Risk Culture vs. Risk Management

There is a mind set change going on in the disaster recovery world and one that I think is both excellent and applicable to individuals. The move is away from Risk Management and toward Risk Culture.

I won'd bother you with the technical definitions but will provide you an analogy to demonstrate the difference.

Risk Management: Your son or daughter comes home from school and finds a broken pipe. Water is spewing everywhere. They call you on the phone and say, "Dad! I just walked in and there's water everywhere. The basement is flooding!" To which you say something like, "OMG! shut the water off! I'm on the way home."

Risk Culture: Your son or daughter comes home from school and finds a broken pipe. Water is spewing everywhere. They call you on the phone and say, "Dad! I just walked in and there's water everywhere. I shut the water off and called ABC plumbing. The sump pump is pumping the water out of the basement and as soon as the water goes down I'll use the shop vac to suck it out of the carpet". Or something like that.

Risk Culture engages everyone and empowers them to look for and seek out dangers to your plan.
It empowers them to make decisions to mitigate the damage. Perhaps you would rather not have had ABC plumbing called but you have to congratulate your son for having the decisiveness to act in a positive manner. Hopefully, your plan covers what to do in this scenario but the point is if it does not and someone acts in the best interest of the family then you congratulate them for their action.

Risk Culture has the agility to operate on the fly. Does your son know he can act or must he wait for you to get home to turn off the water? Can he borrow a couple of floor fans from your neighbor to help dry the basement? Can your wife start pulling items from the basement to begin drying things out or does everyone wait until you get home?

Rick Culture employs collaboration. Everyone in the family participates in the design of disaster plans as well as their testing and implementation. Every idea from anyone is open for discussion and examination.

If something bad happens can anyone in the family wade into the deep end of the pool to start putting things back together or is that your job and yours alone? If it's yours then you live Risk Management.

I think Risk Culture engages everyone in a positive way and is a great way for us to look at how our families should react if something bad happens.

Another good post.

My 3 kids all started their swimming lessons before the age of 6 months. They all knew how to dial 911 by the age of 3. Basic first aid (taught by Dad) by age 5. The lessons were taught almost every single day.

First and foremost, they were taught to stay calm, get to a safe place if necessary, consider their options, make a decision on emergency action to take if necessary, and call Dad as soon as possible. They were taught to think and act responsibly.

We should be so lucky as to be able to teach and maintain such a culture..........Or I would like to think so.

In practice I'm not so sure,.... I still have a DD that calls and says......Daaaaad....(reach for your wallet, you will be right 97% of the time.)

That seems like a good thing, Rick, at first. I don't mean to be the negative guy, but what happens when jr. makes things worse because he doesn't know what he's doing? What if damage is increased or somebody gets hurt or killed because of the incorrect action taken? Just cause you teach them a few things doesn't mean they are savvy or able act correctly when it counts. Especially in the first aid arena......

It's a valid point and you obviously can't turn someone loose without training or skills. The whole philosophy of Risk Culture is everyone is trained to react rather than just a few. I like the concept because it forces us at a personal level and corporations at their level to train everyone.

My guess is there are only a few whose kids know where the water shutoff is, how to perform CPR, etc. Under the guise of Risk Culture everyone must be trained and that's the part that I really like. So no negativity on your part. It's a valid observation.

Another thing is insurance. Jr began cleanup and now the insurance doesn't want to pay because you can't prove whatever thing they come up with. I had water issues over the summer. Thank God I took a bazillion pics.

Training is always a good thing nonetheless. The more you know........

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Originally Posted by natertot

That seems like a good thing, Rick, at first. I don't mean to be the negative guy, but what happens when jr. makes things worse because he doesn't know what he's doing? What if damage is increased or somebody gets hurt or killed because of the incorrect action taken? Just cause you teach them a few things doesn't mean they are savvy or able act correctly when it counts. Especially in the first aid arena......

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I had 4 shadows whenever I did anything around the house. Mine and 3 others. Many jobs took 2 or 3 times longer to finish, the clean-up ALWAYS took longer, and there were a few times that I'd have to re-do a few things after my shadows fell asleep, but every single task I accomplished was really 4 tasks accomplished - the work itself, and teaching my shadows, a little at a time, about how things work and get repaired.

Kids should all be able to prepare a regular meal - and I don't mean opening a can or tossing a plastic tray in the microwave - before the age of 10. The same goes for flipping a circuit breaker back on, changing a light bulb, setting a thermostat, using a fire extinguisher, writing down an accurate phone message, and budgeting an allowance. They should know where the important phone numbers are kept, how to lock-up the house for the night, wash a dog, use a snow shovel and a paintbrush, respect a firearm, keep a secret, and empathize with others. "Please" and "Thank you" and "I'm sorry" and "Good job!" should be some of the first words in their vocabulary.

One of the most satisfying moments of my life came by way of a flat tire on my 325i. My then 16-year-old daughter had borrowed my car and called me to tell me she had gotten a flat tire. Before she could finish her sentence, I told her I'd leave right away and asked where she was. That's when she told me she had changed the tire - by herself. "You taught me how to do it, Dad. REMEMBER?"

the only running water we had consisted of grabbing a bucket and running to the spring and getting a bucket full.

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Originally Posted by Ken

I had 4 shadows whenever I did anything around the house. Mine and 3 others. Many jobs took 2 or 3 times longer to finish, the clean-up ALWAYS took longer, and there were a few times that I'd have to re-do a few things after my shadows fell asleep, but every single task I accomplished was really 4 tasks accomplished - the work itself, and teaching my shadows, a little at a time, about how things work and get repaired.

Kids should all be able to prepare a regular meal - and I don't mean opening a can or tossing a plastic tray in the microwave - before the age of 10. The same goes for flipping a circuit breaker back on, changing a light bulb, setting a thermostat, using a fire extinguisher, writing down an accurate phone message, and budgeting an allowance. They should know where the important phone numbers are kept, how to lock-up the house for the night, wash a dog, use a snow shovel and a paintbrush, respect a firearm, keep a secret, and empathize with others. "Please" and "Thank you" and "I'm sorry" and "Good job!" should be some of the first words in their vocabulary.

One of the most satisfying moments of my life came by way of a flat tire on my 325i. My then 16-year-old daughter had borrowed my car and called me to tell me she had gotten a flat tire. Before she could finish her sentence, I told her I'd leave right away and asked where she was. That's when she told me she had changed the tire - by herself. "You taught me how to do it, Dad. REMEMBER?"

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Nothing there I disagree with. Along with teaching the young ones, you gotta teach them to understand their limitations. Your young one knows how to use a fire extinguisher. That is GREAT! But, do they understand that line when the fire is too much and they just need to sit on the curb till the FD shows? Like I said previously, nothing wrong with training. However, the house is both insured and replacable. The little tots are only insured......

I think you're trying to over think this. Let me grab a crayon.

Risk Management ... See that? No one knows what to do. See the chickens watching them run around? Now, notice how they are all dead? That one got burned to a crisp. That one got electrocuted. I'm not sure what happened to that one but it doesn't look like it was none too pretty.

Risk Culture...Notice the difference? Everyone is holding hands and singing Kumbaya? Oh, that one guy doesn't look any better at all. I guess he was just born that way. Oh, well.

Randy - I had two standing rules when my kids went to high school. All of them had to take Home Economics and all of them had to take Industrial Arts (metal, wood, auto and electrical). Both the boys can cook and my daughter can change out a light switch or change a tire. They were none to happen with me at the time but they now value what they learned.

I hear ya Rick but you have to admit when all you have is a natural spring, a water pipe break is of little concern LOL. Until it goes dry NOT-LOL.

It's good to know how to handle things. When I was a lad my parents hired just about nothing. About everything was handled ourselves. When our house burned, we rebuilt it ourselves from cutting and milling the lumber. Pretty much did it ourselves or went without.

Dad had two kids so just about everything was hired out to us. If I protested I didn't know how to do something his response was always the same. "Looks like you're about to learn how."

My favorite phrase growing up was "Experience is the best teacher".....and ...."You don't know how.....yet,..... but you will learn."

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Originally Posted by Rick

Dad had two kids so just about everything was hired out to us. If I protested I didn't know how to do something his response was always the same. "Looks like you're about to learn how."

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I was about 14 years old, and my dad came home with a box I had the name "FURUNO" printed on the side. The next thing you know, I was an expert on installing a marine radar unit on a Boston Whaler.

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Originally Posted by Rick

I think you're trying to over think this. Let me grab a crayon.

Risk Management ... See that? No one knows what to do. See the chickens watching them run around? Now, notice how they are all dead? That one got burned to a crisp. That one got electrocuted. I'm not sure what happened to that one but it doesn't look like it was none too pretty.

Risk Culture...Notice the difference? Everyone is holding hands and singing Kumbaya? Oh, that one guy doesn't look any better at all. I guess he was just born that way. Oh, well.

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About that crayon..... As was stated by Ken "My 3 kids all started their swimming lessons before the age of 6 months. They all knew how to dial 911 by the age of 3. Basic first aid (taught by Dad) by age 5. The lessons were taught almost every single day."

Everyone here raise there hand if your kids walked by six months. Let alone....... swimming lessons? I am also wondering what swimming progam takes infants........ youngest I found was 5 years. 911 by 3yo.... feasable, but doubt it would be used correctly. First aid by 5? I would love to see my 5yo be able to do CPR, have enough consistant strength to apply pressure to a wound, and be able to comprehend what shock is......

My point, Rick, is that you can teach that stuff all day long to the young ones. My question is are they mature/wise enough to apply what they have learned appropriately? In the future.... sure. But at 6mos, 3yo, and 5yo?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ken

I was about 14 years old, and my dad came home with a box I had the name "FURUNO" printed on the side. The next thing you know, I was an expert on installing a marine radar unit on a Boston Whaler.

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We had FURUNO on my ship...... good basic radar!

I looked back through my post and didn't find 6 months, 3 years or any reference to 5 year olds. But now that you have completely destroyed my thread. Ran the engine off the bridge and derailed even the caboose I'll just say thanks. Thanks for taking a national program and destroying it. DRI International called and said they are now abandoning disaster recovery because of this. Architects are now afraid to construct buildings to 7.5 earthquake specs because some 3 month old could push the wrong button. Every lake in the nation is now lowering it's water level 5 feet....just in case and every BIC lighter sold will now be sold with a person to light it for you in the off chance you might start a fire if you try to do it yourself. By the way, we've put a For Sale sign up on the state of Ohio and the price is cheap.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rick

I looked back through my post and didn't find 6 months, 3 years or any reference to 5 year olds. But now that you have completely destroyed my thread. Ran the engine off the bridge and derailed even the caboose I'll just say thanks. Thanks for taking a national program and destroying it. DRI International called and said they are now abandoning disaster recovery because of this. Architects are now afraid to construct buildings to 7.5 earthquake specs because some 3 month old could push the wrong button. Every lake in the nation is now lowering it's water level 5 feet....just in case and every BIC lighter sold will now be sold with a person to light it for you in the off chance you might start a fire if you try to do it yourself. By the way, we've put a For Sale sign up on the state of Ohio and the price is cheap.

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Settle down my friend! I believe you are solely looking at it from a work environment perspective. With everyone in the work 16yo or greater, they do have the ability to be trained and act accordingly. That makes the risk culture a great idea. You used a home analogy which led Ken to talk about 6mos old swimmers, 3yo 911 callers, and 5yo first aid responders. I'm not waving the BS flag, but I doubt it. My point is that in a home setting, be sure to teach things that kids can understand, be able to logically apply, and physically able to do.

Yes Ohio land is cheap. When you have overly dramatic neighbors, it tends to drag property values down......

Great idea, Rick, worth implementing from an early age. Starting with age appropriate responsibilities, goes without saying.
None of my friends' kids know how to tie their shoelaces without a blueprint, thanks to their parents, who stressed academics at the exclusion of everything else. Why they thought instilling some practical skills would be a distraction is beyond me, but I can't be too critical...I don't have kids. I do know that if I had them, it would definitely be how we did things.

Thank you, B. and HA! to you natertot. Make that a double HA!

Actually, I'm looking at it from a personal perspective. In the business world you have one person or a few that handles everything. Have you ever worked at a place where they had a fire warden? They walk around and tell everyone the fire alarm is going off and you have to leave in an orderly fashion (never figured that one out personally but I digress).

My reason for posting is that everyone needs to understand the "plan" and what to do in the event something happens. We all recognize there are limitations because of age or whatever reason but all things being equal we should not rely on one person to be the focal point of disaster recovery. Everyone should be trained and empowered to act if something bad happens. This is a complete departure from the days of yore. You can actually recognize the fire alarm on your own and walk out without being told. Well, not you personally but most can. :innocent:

Nothing there I disagree with Rick. Never heard of a fire warden. Places I have worked at send company wide e-mails, a message to all fax machines and printers, and make overhead announcements. That is because there is always the handful that wanna assume it's a drill or false alarm. I do believe that training is paramount and that all those who can do, should do. I also think it's a good idea to have multiples trained in the same duties. If one goes down, there shouldn't be a missing link in the chain.

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Originally Posted by natertot

About that crayon..... As was stated by Ken "My 3 kids all started their swimming lessons before the age of 6 months. They all knew how to dial 911 by the age of 3. Basic first aid (taught by Dad) by age 5. The lessons were taught almost every single day."

Everyone here raise there hand if your kids walked by six months. Let alone....... swimming lessons? I am also wondering what swimming progam takes infants........ youngest I found was 5 years. 911 by 3yo.... feasable, but doubt it would be used correctly. First aid by 5? I would love to see my 5yo be able to do CPR, have enough consistant strength to apply pressure to a wound, and be able to comprehend what shock is......

My point, Rick, is that you can teach that stuff all day long to the young ones. My question is are they mature/wise enough to apply what they have learned appropriately? In the future.... sure. But at 6mos, 3yo, and 5yo?

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I'm drawing an inference that you didn't believe me. Does THIS help? :sneaky2:

PARENT AND CHILD SWIMMING LESSONS

For 6 - 36 months with a parent.

http://www.infantswim.com/

http://www.ymcaboston.org/swim-sports-play/swim-classes

The best way to teach kids to swim is to acclimate them to water at the earliest possible age. They will learn to respect, but not fear, the water that way. My three "kids" are all in their 20's now. They are all advanced swimmers. My two sons are certified lifeguards and open water divers. And each one started in the pool at the YMCA at 6 months of age. Who'd have thunk it?

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Originally Posted by natertot

About that crayon..... As was stated by Ken "My 3 kids all started their swimming lessons before the age of 6 months. They all knew how to dial 911 by the age of 3. Basic first aid (taught by Dad) by age 5. The lessons were taught almost every single day."

Everyone here raise there hand if your kids walked by six months. Let alone....... swimming lessons? I am also wondering what swimming progam takes infants........ youngest I found was 5 years. 911 by 3yo.... feasable, but doubt it would be used correctly. First aid by 5? I would love to see my 5yo be able to do CPR, have enough consistant strength to apply pressure to a wound, and be able to comprehend what shock is......

My point, Rick, is that you can teach that stuff all day long to the young ones. My question is are they mature/wise enough to apply what they have learned appropriately? In the future.... sure. But at 6mos, 3yo, and 5yo?

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Yep, some basic First Aid skills by age 5, natertot. It doesn't take much to teach a child to elevate and apply direct pressure to a wound or to teach them many of the other basics. And FYI - CPR was NOT taught as part of the First Aid Program when I was a Red Cross Advanced First Aid Instructor/CPR Instructor Trainer. CPR was a separate course entirely, and no, I didn't teach, nor did I say that I taught, my kids how to do CPR at age 5.

So far as dialing 911 goes, once the number is dialed, emergency units respond. The kids don't even need to know their address to summon help. I'd rather see a 911 call made in error by a child instead of no call made when emergency help was needed.

Red Cross Youth Classes

http://www.redcross.org/ca/san-jose/take-a-class/youth-classes

natertot, saying that you're not waiving the BS flag doesn't mean that you're NOT waiving it. Don't pee on my leg and tell me it's raining, okay? :sneaky2:


Teaching Your Child About Dialing for Help

"By the age of 3 or 4, most children are ready to become familiarized with the emergency numbers of 911 and "0" for operator."

http://family.go.com/parenting/pkg-s...ng-for-help-t/

Ken, I agree with water acclimation. We do that, too, at local pools and not through
a sanctioned program. But they aren't learning floating or wading, which is where our local programs start and why I wouldn't consider acclimation as lessons.

As far as first aid, I have taught my daughter about keeping wounds clean and covered. There's no way there's the ability to lift and apply pressure.

911 finding your location only works if you have a landline. Doesn't work with cells. My daughter can effectively call 911, but don't trust the 3yo yet. Also, if there are too many false calls, parents can be subjected to fines.

Actually, 911 does work with cell phones. Phase II of the FCC requirement mandated that cell phones provide longitude and latitude of the cell phone within 50-300 meters depending on what type of cell phone architecture is being used.

My kids didn't have cell phones when they were 3. I had 4 landlines at the house. That was job security, Rick.

I thank you, my wife thanks you, my sons and daughters thank you and everyone on our party line thanks you.

It took me a week to find a service rep that knew what a B-multiple cable was. I hated all those individual lines coming into the house.

Guess they weren't common for residential services.

At one time we partnered with the Venezuelan Telephone company. The head of the company had something like 12 phones on his desk. He even had a small desk next to his with phones on it. At some point we started talking about pulling all of the phones out and replacing them with a single mult-line phone and he flipped out. Turns out the more phones you had the more important your were. Our warehouse guy must have been the most important guy in the whole world. He probably had over a thousand phones in the building. LOL.

The problem you ran into was what the tarriff's allowed. We couldn't charge for anything that wasn't tarriffed. We had a lot a gear and access to anything you could dream up but we couldn't install it because we couldn't charge for it. Deregulation was a good thing in that regard. Everything else about it sucked but it did make new technology available at light speed compared to the regulated world.

I had a Merlin system at the house. One phone on the desk and nightstand was enough for me. My kids KNEW I was important, LOL!

That's a good thing, Rick. My Sheriffs said they can triangulate of the cell towers and get a general area. A few square miles is about all. That was a couple years ago. I'll have to see if they have made progress since then.

Ken, there is a difference in waving a BS flag and being a bit skeptical. The way you wrote it and they way I read it didn't seem quite right to me. After you elaborated a little, I understand your perspective to what you wrote. Peeing on your leg? Nah. Maybe in your lemonade pitcher! Just kidding on that one.

I'll let it drop.

For anyone here with newborns or infants, check out the infant/parent swimming classes taught at the YMCA. If you enroll your infant at 6 months old, chances are that he or she will be paddling on their own before their first birthday, probably before they can toddle.

Tater, it came in under Phase II, which was supposed to have take effect in 2001. There is a company getting ready to roll out a product that will identify where you are in a multi-story building. The company is called Progeny and their product is called Multilateration Location and Monitoring Service or M-LMS. Supposedly, if you are on the 20th floor and dial 911 their service will show you on the 20th floor and in which office. There is some controversy brewing over it because It operates on the same frequency band as smart meters and those EZ Pay Toll thingies as well as some other items. However, the FCC has granted them permission to operate. They have to keep track of all complaints of interference they receive within the next year. I'm not sure what's next. It's sort of crazy.

"Oh, high Nater, I see you're on the thrown so I'll make this short."
OR
"Still doctoring those hemorrhoids, huh?"

Nothing is gonna be private.

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Originally Posted by Ken

I'll let it drop.

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As will I.:kiss:

Those are good concepts, provided they aren't misused. I'm gonna look into those programs. You got me interested!