed, holding leadership accountable.

Involving Employees at Every Step

Employee involvement isn’t left to chance. Every safety program includes clear roles for management, employees, and EHS professionals. Managers are expected to drive risk assessments, but employees must participate too, ensuring they:

• Recognize risks.
• Understand why certain controls exist.
• Feel ownership over the rules developed locally.

In short, safety isn’t something handed down from above—it’s built from the ground up.

Why Governance Still Matters

Even the best strategies can unravel without consistent governance. The speaker stresses that while trust is important, human nature means people will eventually deviate—often unintentionally. Regular site visits, audits, and inspections ensure that expectations don’t quietly slip over time.

Governance isn’t about punishment. It’s about keeping people aligned and preventing small deviations from turning into tragedies.

Choosing the Right Tools at the Right Time

One of the more insightful parts of the webinar addresses tool selection. The speaker warns against rushing to implement shiny, advanced safety programs before the organization’s culture is ready.

Instead, safety professionals need to:

• Assess where the organization is culturally.
• Match tools and strategies to the current maturity level.
• Be prepared to take a step back if leadership or site dynamics shift.

Sometimes, the simplest risk management tools will have the biggest impact.

Going Beyond the Workplace

Perhaps the most inspiring takeaway is how the company extends its safety culture beyond its walls. The Safe at Work, Safe at Home program empowers employees to take safety lessons into their homes and communities. This includes:

• Providing first aid training (including baby-specific first aid).
• Giving out fire extinguishers and first aid kits to employees’ families.
• Organizing community safety education efforts in schools and underserved areas.

The idea is simple: if one life is saved because an employee recognizes and reacts to risk at home, it’s worth it.

Creating a Sense of Purpose

At the heart of all these efforts is purpose. The speaker makes it clear—the goal isn’t just working safely for the company. It’s about making sure every worker goes home safely to their family, ready to enjoy life outside of work.

Safety professionals, leaders, and employees alike should be united by this shared sense of purpose. That’s what builds a truly sustainable safety culture—one that sticks.