Did you hear the one about the worker who, rather than wearing a mask, held his breath every time he went into an oxygen depleted environment? Funny, isn't it? Not really. Consider the following Safety Facts: 

• Up to 90% of industrial accidents are due to human error
• Direct costs created by workplace injuries total $51.8 billion annually. This sum represents one quarter of each dollar of pretax corporate profits!
• Indirect costs may run as much as 20 times the direct costs of on-the-job accidents and illnesses

This speaking topic is about a new approach to risk management and the reduction of human error: identifying "high risk" employees through personality assessments. Does it work? Absolutely. Years of research is now available to support the validity and reliability of this Safety Report.  

Here are some actual case study results with large employers:

• 52% reduction in lost-time injuries
• 50% fewer accidents overall
• 40% decrease in rule violations
• 40% decrease in workers compensation claims, and resulting decrease in insurance premiums

While organizations may already have excellent training programs, research has demonstrated that they can significantly improve safety by improving employee selection. The goal is to screen out applicants who are at higher risk of engaging in unsafe behaviors, and screen in applicants who are more likely to display safe work behaviors.

The other benefit of this type of assessment work is to identify training needs for existing employees.

How does all of this work? Safety-specific assessment tools can measure behaviors, work styles, and personality traits linked to human error. You can then select workers who are:

1. Cautious vs. Reckless
2. Vigilant vs. Distractible
3. Trainable vs. Arrogant
4. Compliant vs. Defiant
5. Emotionally Stable vs. Highly Reactive

This presentation is one part serious lecture (after all, we're trying to save lives), one part interactive session (we learn best by doing), and one small part laugh-fest (what could be funnier than everyone sharing humorous anecdotes about the head-shaking, numbskull incidents that happen in our workplace). Attendees are encouraged to participate and work through provided exercise sheets.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

Greg is the Managing Partner & Co-Founder of the consulting firm TalentClick Assessments, headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.  Prior to this, he worked as a Partner at Canada's premiere executive search firm, The Caldwell Partners International, and as Vice-President for one of Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies.  Clients have included many Fortune 500 companies such as IBM, Microsoft, Bell, Telus, Encana, TD Bank, Deloitte, PWC, Weyerhaeuser, and more.

Greg holds two undergraduate degrees as well as a Masters degree in Workplace Learning. He has taught at the post-secondary level, and is a frequent speaker and author. His articles have been published in CMA Management magazine, People Talk, Canadian HR Reporter, and Workplace Today. Along with renowned speaker Dr. John Sullivan from San Francisco State University, Greg co-authored the business book Catch Them if You Can!

A runner, skier, golfer, and avid traveler (through 35 countries worldwide), he lives with his wife and three children in North Vancouver.