No one knows the state of safety at a facility like the folks on the ground. Having firsthand experience and getting to see how things operate day to day offers a view of safety that is hard to replicate otherwise.

With that said, sometimes people can be so close to an issue that they have a hard time seeing it clearly. In a recent article in EHS Daily Advisor titled Safety Self-Assessments Using Organizational Lenses, safety consultant Pete Batrowny suggests that it can be helpful to use organizational lenses to reflect on previous safety performance. Not only can it be a helpful way to step back and gain a different perspective, but it can also make it easier to be proactive in how you manage safety in the future.

To that end, Batrowny identifies three major lenses that safety professionals should consider using: Human and Organizational Performance, High Reliability Organizations, and the Human Factors Framework. The article notes that “A common thread of these philosophies is the human element or human factors, which can often go undetected or be underappreciated in an organization and can influence safety outcomes in a variety of ways.”

There are a number of nuances that are specific to each lens, but Batrowny flags two specific ways they can be especially valuable to EHS managers and directors. The first is that they can be used to analyze and improve technical training in a number of ways. This allows safety folks to find ways to refresh compliance training and uncover other ways that improvements can be made.

It can also provide an opportunity to recognize areas in existing training programs where human factors management concepts can be embedded to strengthen the training and create a more consistent atmosphere for mitigating the influence of physical and mental states. One example that Batrowny provides is taking the time to discuss the dangers of rushing during forklift certification training.

The second use case for these lenses is, as the article says, that “Leaders can use one or more of these lenses to identify and correct disconnects in the flow of safety information.” This can help safety professionals ensure that the up-close perspectives of frontline workers are being shared on a regular basis with safety decision-makers so that more timely and informed decisions can be made.

It can have additional benefits too, such as giving supervisors more material so that they can write better toolbox talks. Employees may also feel like their concerns and experiences are being listened to, which can lead to a more positive safety climate and, in the longer term, a stronger safety culture.

The article is a short but informative read on organizational lenses and gaining perspective on human factors.