Building a Safety-Oriented Culture

By Will Barnes, Evolution Well Services

Every organization has a culture, whether meticulously cultivated or grown subconsciously.

When done with intention, this cultural backbone can underpin core values which drive success and alignment in all aspects of the business. If underdeveloped, the culture will instead work to impede an organization’s growth and development.

This evaluation becomes more pressing when contemplating the repercussions of a poorly developed safety culture in a hazardous industry. Fortunately, no matter the stage of the organization, there are techniques a company can employ to establish or improve its safety-oriented culture.

The first step in orienting a culture towards safety is to gauge where that culture is currently at in terms of maturity. This process should be enlightening, uncomfortable and should incorporate the entire leadership team.

One useful strategy is to breakdown maturity thresholds into distinct developmental phases of safety culture. The least mature phase is reactive, where employees rely on instinct to manage risk. The next phase is dependent, where the business relies on supervision to manage risk. The third phase is independent, where employees begin to care for themselves.

Finally, the most mature phase is interdependent, where employees care for each other. Using this model to identify the current state of a safety culture will help to provide clarity around potential opportunities and next steps for an organization.

As outlined above, a fully developed safety-oriented culture requires that employees internalize safety. To achieve this, an organization must empower their people by providing the necessary support and opportunities. If executed properly, these efforts will develop a culture of interdependence.

There are three key elements an organization should focus on when crafting an interdependent culture: care, confidence and inclusion. People must care about the safety of both themselves and of others. They must also have confidence that they will be supported.

Finally, they must feel included. The support and development of these elements should guide an organization’s approach to building and maintaining a safety-oriented culture, regardless of the organization’s current phase.

To integrate these elements into a culture, there must first be a commitment to caring about safety that emanates from the highest levels of the organization. The leadership team must agree with where the organization’s safety culture is currently and set milestones for progressing along the maturity curve.

Communication of this commitment must be public, consistent and relentlessly reinforced. Leadership’s dedication is integral in influencing culture. If leadership cares, so too will the organization.

Second, that commitment must be communicated. Communication is an incredibly powerful tool when building safety into a culture. Words really do matter, whether written or spoken, and they must continually reinforce the value an organization places on safety.

Leadership’s commitment to safety should be documented and distributed to all employees and reinforced with subsequent communication via meetings, videos, postings and memos. It is important to remember that action is the most influential form of communication. Verbal and written communication must be reinforced through action. When employees see that their leaders follow through on their safety pledges, it validates their words and gives employees the confidence to adopt them as well.

Lastly, the organization must make purposeful efforts to be inclusive of employees’ opinions and recommendations in the cultural journey. Employees need to feel like they are an essential part of the team by seeing the impact of their words and actions.

By including employees in safety-related efforts, organizations can engender a sense of ownership to the collective mission. If done properly, inclusion and the resulting efforts can serve to bind a safety culture. An inclusive culture is critical to creating an engaged and empowered workforce that truly embraces safety.

As a leader in the electric hydraulic fracturing space, Evolution Well Services’ innovation does not stop with its equipment and solutions offerings. Innovation is valued at every level, including in our culture. We know that organizational culture plays a crucial role in the success of our company and the safety of our workforce. Therefore, safety was a key consideration in the development of Evolution’s Values and Culture PRISM.

The safety of our people are primary concerns; PRISM formalizes that commitment and intertwines it with all aspects of our business. We act with integrity and honesty, we take responsibility, and we value an enterprising spirit.

These core beliefs and principals are central to everything we do and form the foundation of PRISM. This foundation establishes our commitments and expectations for People and Pride, Relationships, Innovation, Safety and Service Quality and Mindset of Team. It is through executive-driven commitments like this that an organization can successfully build a strong, enduring, safety-oriented culture.

Will Barnes

Will Barnes is Vice President, Health, Safety & Environment at Evolution Well Services. With over 15 years of experience, Mr. Barnes has dedicated his career to HSE roles in oilfield services.

Prior to Evolution, Mr. Barnes served as the Vice President of HSE for Nine Energy Service, supporting completion tools, wireline, cementing and coiled tubing operations. Mr. Barnes is a Certified Safety Professional. He holds a bachelor's degree in Occupational Health and Safety and is currently pursuing his master’s degree in Organizational Leadership.

Courtesy Evolution Well Services