An organization's safety culture is a lot like the weather. It's an invisible presence that surrounds everybody in the organization; it dictates mood and affects performance.

There's also an old expression about the weather: Everybody talks about it but nobody does anything about it. Safety culture is similar - it's easy to talk about but hard to change. Hard but not impossible. That's because, unlike the weather, human beings do have the capacity to change the safety culture. I've seen it happen again and again in all kinds of industries and at all kinds of workplaces.

How do they do it? And how can you change your safety culture? There are nine steps to take.

1. Practice What You Preach (and Vice Versa)

As a safety leader, it's incumbent upon us to walk the talk. We must remain dedicated to the safety message 100 percent of the time. Not just at work but at home and at play. The moment we stray, our message is lost.

2. Meet Regulatory Standards

The regulations set out by OSHA, MSHA and other government agencies are minimum standards. They're a starting point, not an ultimate destination. We can and should aim higher. But they're still essential. As safety leaders, we need to be familiar with all of the regulatory requirements and tailor our safety programs accordingly.

3. Build a Base of Support

To effect culture change, you must enlist the support of like-minded people in your organization. At every organization there are those who understand the concepts of compliance, conditions, risk, reward and behavior. These individuals represent the best prospects for support.

4. Promote the Company Line

Safety directors are not lone rangers. They're part of management and must represent company policy. Although its position might differ slightly from yours, especially to the extent that it's colored by productivity, quality, profitability and other concerns, upper management can be counted on to express support for safety. Thus, if it hasn't already done so, ask upper management to issue a written statement of support for and commitment to a safe and healthy workplace. Post copies of the statement throughout the workplace in conspicuous locations where they're bound to come to workers' attention. A statement of management support underlines the importance of safety and promotes cultural change.

5. Train Your Supervisors

This sounds like an obvious point. But I've been in the safety business for a long time and I repeatedly see organizations leaving supervisors out of the safety loop. Most supervisors understand their responsibilities for quality, cost and production. But safety isn't an ingrained supervisor responsibility - at least at many organizations. It's something that requires deliberate training and explanation.

Conclusion

My orders from the SafetyXChange staff are to keep things short so you can get back to work. A good soldier always follows orders. So I'll describe the final four things you need to do to improve the safety culture at your organization in next week's installment.

DEATH IN THE MINES
Fatality Statistics

By Glenn Demby

As hope flickers for those six miners trapped in Utah, this seems like a good time to reflect on how many miners are lost each year in the course of their employment. These statistics come from the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration:

Notes:
* As of August 14, 2007
** The number of coal mining fatalities do not currently include the six miners in Utah. Let us all pray that they never do.

JAWS, CLAWS & PAWS
Animal Attacks on Humans

Bear attacks have become a growing problem in Western Canada

By Glenn Demby

Yesterday's article by John Ries about bee attacks serves as an important reminder that we share this planet with other species. Most of the time, it's man who represents the threat and animals the threatened. But occasionally the roles are reversed. For example, bear attacks have become a growing problem in North America, especially in the western provinces of Canada. Here are some data on attacks by species:

ALLIGATORS (U.S., 1948-2004)
15 deaths (14 in Florida, 1 in Georgia)
376 nonfatal injuries
Source: Langley, "Alligator Attacks on Humans in the United States," Wilderness and Environmental Medicine, 2005

BEARS (British Columbia, 1978-1994)
11 deaths
Just under 100 nonfatal injuries
Attacks have increased significantly since.
Source: "Human-Bear Conflict in British Columbia," anonymous discussion paper (1996)

DOGS (U.S., 1979-1998)
327 deaths caused by dog bites (mostly to children as a result of infection)
Source: Sacks et al., "Breeds of Dogs Involved in Fatal Attacks on Humans in the United States Between 1979 and 1998," Journal of American Veterinary Medicine, 2000

MOUNTAIN LIONS (U.S. and Canada, 1991-2003)
10 deaths
63 non-fatal attacks
Source: Chester and Lewis, "Mountain Lion Attacks on People in the U.S. and Canada"

POISONOUS SNAKES (U.S.)
8,000 bites per year
15 deaths per year resulting from bites
Source: U.S. General Accounting Office report (2002)

SHARKS (worldwide)
50-70 attacks per year
Source: Florida Museum of Natural History

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