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The 7 Deadly Sins Of A Safety Culture

Principal Author / Publisher:Safetyhow Admin
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Just as the original Seven Sins were meant to warn and inform people of their human inclinations and frailties, the Seven Deadly Sins of a Safety Culture should also be interpreted as warning signs.

The origin of the seven deadly sins can be traced to the 4th century. They were intended to identify and inform people of the frailties and inclinations of human nature. They stood as warnings to individuals; if one was to persistently engage in these behaviors, it could result in the deterioration of one’s mental capacity and spiritual being and eventually one’s death.

The concept can also be applied to cultures that knowingly or unknowingly foster and encourage these sinful behaviors. If one or more of the behaviors becomes a cultural norm, it could result in the disruption and potential demise of the culture.

In the 21st century, we don’t pay attention to the seven deadly sins, although they still have modern-day implications. Our preference and appetite for giant portions of food and drink – gluttony – negatively affects our personal health and the health of our culture in the form of obesity, which is directly related to many disabling health conditions including diabetes. And someone who has difficulty with anger, for instance – or wrath – might have problems developing healthy relationships.

The Seven Deadly Sins and Safety

My short exploration sparked a moment of reflection. Could the idea of The Seven Deadly Sins have relevance in a safety culture? Were there specific behaviors – sins – that, if left to fester, could result in increased accidents and injuries in the workplace? Would they be impediments to a positive safety culture?

In the years that I’ve worked as a positive safety culture consultant, I’ve noticed a number of factors, characteristics and behaviors that show up time and again as contributing factors or causes of accidents and injuries and contribute to a negative and inconsistent safety culture.

Were these behaviors and attitudes The Seven Deadly Sins of a Safety Culture?

For a few months, I took note of the behaviors and attitudes identified by client organizations as contributing factors or causes of safety-related incidents and accidents in the workplace. Additionally, I reviewed news articles detailing local and national safety-related incidents.

This unscientific research led me to form a list of those behaviors most often identified as being a root cause of workplace accidents and near misses. I offer the following list of safety culture “sins” not as an end-all, but as warning signs that should let you know your safety culture is vulnerable and in need of attention.

They are not listed in any hierarchical order, because any one of the sins could be as deadly as any other depending on the situation and circumstances. Although one of the sins may be more prevalent in your culture, it is not uncommon for more than one to be active.
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