David Cant

I’ve spent 25+ years helping construction SMEs with safety management… Without the theatre. What you can expect from me: Culture insights. Systems thinking. Behavioural change. People over paperwork. Curiousity over clipboards. I'm more coach than referee. If that’s the kind of support you’ve been looking for, you’re in the right place.

You can spend thousands improving your safety management system. But if your supervisors don't feel confident having difficult conversations, you might have invested in the wrong thing.

Clocked this earlier at a site entrance, I think they're expecting some kind of disaster.

Construction sites are fascinating. You can have 7 people standing around a problem, all discussing the solution. And somehow, nobody actually fixes it. Another meeting might be required.

If your workforce only reports hazards when you ask during a toolbox talk, I'd suggest you haven't quite cracked engagement yet. Just saying.

Work on problems that matter instead of drifting towards trivial stuff.

Experience has taught me that not every safety problem needs a new policy, procedure or training course. Sometimes it just needs someone to pick up the damn phone, ask a few questions and sort it out. Imagine that.

Yes, I'm a safety professional. But I’m not particularly interested in being the bloke who walks around with a clipboard looking for things to criticise. I’d rather help people work out how to get the job done safely. There’s a difference.

Want to know why people don’t always follow safety procedures? Try asking them. Not in an FBI interrogation kind of way. Not with a clipboard in your hand either. Just have a sensible conversation. I can almost guarantee you’ll learn something.

Things I’ve noticed… the quickest way to see how a job is really done is to spend 10 minutes watching instead of 30 minutes discussing the RAMS. Interesting what you learn when you keep your mouth shut.

Treat your culture of safety like it's your infrastructure - because it is.

I’m convinced construction safety can be simpler. Then someone invites me to a team meeting to simplify construction safety. 4 departments, 23 attendees, and an energy draining 5-hour power point presentation later… That's progress, apparently.

Something worth remembering… Contractors rarely enjoy being told they’re wrong. Especially in front of their work mates. They get remarkably defensive verrrry quickly. If you want to change someone’s behaviour, consider how you approach the conversation.

But it does change your perception.

Ever noticed how people become experts at spotting hazards immediately after an incident? Funny how hindsight improves everyone’s eyesight.

Thanks Jim. That means a lot. “shouting about safety” only creates more resistance than results, I learnt that bit early on. Not sure about starting a movement though, still trying to get people to stop balancing on scaffolding without a harness…. but I'm open to ideas… 😉

I don’t think construction needs more people shouting about safety. It needs more people who can influence, listen, and have difficult conversations without them becoming confrontations.

Every now and again, someone comes up with a brilliant new safety initiative. I admire the enthusiasm. I just wish they’d occasionally try making the last brilliant initiative work first.

Spend more time on safety conversations with your team. Thank me later.

Understanding people's behavioural patterns will make you a stellar safety strategist.

It's time well spent.