According to the prominent scientist E. Hollnagel, as outlined in his book "The ETTO Principle: Efficiency-Thoroughness Trade-Off," the main reason for conscious rule violations is the compromise between efficiency and safety. It is hard to disagree with his opinion.
Neglecting the thoroughness of following rules and instructions in favor of completing production tasks on time and at the lowest cost — especially when resources (time, money, personnel, tools, etc.) are scarce — is a common practice in many organizations. When solving production and everyday tasks, people tend to choose efficiency at the expense of thorough injury risk assessment, the development and observance of mitigation measures, and strict adherence to HSE rules and standards. This is particularly evident during sudden changes in the environment, the emergence of parallel tasks, or pressure regarding deadlines and resources.
In the vast majority of cases, this behavioral tactic yields positive results. It saves time and resources, thus proving its effectiveness in the short term. Consequently, a certain production culture regarding safety and compliance with instructions becomes entrenched in the organization. However, the outcome is sometimes catastrophic. In the long term, neglecting thoroughness in following rules and instructions, including those in the field of safety, proves to be highly inefficient.
Unlike an individual, an organization can separate production functions from the control of thorough adherence to HSE rules. Furthermore, management can implement a top-down priority for thoroughness in following HSE rules by introducing and developing a safety culture. The implementation and development of a safety culture are only possible if the owners or top management are committed to this task, requiring their personal involvement and the allocation of necessary resources.
Why is the implementation of a safety culture the most reliable tool for injury prevention in the long term? The culture we live in determines which behaviors are attractive to us. We tend to stick to behavioral habits that are approved and rewarded by our culture because of our strong desire to fit in and belong to the "tribe." Humans are social beings. Our ancestors survived in groups and tribes for tens of thousands of years, so the need to conform to group norms exists at the DNA level. Being accepted by the group or tribe is most valuable for most people. A person acquires the behavioral habits considered normal in the culture of the team they join. It is difficult to maintain positive behavior in a negative environment, and the reverse is also true: only a few can maintain negative behavior in a positive environment. The central idea is to create an environment within the organization where following safe behavior is easy and beneficial, while violating safety rules or behaving poorly is as difficult and unpleasant as possible.
Since we tend to imitate the behavioral habits of three social groups — those close to us, the majority, and those in power (those with status and prestige) — how top management behaves regarding HSE is crucial. Top management's commitment to prioritizing the value of human life and preserving employee health must be demonstrated and clear to everyone. A Declaration of Values serves this purpose. Another way for a top executive to demonstrate the importance of the issue is by discussing safety matters at the beginning of production meetings.
When implementing a corporate safety culture, it is important to create an atmosphere of trust where people are encouraged and even rewarded for reporting vital safety information — but where a clear line is also drawn between acceptable and unacceptable behavior. This line can be established in specific "commandments" — "Golden Safety Rules" — the violation of which must lead to "retribution." A fundamental rule for changing behavior in an organization is: what is immediately rewarded is repeated, and what is immediately punished is avoided. All employees must be aware that a conscious violation of the Golden Rules leads to dismissal from the company. If a manager or auditor identifies a violation of the Golden Safety Rules, work must stop, and the violator must face disciplinary action, up to and including termination. This is because, unfortunately, the importance of rules within a team is often judged in proportion to the punishment for their violation.
Pain is an effective teacher. If a mistake causes pain, it is corrected. If a mistake is relatively painless, it is ignored. The more immediate the pain, the less likely the behavior is to be repeated. Behavior changes only if the punishment is painful enough. Another way to develop and reinforce desired behavior is to reinforce good behavior with immediate rewards. Instilling an understanding and acceptance of safe behavior norms into the corporate culture will significantly reduce the number of conscious violations and, consequently, injuries.