Safety Rules Conference 2011
On 29th March 2011 Hastam held a one-day conference in Derby to present the preliminary findings of a study of the construction and management of safety rules.
The study is sponsored by IOSH as part of their research and development funding. More than twenty senior health and safety professionals, from a variety of industries, accepted the invitation to join the conference.
The conference speakers, Professor Andrew Hale of Hastam (above) and Doctor David Borys of Ballarat University in Victoria, Australia (right) have made a study of the scientific literature on safety rules and procedures and their use.
The conference heard that this literature points to two contrasting extremes of approaches to rule making and management.
The first is a top-down view, where management experts develop one-size-fits-all rules/procedures, give training to operators in them and impose them with the use of discipline for violations.
Consideration was given to the reasons why this approach is adopted and when it might be appropriate or otherwise.
Opposed to this is a bottom-up view of rules as socially constructed by work groups as tacit and flexible adaptations of behaviour to the diversities of real work situations. The challenges of using this approach were explored, especially those related to employment situations where individual's had 'limited' experience due to an unstable job market, resulting in people changing jobs or employers.
The review also developed an ideal process for rule making and adaptation which was also presented. How each of the steps in that process is completed depends on the type of situation, the company and the rule user.
Delegates had the opportunity to share their experiences of rulemaking and rule 
change and contributed to the discussion about best practice. The conference explored how the insights from people's experience of safety rules, in their careers, related to the theories described by the conference speakers. Consideration, in the breakout groups, was given to how the theories outlined could be translated into guidance for the practice of managing rules and procedures.
The photographs show the speakers and delegates enjoying the opportunity to explore this important topic.
This research project continues and the views of the conference delegates will form part of the evidence being considered.
If you would like to talk to Professor Hale regarding the implications of this research for your organisation please use the enquiry form in Contact us.