Your Next Accident
One of the signature questions that I like to ask my clients is, “what is your next accident or serious incident going to be caused by?” I usually save this question for later in our conversations after we have had time to build some trust. I like to ask it directly with the hopes of generating some more thoughtful discussion addressing our primary goal of protecting our people and assets from injury or harm. Another reason I ask this is to measure the differences between what the leadership or management believes compared to what line employees believe.
Asking this question over the years I have had some interesting answers that I feel we can all benefit from by reflecting on our organizations and ourselves to see if we hold any of the same thoughts. If so, they may be red flags that need a closer look:
“Well, definitely nothing related to aviation because they have managed out all of the risks.”
I wanted to start with this one because it was the most surprising. I pride myself for being direct when necessary and I asked with a smile, “so you think traveling through the air in a machine at night in poor weather with night vision goggles is absent of risk because our safety program is awesome?” That question got a chuckle and a “when you put it that way” changed response. We talked about complacency and the risk involved with assuming all is well because we checked all the boxes. Before heading back to work, that crewmember understood that they were a bit too comfortable and would be more deliberate in their approach to risk management.
Safety First: A warning sign in the hotel parking lot at the V Plaza Hotel in Brunei. Yes, I took that boat on a dinner cruise later that week with my good friend Stephen. No, we did not get attacked.
“Any day now someone is going to get seriously hurt using ____, want me to show you?”
This answer was a close second for the most surprising. Not only did this employee know of a significant hazard but they were kind enough to offer to let me try my hand at the task to see if I could escape without getting hurt. More troubling is that this issue had existed for some time and everyone on the line knew it but had never reported it because there was a (mistaken) belief that management did not care. We made a point of elevating this issue and it was corrected immediately. I helped the client promote this win as first steps towards improving their safety culture and correcting years of misunderstandings.
“It is absolutely going to be something related to ____ because it is the riskiest thing we do.”
Finally, this one makes the list because it highlights an interesting theme I have noticed. Employees are usually aware of the most dangerous part of their jobs. Employees need training and recent experience with these tasks to reduce risk. I have people tell me with certainty what the next accident will be from and then later tell me that they can ask for more training and will experience zero friction to get that training, but they do not ask for it because they do not want to inconvenience anyone. If you need training on a task…ask for it…demand it…your employer owes it to you, and it could just save your life.
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At VyClimb, part of our mission is to lead the aviation industry and the companies it serves to an elevated level of operational excellence to create greater stakeholder confidence. For more information or to discuss ways we may be able to help you please contact info@vyclimb.com.
