The Missing Piece: Why HSE and Safety Culture Need Psychological Safety!

Are you in a high-risk industry such as oil & gas, healthcare, or aviation?

Consider the significance of psychological well-being in building a HSE culture that prioritizes your people, customers, environment, and processes. Understanding the role and levers of psychological safety is critical to ensuring the success of your team and the results.

Psychological safety refers to an environment where employees feel comfortable speaking up, reporting incidents, and making mistakes without fear of retaliation. In a high-risk industry, this is critical to prevent incidents and accidents.

Here are three reasons why it is essential for installing a safety culture in your organization, with a few examples from each industry:

1.   Improved Reporting

In the healthcare industry, fear of retaliation can prevent employees from reporting errors, near-misses, and incidents. This can lead to a lack of information, making it difficult for leaders to identify and address risks adequately. For example, a study published in the Journal of Patient Safety (2013) found that up to 98,000 patients die each year in the US due to preventable medical errors. Many of these errors often go unreported due to fear of retribution or job loss.

To address exactly the same issue, the healthcare company Intermountain Healthcare implemented a program called "Just Culture" to create a psychologically safe environment. The program encourages employees to report errors and near-misses, emphasizing the importance of learning from mistakes and improving patient outcomes. As a result, Intermountain Healthcare has seen an increase in reporting of errors and near-misses, enabling leaders to identify and address risks more effectively.

In the oil & gas industry, fear of retaliation can prevent employees from reporting potential hazards, near-misses, and incidents. This can lead to a lack of information, making it difficult for leaders to identify and address risks adequately.

For example, in 2015, Shell implemented a program called "Speak Up!" to encourage employees to report incidents and safety concerns without fear of retribution. The program includes training on how to report incidents and a system for anonymous reporting.

As a result of the program, Shell has seen an increase in reporting of incidents and safety concerns, enabling leaders to identify and address risks more effectively. In 2017, Shell reported that the number of high-potential incidents (incidents with the potential for serious consequences) had decreased by 45% since the program was implemented.

2.   Open Communication

In 2013, Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crashed upon landing at San Francisco International Airport, resulting in three fatalities and numerous injuries. An investigation found that the cause of the crash was a lack of communication and inadequate training among the flight crew.

Following the incident, Asiana Airlines implemented a program called "Safety First" to promote a culture of safety and encourage open communication among employees, despite their cultural programming. The program includes regular safety training, incident reporting, and a system for employees to provide feedback and suggestions for improvement.

As a result, in 2019, Asiana Airlines was awarded the Airline Ratings' "Best Long-Haul Low-Cost Airline" award for its safety record and commitment to safety culture.

In healthcare, fear of retribution can prevent employees from communicating openly, leading to potential errors and poor patient outcomes, often leading to casualties. When healthcare workers are afraid to speak up or report safety concerns, important information may be missed, and errors can go unnoticed and unaddressed.

To address this issue, the healthcare company Kaiser Permanente (a large US healthcare operator) already in 2004 implemented a program called "Total Health Environment" to encourage open communication and collaboration among employees. The program emphasizes the importance of teamwork, respect, and trust. As a result, Kaiser Permanente has seen a significant decrease in medical errors, improved patient outcomes, and reached higher employee satisfaction. 

3.   Learning from Mistakes

In the oil & gas industry, fear of punishment can prevent employees from admitting mistakes and learning from them. This can lead to a lack of information, making it difficult for leaders to identify and address risks adequately. For example, in 2005, an explosion occurred at the BP Texas City Refinery, resulting in 15 fatalities and 180 injuries. An investigation found that a lack of reporting and learning from past incidents contributed to the accident.

Following the tragic explosion, BP implemented a program called "Learning from Incidents" to encourage employees to report mistakes and learn from them. The program emphasizes the importance of identifying and addressing root causes of incidents, rather than blaming individuals. As a result, BP has seen a significant increase in reporting of incidents and near-misses, enabling leaders to identify and address risks more effectively.

In 2018 United Airlines Flight 2321 experienced an uncontained engine failure during takeoff but the pilots were able to return the aircraft to the airport and land safely. There were no injuries among the passengers or crew.

The subsequent investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) found that United Airlines did not have a robust system for sharing information about previous incidents or addressing potential safety issues, which may have contributed to the engine failure on Flight 2321.

To address this issue, around that time, United Airlines implemented a program called "Safety is Personal" to encourage employees to report mistakes and learn from them. The program emphasizes the importance of a culture of safety and accountability, where mistakes are seen as opportunities for learning and improvement. As a result, United Airlines has seen a decrease in incidents and accidents, leading to improved safety and customer satisfaction.

In conclusion, psychological safety IS essential for installing a safety culture in high-risk industries such as healthcare, oil & gas, and aviation. By improving reporting, promoting open communication, and encouraging learning from mistakes, companies can create a psychologically safe environment that empowers employees to identify and address risks more effectively, leading to improved safety and outcomes for all stakeholders involved.