the fall or hurt someone on the ground ? When a more critical outcome triggers a more critical response , it ’ s known as Outcome or Severity Bias . Society often fails to hold people accountable when there is no bad outcome . Conversely , society demands a punitive response if serious injuries occur . Consistency in response to behavioral choices is key to sustaining a transparent culture where we learn from mistakes and failures and adjust accordingly .
# 2 CREATING A LEARNING CULTURE
In a Just Culture , lessons learned are used to avoid more serious events . Acting on what is learned at both the department
and organizational levels leads to solutions with the greatest impact .
Investigations should identify “ systems ” deficiencies rather than assign individual blame in every instance . At XYZ Roofing , nonadherence to the fall protection policy appears to be the norm . Is fall protection hard to find or not easily donned ? Is staff perception one of production over safety ? Without uncovering why , the policy may remain largely ignored .
# 3 DESIGN SAFE SYSTEMS
Human beings are fallible and mistakes are inevitable ; however , we must reduce the opportunity for error by simplifying and standardizing policies . It ’ s also important to increase communication with staff , provide ongoing resources and training , address near misses , and respond to all incidents consistently , regardless of outcome .
# 4 MANAGE BEHAVIORAL CHOICES
Employees often drift into unsafe behaviors when there is no perceived adverse outcome . Working at heights with no protection , removing machine guards , and disregarding a care plan for patient transfers , for instance , don ’ t always result in injuries . Yet the risks remain . No matter the industry , employers must raise safety awareness among staff . To keep the risk perception at its peak , solicit team feedback through team huddles and focus groups and send reminders on the importance of safety vigilance . Keep this in the forefront and include staff in the discussion .
A Just Culture is one that is continually improving , resulting in greater employee engagement , employee morale , and safety .
RITA BARRETT-COSBY , CWPC , is an Injury Prevention & Worksite Wellness Consultant for A . I . M . Mutual Insurance Companies . Prior to joining A . I . M . Mutual in 2019 , she spent 30 years in the health care field working in various capacities , including Hospital Support Coordinator and Risk Manager in a long-term care setting . Rita is a Certified Wellness Program Coordinator and has been certified in Just Culture since 2016 .
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