Author: Dmitriy Stepanyuk, Expert (Psychologist) — Leningradskaya atomnaya stantsiya
This article explores opportunities for psychological self-development in improving safety.
We present a simple and effective practical exercise that you can complete independently and/or use with your team.
Case Study: "My Resource in Safety"
Goal: developing critical thinking and self-reflection.
Procedure:
1. Identifying the Facts.
Think of and write down several instances of non-compliance with existing safety requirements—committed by you or others—that you have observed over the past 10 days.
Example:
- Fact #1: "Failed to wear PPE when walking through a high-noise area."
- Fact #2: "Walked past HSE violations (personnel working at height without fall protection)."
- Fact #3: "Failed to report a mistake made while performing a task."
2. Analyzing the Facts.
Identify the internal and external causes of these instances.
Example:
- Fact #1: internal cause – "my insufficient commitment to safety"; external cause – "suboptimal pedestrian routing across the site";
- Fact #2: internal cause – "I did not want to interfere in someone else's work"; external cause – "lack of a clear procedure for interacting with contractors";
- Fact #3: internal cause – "I fear punishment and penalties"; external cause – "ineffective employee incentive system."
3. Identifying Your Resource.
Determine measures to increase your personal accountability regarding the identified causes.
Example:
- Complete refresher safety training on "Use of PPE" within 2 months.
- Report the deficiencies identified as "External Causes" to management, and going forward, promptly report any newly discovered hazards or deficiencies.
If this case study is conducted as a team, it is recommended to discuss the causes and proposed safety improvement measures as a group and agree on a joint action plan.
Takeaway: safety transformation starts with us!