Incident Focused Cultures vs. Exposure Focused Cultures

What Is Your Organization Focused On - Incidents or Exposures?

Navigating the path to a positive safety culture can be complicated for some organizations - but it doesn't have to be! The first step to culture improvement really lies in determining what your organization values and is focused on. Although there are many competing opinions on culture advancement, my take is that organizations have a tendency to focus on either incidents or exposures. 

If you are focused on the incident, chances are you are reacting to the fact of the incident rather than what caused it. Cultures with this practice tend to suffer from a lack of planning, hazard analysis and sustainable controls. Also, corrective actions rarely address the actual cause in what amounts to a temporary band aide that doesn't solve the problem.

On the other hand, if your organization is focused on exposures, chances are you already have in place many of the elements that lead to strong, preventative cultures. Seeking a detailed understanding of exposures is a proactive, preventative way of approaching risk. 

Simply put, it is the difference between a reactive culture and a proactive culture. Given an opportunity to choose, the vast majority of organizations will almost always choose the proactive approach because it has intrinsic value in preventing incidents.

Ask yourself what your company is focused on - the incident or the exposure? The answer will certainly give you a better perspective on what needs to be done to move your organization forward in culture improvement.