Ep069: Safety I, Safety II, and the role of a H&S professional, with Dave Provan

Safety on Tap

Today I'm joined by previous guest and friend of the podcast Dave Provan. You know, you are pretty amazing. I know this based on one fact alone, and that is that you are listening because you are invested in your own development, your own growth. One of the biggest challenges to improvement that I observe in my work and general conversation with health and safety professionals is seemingly simple - taking action. We know what we might be able to do. We are often motivated. But action doesn't follow. We are too busy, too distracted, too disjointed, or we simply don't know why it is that we have great POTENTIAL which doesn't turn into REALITY. I help people like you to take action to improve, to become more effective - I do this in a variety of ways like coaching, team facilitation and planning, and more. I am an action taker, and can help you to be too. If you want to improve your personal or team performance, I'd love to hear from you to see if we are a good fit and can make good stuff happen together - send me an email [email protected] and we can start the conversation. Dave Provan rejoins us today, after a deep and somewhat challenging chat in Episodes 41 and Episode 42. He's focussing in on what the role of a safety professional might look like leading a Safety II philosophy, which he explains in the conversation. Dave will be speaking at the 2018 OHS Leaders Summit which is being held on the 7th and 8th March in the Gold Coast. The OHS Leaders Summit is the only event in Australia specifically designed for the Group Heads of health, safety and wellbeing. It offers a unique combination of standout speakers, industry thought leaders, networking and personalised meetings with the leading suppliers of products and services, meaning you can leverage the best of what's out there to help your health, safety and wellbeing programs succeed. Visit ohsleaders.com.au to find out more and get your seat - spots are limited. The thing I like about Dave, is that we have one thing in common, to such a degree that few others do - we are both focussed, we're both fascinated, by the role of health and safety professionals, people like you. Not many people are out there with such a deep commitment to understanding and furthering you - it's not your organisation, it's not executive, it's not supervisors, it's not systems or training or technology or risk controls - it's all about you. So in this chat, you have a doubleshot, two blokes committed to a better, more effective you. Here's Dave: I just realised that at the beginning of this, I probably asked you out on a date, by suggesting I might come out to help you or your team. Which is pretty much a blind date since I don't know you and you don't know me, much. So if you want to go slow, please do listen to more podcast episodes. Connect with me on Linkedin, like a number of you have done recently - but expect me to engage you in a conversation to get to know you, I'm not a connection collector. Or send me an email to say hi, let me know anything that's on your mind, or what you thought about the podcast. I really enjoy getting to know listeners, and I'd love to hear from you. Here's my three takeaways from that chat with Dave Provan: Takeaway #One: Safety II is NOT the same as the decade old legal requirements to involve or consult with workers. Not true. Dave explained that. I suspect the vicious critics of Safety II using that objection, have probably never read Hollnagel, or Dekker, or much at all about different approaches to health and safety, so judge it on face value. It is far deeper than that, far more human than any legal requirements out there. Takeaway #Two: Don't think that you have your job nailed, all sorted out - because no one does. I am a believer of this, and have been for a while, but it's so refreshing to hear Dave give us permission to be unsure, to be curious about what's working and what's not, about what alternative perspectives or models or ways of working could improve our effectiveness. I'm sure you acknowledge this, but how much do our words and actions reflect it? And what about your boss, your team, your organisation, how confident and zealous are they in the status quo? Appreciate where they are coming from, and consider whether you can start to take them on a journey. Takeaway #Three: I want to help you be more like Dave's example, towards the end there. The way you can be a more informed, more curious, and more effective safety person, is to start by loosening your grip on safety things - anything already labelled safety. Entertain the idea that they might not exist, or might change. When you aren't then buried under all the 'safety' stuff, it will allow your mind to open and behaviour to change, as it did for Dave. Go into different areas of the business, build new and random relationships, ask lots of questions, connect people and resources together, be generally helpful. Looking for less safety things, will probably help you facilitate more safety outcomes in the end. Until next time, what's the one thing you'll do to take positive, effective or rewarding action, to grow yourself, and drastically improve health and safety along the way. Seeya! [thrive_lead_lock id='1854'] Here's your FREE download of: - my handwritten notes, PLUS a reflection template for you to use for this episode. AND - The full transcript of this episode. I'll also send you the links to all the available back-catalogue of reflection templates and transcripts so you can access these at any time. [/thrive_lead_lock]