Why We Called our Safety Cultural Programme STOP Think!
As much as anything else, safe working is a state of mind. We train people about hazards and safe working methods, we proscribe certain activities, and we have policies and procedures. But fundamentally we are talking about behaviour and real-life decisions, often taken under pressure when nobody is watching.
Osborne is a learning organisation, which means we are committed to sharing lessons from any incidents and being honest about root causes and mistakes. We are determined that all of our people, subcontractors and partners go home safe and unharmed every day. The cultural programme we have built around these objectives was carefully named: STOP Think!
Even the typography carries a message. STOP is in capital letters for a reason. It’s easy for people to be reactive. To keep going and push the safety envelope just a bit further, regardless of the risk, because the job has to be finished.
Pause for Thought
When faced with a decision that affects safety it’s vital to pause before taking the next step. As soon as somebody feels the temptation to cut a corner, or has the nagging voice in their head saying, ‘I shouldn’t really be doing this,’ we want them to STOP.
They are then in a position to think calmly about whether the risk is worth it. They can then remember that they are in an organisation where safety comes first. What we can’t do safely, we don’t do at all.
The exclamation mark reflects the imperative for everyone to constantly think about their actions and consider the risks and potential implications.
STOP Think! Two simple words that help our people maintain safe working at the forefront of their minds at all times. As part of our commitment to being a learning organisation we produce STOP Think! bulletins that we share freely with our people, partners and customers.
The industry still has too many incidents, accidents and even deaths. We’re fully committed to doing all we can to create a safer industry as well as a safer company. STOP Think! embodies that commitment.
Click here for more information about our STOP Think! scheme.
