Safety Culture Ladder

Not an implementation, but a change

The Safety Culture Ladder is a tool to measure the safety awareness, attitudes and actions of employees in a company. It is not an implementation, but a change. The goal is to make a conscious effort as an organization to improve safety awareness and safety behavior among employees. In cooperation with Aboma Consultancy, Siers Groep Oldenzaal has recently reached level 4 on the Safety Culture Ladder.

Siers Group considers safety of paramount importance. "It's not window-dressing, but serious business," emphasizes Adriaan Post, manager of the Oldenzaal branch, who himself is quite committed to the topic of safety from experiences and trajectories at previous employers. "When it comes to safety, you actually appeal to the supposed intrinsic motivation of employees to want to work safely and come home safely. When I joined Siers Group two years ago, there was already a decent foundation in the area of safety with a program consisting of four core values and ten standards of behavior. Working safely does not come naturally, you have to facilitate it as an employer, even among non-managerial staff. That is why we consciously involve all levels of staff in the development of our safety policy. To make it better together."

Toothier

Siers Group has good experiences with Aboma Consultancy from the past. "Our Dordrecht branch was previously certified for step 3 on the Safety Culture Ladder, after which it was scaled up to step 4 under the guidance of Aboma Consultancy," continues Post. "At some point it was decided to bring the Oldenzaal site up to Step 4 as well, effectively from scratch, as we did not yet have certification on the Safety Culture Ladder. Given the comprehensive safety policy that was already in place, we and Aboma came to the conclusion that we were at the level of Step 3. Step 4, however, is a substantially more demanding level. Because the process in Dordrecht was very successful, it is a logical step that we also work together for the certification of Oldenzaal. Given the 'lessons learned' and knowledge of the organization all the more effective."

Cultivation of awareness

The Safety Culture Ladder is about culture, which is determined by employee behavior, says Ton Stijger of Aboma Consultancy. "No organization has an overarching culture, including Siers. It is a composite of subcultures determined by individual employees. During our trainings, we make each individual aware of their own behaviors and their own view of the world. We also zoom in very much on the brain. More than 95% of daily actions happen unconsciously and are pre-programmed from an individual's formation. In our trainings, we make people aware of automatic behaviors so they can eventually question their own behavior and that of another. Greater understanding of each other creates opportunities to change together." Post adds: "You can address people for acting unsafely, but they need to understand why you are addressing them. Aboma is very strong in creating awareness in the individual. An approach at the source."

According to the gentlemen, it is absolutely unthinkable for a company to certify for Step 4 if you choose to only send. "The Safety Culture Ladder is not an implementation, but a change," Stijger states. "And also a continuous process. Something is set in motion that never ends. Think of it as cycling uphill; you will always have to keep pressure on the pedals and give the subject continuous attention. Always be genuinely curious and engage in dialogue with each other when acting unsafely." Last May, Siers Groep Oldenzaal was successfully certified for step 4. "A fantastic result," believes Post who is proud of the fact that one standard element was not met. "We don't have a budget for safety at Siers Groep. What is necessary is done."