#215
Context: Todd Conklin 2 minute podcast on signal. I am restricting to Asian context.
Introduction:
In my 35+ years of working across industries and consulting for various companies, one thing has remained constant—safety is not a destination; it’s a journey. But how do we, as leaders in Asia’s fast-growing industrial landscape, know if we’re on the right path? The answer lies in understanding signals—strong, weak, and subtle. But in the hustle of daily operations, how do we separate the valuable signals from the distracting noise?
In 2024, safety is no longer a standalone platform. It is a pillar intricately linked with other critical functions like Quality, Productivity, Inventory, Delivery, and Cost (QPIDC), creating a bridge to operational excellence. The signals from any one of these pillars can be the starting point to take proactive action and, at some stage, will inevitably impact the other pillars.
This is why, today, I want to walk you through how we can recognize these signals, how to filter out the noise, and what cues we should be looking for as organizations in Asia strive toward EHS maturity.
1. Understanding Signals
In many Asian cultures, safety is often viewed through a compliance lens, with leadership teams more focused on meeting standards than on proactive hazard recognition. This is why we need to be extra vigilant in spotting signals—because they are often hidden under layers of operational “success.” Let’s break down the types of signals we should be looking for:
- Strong Signals: These are incidents that no one can ignore. In many cases, they manifest as major accidents or near-misses. For example, in one of the chemical plants I consulted in China, a series of minor leaks led to a large explosion that could have been avoided if these strong signals were acted upon earlier.
- Weak Signals: These are the harder ones to catch, often brushed aside in the day-to-day rush. In a food manufacturing plant in India, for instance, a weak signal like an employee’s minor complaints about equipment malfunctions turned out to be a precursor to a serious machinery incident.
- Subtle Signals: The most dangerous ones. These are the cultural or behavioral changes that often go unnoticed until it’s too late. I’ve seen this in Southeast Asia, where rising employee turnover and disengagement were early signs of a failing safety culture.
2. Differentiating Signal from Noise
In our region, we are bombarded by an overwhelming amount of information and pressure to meet production targets. The real challenge is cutting through the noise.
- Recognizing Noise: Noise often takes the form of over-complicated safety data, unnecessary paperwork, or irrelevant KPIs. I remember working with a plant in Malaysia, where safety managers were flooded with so much compliance paperwork that they missed a series of real-life signals—delayed maintenance that eventually led to a fire.
- Techniques to Filter Noise:
- Focus on leading indicators rather than trailing metrics (e.g., behavioral observations rather than just incident rates).
- Develop an open feedback loop with workers on the ground—sometimes the most valuable signals come from informal sources. For example, in Indonesia, a factory worker’s off-hand comment during a safety briefing about unsafe shortcuts was a key signal that management wasn’t aware of.
3. Cues to Look for:
The cultures of countries like India, Malaysia, and China come with their own unique set of challenges when it comes to recognizing signals. Here’s what I’ve observed over the years:
- Data-Driven Cues:
Data is an important tool, but it’s only useful if it’s applied. One of the subtle data-driven cues I saw in a plant in Thailand was an increase in equipment downtime. This might not scream “safety issue” initially, but in reality, it was a strong signal that maintenance wasn’t up to standard, putting operators at risk. - Behavioral Cues:
I’ve noticed in India that workers often hesitate to speak up. If the number of safety reports coming from the floor is low, it doesn’t mean things are perfect—it could be a signal that the safety culture isn’t supportive. This is why I always recommend paying attention to silence as a potential signal of underlying issues. No NEWS IS BAD NEWS. - Cultural Cues:
In Asia, where hierarchy plays a big role, junior employees often refrain from flagging problems. I saw this clearly in a Japanese-owned facility in an ASEAN nation, where the reluctance to challenge authority masked several small safety issues. By the time they became evident, it was almost too late.
4. Safety is Interlinked with All Pillars of Excellence
In today’s industrial world, safety cannot be isolated from other functions. Quality, Productivity, Inventory, Delivery, and Cost (QPIDC) are all deeply interwoven with safety. I’ve personally observed how signals from one area can trigger actions that benefit or strain the others:
- Example 1: Quality and Safety
A manufacturing plant in Malaysia saw a sudden drop in product quality, but the real root cause was a safety lapse—a shortcut taken on a maintenance task to speed up production, which compromised equipment. The quality signal here should have been seen as a safety signal as well. - Example 2: Productivity and Safety
In India, I worked with an automotive factory where safety incidents skyrocketed after pressure to increase productivity led to skipped safety checks. The result? Delays due to accidents that not only affected safety but also impacted delivery timelines.
This interlinkage emphasizes that safety is not just about compliance—it is a fundamental part of the business. Strong signals in one pillar can lead to ripple effects in others—failing to address them early on can hurt quality, productivity, and ultimately, cost.
5. Indirect Enablers for EHS Maturity
Achieving EHS maturity isn’t just about safety checklists and protocols. From my experience, I believe indirect factors can be powerful enablers for safety excellence:
- Leadership Involvement:
In Singapore, I’ve seen firsthand how a CEO’s involvement in safety meetings transformed a shipping company’s culture. Leadership sets the tone—if they are engaged, it sends a strong signal across the organization. - Safety Culture:
In India, I worked with a pharmaceutical company that achieved zero lost-time injuries by embedding safety into every aspect of their operations. The key was not just focusing on compliance but instilling safety as a core value—one that was celebrated during annual reviews, much like performance targets. - Training and Development:
Continuous learning is critical. I often refer to a case in Thailand, where the introduction of regular safety drills, combined with leadership engagement, drastically reduced incidents within six months. The workers became more vigilant, spotting weak signals early and acting on them. - Leveraging Technology:
Digital tools like predictive analytics are game changers. In one of my assignments in Taiwan, a factory implemented IoT sensors to track equipment wear and tear. This allowed them to act before failures occurred, catching what would have been weak signals in a traditional setup.
6. Real-Life Examples of Signal Recognition
Let me share a few cases from my own experience across Asia:
- Case 1: In a Thai chemical plant, rising absenteeism wasn’t seen as a safety issue, but it was a clear signal that something was off. Further investigation revealed that workers were overworked and unsafe shortcuts were being taken. Addressing the issue early prevented a potential catastrophe.
- Case 2: In a Japanese-owned manufacturing site in India, a rise in non-conformance reports was initially ignored. By the time it was addressed, the company was facing a significant product recall. If they had acted on the weak signal earlier, they could have prevented both financial loss and safety hazards.
Conclusion:
At the end of the day, our safety journey is one of continuous vigilance. Recognizing signals—whether strong, weak, or subtle—is essential for staying ahead of risks. As leaders, it’s our responsibility to see safety as interconnected with every other operational pillar—from Quality to Delivery. Signals from one can ripple into others, and addressing these signals early can prevent major disruptions.
Safety is the foundation of operational excellence, and the sooner we start viewing it as such, the stronger our organizations will become.
Let me know your thoughts, views?
Karthik
12Noon.
Health, Environment, Safety, Sustainability (HESS) 