I EXPECT when you read the title you thought of workplace health and safety: slips, trips and falls. The image of the hierarchy of controls may have flashed in front of your eyes – as it should! But –correct me if I am wrong – when you see the familiar words “safety first” you consider the physical aspects of safety. The process of continually assessing the risks, considering the mitigation measures in the context of the hierarchy of controls and then implementing them to keep yourself, your colleagues and your shipmates physically safe. But what about psychological safety?
Amy Edmondson, the author of “The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation and Growth”, defines psychological safety as “a belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes and that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking”.
The term “speak up culture” will be familiar to those in the maritime industry. It is a pillar of bridge resource management. The maritime community is well-versed in risk assessments, identifying hazards and implementing measures to mitigate those hazards. Just like the well-established processes of safety assessments for physical safety, we need to consider how we implement the processes for psychological safety and what the outcomes of that process may mean for the maritime industry.
PSYCHOSOCIAL HAZARDS
In July 2022 Safe Work Australia highlighted the issue of psychologically safe work environments in the code of practice for managing psychosocial hazards at work. This is an approved code of practice under section 274 of the Work Health and Safety Act. It states that: Psychosocial hazards can cause psychological and physical harm. On average, work-related psychological injuries have longer recovery times, higher costs, and require more time away from work. Managing the risks associated with psychosocial hazards not only protects workers, it also decreases the disruption associated with staff turnover and absenteeism and may improve broader organisational performance and productivity.
The code notes examples of psychosocial hazards that may cause psychological and physical harm. Examples relate to design or management of work, working environments, machinery and equipment and workplace interactions or behaviours.
The code also notes it is important to look at how long, how often and how severely workers are exposed to the risks. Consider this in the maritime operational environment, where seafarers are at sea for months at a time and maritime operations work 24/7.
We are aware of the long-term effects of psychological stress such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and sleep disorders. These can lead to reduced work performance, chronic disease and physical injury. When we look at the types of injuries that can occur as a result, it seems self-evident that physical safety and psychological safety go hand in hand.
But what does it mean to feel safe? Amy Edmondson’s definition suggests we see psychological safety as the process that leads to team effectiveness. We all know that we work better when we feel included, where the culture supports each member of the team with collaboration. This then leads to innovation and wellbeing.
PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY IN MARITIME
Although the issues are known, we are still on a journey of raising awareness. Yes – gender issues, bullying, sexual assault and sexual harassment are part of the discussion, but psychological safety is that and more.
Building on the momentum of the past years, including the International Maritime Organization’s focus on empowering women in maritime in 2019 and the revelations from the Midshipman X case, the Centre for Ocean Policy and Economics has established a working group for psychological safety, bullying and sexual assault and harassment in the maritime sector. The working group includes maritime experts, academic institutions, IMO delegations and maritime groups, corporate entities and charitable organisations from around the world. Their aim is to create psychologically safe workplace cultures.
In February 2022, at the seventh meeting of the IMO sub-committee on Human Element, Training and Watchkeeping, Dominica submitted an input paper proposing a revision of the IMO model course 1.21 on personal safety and social responsibility. The initial response was disappointing, but the importance of the matter of psychological safety, sexual assault and sexual harassment led the meeting to forward the matter to the Maritime Safety Committee.
To cut a long story short, there is now a flurry of input papers to the ninth meeting of the IMO sub-committee on Human Element, Training and Watchkeeping in February this year on changes to STCW and the personal safety and social responsibility model course.
While the efforts at the IMO are beginning to get traction, there is worry that the focus is on addressing bullying, sexual assault and sexual harassment, and not on the underlying issue of the need to include psychological safety in our approach to a safe work environment.
MAKING THE VISION A REALITY
To make the vision a reality we need to be vigilant and measure the impact of the mitigation measures. To put it in corporate terms, we need to identify KPIs for safety that include psychological safety. For example, we will know we are on the right track when incidents of bullying, sexual assault and sexual harassment are reported and ultimately reduced. We will know we are on the right track when incidents of depression and suicide drop and when violence, in any form, is no longer accepted.
A working environment that is safe for all is not much to ask for. To put it simply: if we feel safe, we work better.
This article appeared in the February 2023 edition of DCN Magazine
