Re: Safety Culture

["Schoenhofer" <schoenho@via.at>]

Schoenhofer
Habichergasse 31/7
A-1160 Wien
AUSTRIA
Tel./Fax: +43-1-4955308
Mobiltel.: +43-664-3380333
e-mail: schoenho@via.at

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> Von: Jeff Eichorst <u112237@lanl.gov>
> An: Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
> Betreff: RE: Safety Culture
> Datum: Freitag, 18. Juli 1997 18:36
> 
> I agree that both Vince and Sandy make some good points.  However, the
> safety culture can not be implemented soley on the points listed so far.
> Everybody talks about responsibility and empowerment.  These are things
that
> the "head" can give the body, but it is not enough.  If you are in an
> environment where people "have done it this way for 50 years, and why
should
> I change now", and are unwilling to change.  Pointing out regulations and
> requirements, or the fact that they may still get to go home to their
family
> at night if they are safe, is not always enough.  The corporate structure
> MUST include provisions to hold people accountable for their actions.
> 
> Granted, people do not violate requirements with the thought that they
> aren't safe, but somehow it must be engrained that the requirements are
in
> place and must be followed.  Otherwise, the body doesn't always follow
the
> head.  That has been a reality that the DOE has struggled with for some
time.  
> 
> Some will argue that holding people "accountable" has negative
connotations.
> Maybe, maybe not.  Those same people would want to use positive
> reinforcements for being safe.  That is fine too - depending on your
> situation.  Yesterday, I heard a high level manager indicate that he
planned
> to start a reward system for safe people.  I have to agree with one of
the
> manager's employees that objected to that idea because the employee did
not
> want safety to become the exception that gets rewarded.  He wanted it to
be
> the norm.
> 
> Anyway, all that to say - all of the ideas that Sandy and Vince have
stated
> are fine, but if you do not hold people accountable, be prepared to hit
your
> head against a wall for a long time.
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I agree with what you wrote, I agree with what Sandy wrote. But please
think a minute about the fact that for instance on this list we read all
the time about the nonsense that government supports, the nonsense
regulations ask for, that LNT is not only a nonsense but is only good for
making money for some people (my short transcription), that international
treaties are nonsense and ridiculous, that deep sea dumping has only been
stopped because of financial intersts of some groups etc. When even on this
list certain limitations as to doses and incorporation of radionuclides are
treated as ridiculous, then it might be difficult to imply safety culture
among employees. 

Please direct flames directly to me, not to bother non interested
RADSAFERS..

My safety culture is since more than twenty years: It is better to shield
alpha rays with lead than gamma rays with paper.

Franz