Oh, You Know…
Shawn M. Galloway
CEO of ProAct Safety, Inc., Trusted Advisor, Best-Selling Author, Keynote Speaker & Expert Witness
Discussing recent field visits with overhead power line crew leaders, a new leader shared a concerning story. A storm quickly began moving in. Thunder presented, and lightning struck many miles away. Not knowing the policy exactly, she asked the employee why he was still up in the bucket truck and when he thought it appropriate to come down. His response was, "Oh, you just know."
It's easy for someone to become overly confident in estimating and forecasting using experience and judgment alone. However, this overconfidence can lead to choosing the wrong option, answers on a test, jobs, stocks to purchase, candidates to support, or even the person to marry. It's tragic when it results in the loss of life. Every company has error traps. Do you know where yours are?
In the case of the overhead power line crew, the new leader's concern was justified. Working in a bucket truck during a storm with thunder and lightning can be extremely dangerous. While the experienced employee's response might have seemed nonchalant, it highlighted a crucial issue - relying solely on intuition and experience can be a recipe for disaster.
Overconfidence in one's ability to assess risks and make decisions can lead to grave consequences, not only in the field of power line maintenance but also in various aspects of life. The story serves as a reminder that even with years of experience, it is essential to be aware of the limitations of our knowledge and judgment.
Recognizing the potential for error is vital for any organization. Every company has its own set of error traps, and identifying them is the first step towards mitigating risk and ensuring safety. These traps can be anything from inadequate safety protocols to complacency bred from familiarity with routine tasks.
For the power line crew, revisiting their policies and procedures regarding working in hazardous conditions would be worthwhile. Clear guidelines on when it is appropriate to come down from the bucket truck during a storm can help prevent accidents and protect the lives of workers. Also, proper risk assessment and decision-making training and education equip crew members with the tools to make informed choices in potentially dangerous situations.
Beyond the power line industry, the lesson from this story applies to various fields and areas of life. It serves as a reminder to question our own assumptions and biases, and to seek objective information and data whenever possible. By acknowledging our own fallibility, we can make more informed choices and reduce the likelihood of catastrophic outcomes.
Ultimately, being aware of error traps and actively working to prevent them is crucial for the safety and success of any organization. It is a continuous process that requires constant vigilance and a commitment to learning from past mistakes. By doing so, we can create a culture of safety and accountability that protects both the individuals involved and the overall integrity of the company.
"Before you attempt to beat the odds, be sure you could survive the odds beating you." — Larry Kersten
"There is no more insidious poison than hubris." — C.A.A. Savastano
June '24 EHS Today Magazine
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At ProAct Safety, we are dedicated to enhancing safety performance and fostering a culture of excellence within organizations. Our safety strategy and culture assessment service is designed to provide a holistic and detailed understanding of your current safety practices and culture and outline specific strategic and tactical recommendations, enabling you to develop a focused strategic plan to elevate safety performance and achieve Safety Culture Excellence®.
Shawn M. Galloway is the CEO of the global consultancy ProAct Safety. With over twenty years of experience in safety systems, strategy, culture, leadership, and employee engagement, he serves as a trusted advisor, keynote speaker, and expert witness. He is the author of eight books and has multiple regular columns in leading magazines, with over 400 articles and 100 videos to his credit. He also created the first safety podcast, Safety Culture Excellence, which has over 800 episodes.
Shawn's passion, dedication, influence, and significant contributions to the field of safety have been recognized with numerous awards and accolades from prestigious organizations such as the American Society of Safety Professionals, National Safety Council, EHS Today Magazine, and ISHN Magazine. He is also an esteemed Avetta Distinguished Fellow.
Successfully driving process improvement with effective environmental, health, & safety strategies in chemical, pharma, & food industries.
5moThank you for bringing this issue to the forefront. We as safety professionals should always strive to find those lapses in clear guidance. Employees understanding and commitment to safety rules must be challenged regularly. I have come across this same issue with electricians wanting to work without complete LOTO. Their thinking that no one will turn this on or not understanding that they have to practice the TRY step of LOTO before continuing work can result in a tragic outcome.
Shawn M. Galloway How timely! *Outstanding relevance to my consulting practice. The Line Crew’s experience hit home with me from various points of view, validating why feedback and constructive criticism are priceless. Recognizing that my ability to assess risks and make decisions alone will not produce the best outcome in addressing a Client’s issue from their perspective, I always involve them to keep them informed and me focused. Your philosophy of Safety Thinking does have crossover affect in the mitigation of adverse consequences in my work. The story served to validate a Client engagement by their involvement. Collaboration opened their eyes to assumptions and increased my value in exposing contributing factors that led to the problem fueled by assumptions. I agree that had I relied on my expertise and experience in focusing on the reason for my being retained, I might have solved the symptom but not their problem. It was a joint effort of interaction by combing experiences & expertise. You are right again that it is essential to be aware of existing limitations of our knowledge and judgment and that expertise has greater value when collaboration, flexibility and adoptability are present.