Why Safety Needs More Fun and Connection

In this episode, Mary Conquest speaks with Stephen Harvey, an operations-focused HSE professional who takes a pragmatic approach to risk. Currently senior health and safety partner with Origin Energy, he shares his extensive experience of embedding contemporary safety practices and positively impacting organizational safety culture.

Steve believes safety management is too boring, and he’s on a mission to infuse more fun and connection into the industry.

He’s passionate about developing relationships with frontline workers and helps safety professionals become a conduit between the office and the field. Steve believes in the power of humor and stories and explains how his hobby - standup comedy - has made him a more effective HSE professional.

Language is very important to Steve, and he demonstrates how the words you use can change your organization's safety culture. At the same time, he feels safety data is over-relied upon and highlights the importance of collecting the stories (qualitative research) underlying the metrics to uncover actual safety performance.

Another key focus for Steve is unpacking the safety bureaucracy that slows people down, and he has great advice on making checklists more relevant.

Steve has an alter ego on Instagram - Safetybhoy, and he explains how embracing social media can make safety more interesting and start new conversions. It’s a fun interview, full of great stories and you won’t regret connecting with Stephen Harvey!

The book about checklists(!) that Steve recommended:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Checklist-Manifesto-How-Things-Right/dp/B07MMNM9Z5

Sidney Dekker’s seminal safety book that Steve encourages HSE professionals to read:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Field-Guide-Understanding-Human-Error/dp/1472439058

Steve also recommends this non-safety book - The Ministry of Common Sense:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ministry-Common-Sense-Eliminate-Bureaucratic/dp/B08P3VW75D

The podcast recommended by Steve:

Rethinking Safety ⚠️ on Apple Podcasts

Safetybhoy on Instagram:

Stephen Harvey | Safety (@safetybhoy) • Instagram photos and videos

Stephen Harvey on LinkedIn:

Stephen Harvey | LinkedIn

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