Case Study 2

The Client

A fleet of specialised ships operating in high-risk and harsh physical environment.

 

The problem

The company’s accident investigations were not achieving the desired learning outcome. As such they approach us to better understand and improve the process of investigating accidents with a focus on learning and improvement.

 

The solution

We started with a review of existing investigative tools and processes. The Novellus team interviewed the client’s organisation at all levels to obtain an understanding of the process. An interactive presentation was made to the senior management to help them understand our approach and at the same time seek leadership support for effective and meaningful change.

Our approach

A bespoke investigation framework was crafted to suit the organisational needs. A dedicated team of HSE professionals were trained on the new investigation framework, data collection, data processing and analysis and report writing was developed and facilitated online with the team. A complete library of recordings and presentations was delivered to company for future in-house training programs.

 

The result

A gradual shift in mindset from determining non-compliance with rules towards understanding the context; from holding people accountable towards seeking partnership and collaboration; and from viewing accidents as isolated problems towards situating accident patterns in everyday work with the view to improving operational excellence and safety performance.

 

The long term impact

  • An opportunity to think and reflect on the current approach to accidents
  • A complete overhaul in the process of investigating and learning from accidents
  • A cultural shift towards a learning and growth mindset

I’m convinced that this course will have a lasting effect on our approach to investigations and incidents and even day to day work … and I’m sure that will lead to better learning outcomes.