We indulge in risky behaviour because dangerous actions are rarely followed by negative outcomes and because people do not accurately perceive risk, a conference in Killarney will hear today. "The simple fact is that we learn to take risks. Taking a risk might save us the effort of having to carry something; to walk an extra few metres or few hundred metres; to put on or take off personal protective equipment," author and lecturer Dr Elizabeth Dunne of the Department of Applied Psychology, University College Cork, will tell delegates at today's National Irish Safety Organisation's (NISO) annual conference.
"We take the chance and we get away with it. The most basic psychological principle of learning is that 'behaviour is governed by its consequences'. We don't get hurt, cut or burnt. We don't fall - even though we may wobble. Nobody comments on our unsafe behaviour. Our risk- taking does not have a negative consequence - so we take a chance again the next time."
But when safety is clearly part of a company's norms and culture, then "irrespective of any individual tendency to risk-taking, the person will be more likely to conform and work safely than not".
But how do you engender a safe working culture in organisations or work teams? One thing that doesn't work is fear, such as pointing out possible dangerous consequences of an action, says Dr Dunne.
"Using fear as a means of frightening people into doing something is not, psychologically, one of the best things to use."
She suggests that a better way to instil a culture of safety is to involve groups of workers in analysing the hazards they face.
"We know that if a work group comes up with its own analysis of a situation and its own set of solutions, they will be far more likely to act in accordance with them, to implement the regulations, than if they were imposed from outside.
"They have 'ownership' of the regulation, policy or procedure and it makes sense from their perspective because they have argued for it."
Moreover, the psychological principle of "cognitive dissonance" comes into play, having involved workers in hazard analysis. People don't like saying one thing but doing something different.
"So if a group of people explore the issues around safety in their area and come up with a set of actions, they will be psychologically inclined to carry out the plan in order to avoid dissonance," Dr Dunne will propose in her paper today.
She adds, "cognitive error", which she explores in depth in her book The Psychology of Working Safely, is another major cause of accidents. Cognitive error does not mean carelessness or that people aren't trying to do their job well.
"It means that information is presented to an operator in a way that is incompatible with the way they process information. It's a psychological matter."
Equipment and manufacturing systems need to be designed to take fully into account how people think, feel and act.
"There's no point in saying people must fit in with the design. That's just asking for trouble from the safety point of view. Sometime or other, an error will be made."
She suggests we have blind spots when it comes to risk-taking. We "filter out things". We know that something is dangerous yet we modify the risk when we apply it to ourselves. For instance, we rationalise that our high skills leave us immune to the risk.
"Organisations must take safety seriously and properly resource it - not sending mixed messages such as 'we're all in favour of safety but look there's a new order in so we'll deal with that safety problem next week. Use that machine anyway'," she says.
Other speakers at today's NISO conference include Mr Tom Kitt, TD, Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment; Mr Joe Hegarty, vice-chairman of the Health and Safety Authority; Ms Marian Byron, technical director of the Irish Pharmaceutical & Chemicals Manufacturers Federation; Mr Owen Tudor, senior policy officer of Britain's Trade Union Congress; and architect and television presenter Mr Duncan Stewart.
Dr Elizabeth Dunne's book The Psychology of Working Safely (also known as A Blueprint for Working Safely) is published by Blackhall Publishing, price £17.95
For further information about the National Irish Safety Organisation, contact NISO, Trident House, Main Street, Blackrock, Co Dublin.
Telephone: 01 215 9266.
E-mail: niso@iol.ie
jmarms@irish-times.ie
