COS Maturity: Glossary of Terms

Glossary of Terms

This information provides additional details and clarification of the Seven Key Concepts used in the Culture of Safety (COS) Self Assessment.
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Definition

WHAT IS OUR DEFINITION OF A CULTURE OF SAFETY?
  • THE WAY AN ORGANIZATION’S MEMBERS “DO THINGS AROUND HERE” THAT ARE RELATED TO SAFETY 
  • THE WAY ORGANIZATION MEMBERS INSTINCTIVELY BEHAVE ABOUT SAFETY WHEN THEY ARE “ON AUTOPILOT”

Moving Parts

WHAT ARE THE MOVING PARTS OF A CULTURE OF SAFETY? 

THERE ARE TWO MOVING PARTS:

  • THE VALIDITY OF BEHAVIORS RELATED TO SAFETY THAT WORKERS USE ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS  
  • THE CONSISTENCY OF COMPLIANCE WITH THOSE BEHAVIOR ACROSS THE WORKFORCE

CULTURE OF SAFETY = COS VALIDITY  X  CONSISTENCY OF EMPLOYEE COMPLIANCE

Four Drivers

WHAT ARE THE DRIVERS OF A CULTURE OF SAFETY?
 
  1. THE VALIDITY OF CULTURAL TENETS PRESENT IN THE ORGANIZATION
  2. THE COVERAGE OF CULTURAL TENETS ACROSS THE PARTS OF OFFSHORE OPERATIONS
  3. THE STRENGTH OF THE PROCESSES FOR ENSURING THAT ORGANIZATION MEMBER’S COMPLY WITH THE ORGANIZATION’S CULTURE OF SAFETY
  4. THE CONSISTENT STRENGTH OF MANAGEMENT ENFORCEMENT OF THE TENETS OF THE CULTURE OF SAFETY

Validity of Tenets

WHAT DO WE MEAN BY THE VALIDITY OF CULTURAL TENETS PRESENT IN THE ORGANIZATION?                

A TENET IS A “PRINCIPLE OR BELIEF ABOUT A SUBJECT LIKE SAFETY”          

EXAMPLE OF A SIMPLE TENET

  1. “WE DO NOT DRESS FORMALLY IN FIELD OPERATIONS”
  2. THIS SIMPLE TENET HAS LITTLE OR NO CONNECTION TO SAFETY                                       

EXAMPLE OF SAFETY TENET THAT WE CONSIDER “VALID”

  1. “WE IMMEDIATELY REPORT A PROBLEM INDICATION TO A SUPERVISOR”
  2. (GOOD PRACTICE, DON’T YOU THINK?)                                   

EXAMPLE OF SAFETY TENET THAT WE CONSIDER “INVALID”

  1. “IT IS OK TO FUDGE THE NUMBERS ON A DRILLING REPORT” 
  2. (BAD, BAD NEWS! RIGHT?)

FOR ORGANIZATIONS IN A CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE SEGMENT, A CULTURE OF SAFETY CONTAINS ELEVEN SAFETY TENETS. THE MORE TENETS THAT ARE VALID, THE STRONGER THE CULTURE OF SAFETY.  HOWEVER, INVALID TENETS IN AN ORGANIZATION’S CULTURE OF SAFETY CAN BE DISASTROUS. 

Tenet Coverage

WHAT DO WE MEAN BY THE “COVERAGE OF COS TENETS” ACROSS THE COMPONENTS OF OPERATIONS?
  1. SAFETY TENETS CAN BE DESIGNED TO USE IN ALL ASPECTS OF OPERATIONS, OR
  2. DESIGNED TO ONLY COVER SOME OF OPERATIONS

Strength of Processes

WHAT DO WE MEAN BY “THE STRENGTH OF THE PROCESSES” FOR ENSURING THAT ORGANIZATION MEMBER’S COMPLY WITH THE ORGANIZATION’S CULTURE OF SAFETY?

A. THE PROCESSES FOR ENSURING COMPLIANCE WITH THE CULTURE OF SAFETY INCLUDE:                                                                    

  1. HOW WE TELL EMPLOYEES ABOUT THE REQUIREMENT TO COMPLY WITH THE ORGANIZATION’S COS
  2. WHAT WE HAVE IN WRITING ABOUT THE REQUIREMENT FOR CONSISTENT COS COMPLIANCE
  3. HOW SYSTEMATIC WE ARE IN TRAINING ALL EMPLOYEES/CONTRACTORS IN THE TENETS OF THE CULTURE OF SAFETY
  4. HOW WE PROVIDE DIRECT, IMMEDIATE FEEDBACK TO EACH EMPLOYEES/CONTRACTORS ON HIS/HER COS PERFORMANCE
  5. HOW WE FORMALLY EVALUATE EACH EMPLOYEE/CONTRACTOR ON HIS/HER COS PERFORMANCE
  6. HOW WE ENSURE THAT COS PERFORMANCE HAS A DIRECT IMPACT ON ALL INDIVIDUAL’S COMPENSATION

B. THESE PROCESSES CAN BE WEAKLY OR STRONGLY FOLLOWED

  1. WEAK — PROCESS STEPS ARE NOT USED CONSISTENTLY OR THOROUGHLY BY MANAGERS
  2. STRONG — PROCESS STEPS ARE CONSISTENTLY USED ON A STEP-BY-STEP BASIS BY ALL MANAGERS

Strength of Processes

WHAT DO WE MEAN BY “THE STRENGTH OF THE PROCESSES” FOR ENSURING THAT ORGANIZATION MEMBER’S COMPLY WITH THE ORGANIZATION’S CULTURE OF SAFETY?

A. THE PROCESSES FOR ENSURING COMPLIANCE WITH THE CULTURE OF SAFETY INCLUDE:                                                                    

  1. HOW WE TELL EMPLOYEES ABOUT THE REQUIREMENT TO COMPLY WITH THE ORGANIZATION’S COS
  2. WHAT WE HAVE IN WRITING ABOUT THE REQUIREMENT FOR CONSISTENT COS COMPLIANCE
  3. HOW SYSTEMATIC WE ARE IN TRAINING ALL EMPLOYEES/CONTRACTORS IN THE TENETS OF THE CULTURE OF SAFETY
  4. HOW WE PROVIDE DIRECT, IMMEDIATE FEEDBACK TO EACH EMPLOYEES/CONTRACTORS ON HIS/HER COS PERFORMANCE
  5. HOW WE FORMALLY EVALUATE EACH EMPLOYEE/CONTRACTOR ON HIS/HER COS PERFORMANCE
  6. HOW WE ENSURE THAT COS PERFORMANCE HAS A DIRECT IMPACT ON ALL INDIVIDUAL’S COMPENSATION

B. THESE PROCESSES CAN BE WEAKLY OR STRONGLY FOLLOWED

  1. WEAK — PROCESS STEPS ARE NOT USED CONSISTENTLY OR THOROUGHLY BY MANAGERS
  2. STRONG — PROCESS STEPS ARE CONSISTENTLY USED ON A STEP-BY-STEP BASIS BY ALL MANAGERS

Strength of Enforcement

WHAT DO WE MEAN BY “THE CONSISTENT STRENGTH OF MANAGEMENT ENFORCEMENT OF THE TENETS OF THE CULTURE OF SAFETY?”

A. THE LEVEL OF AWARENESS MANAGERS HAVE OF EMPLOYEE/CONTRACTOR COMPLIANCE WITH THE COS TENETS

  1. SOME SUPERVISORS ARE VERY OBSERVANT OF HOW EMPLOYEES/CONTRACTORS AROUND THEM BEHAVE
  2. OTHER SUPERVISOR MAY BE “BLIND” TO WHAT EMPLOYEES/CONTRACTORS ARE DOING AROUND THEM

B. THE CONSISTENCY AND STRICTNESS MANAGERS USE WHEN ENFORCING EMPLOYEE/CONTRACTOR COMPLIANCE OF WITH CULTURE OF SAFETY TENETS

  1. SOME MANAGERS MAY BE LAX IN ENFORCEMENT, NOT ADEQUATELY ADDRESSING POOR COS PERFORMANCE
  2. SOME MANAGERS MAY BE CONSISTENT AND DISCIPLINED IN ENFORCING COS PERFORMANCE
  3. THE HIGHER THE LEVEL OF AWARENESS AND THE MORE DISCIPLINED IN THE ENFORCEMENT, THE STRONGER AND MORE MATURE THE CULTURE OF SAFETY
 
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