Over the past 24 years I've worked with many top managers who want safety to be a priority in their operations. They try everything. Issuing mission statements outlining their desire for a safe workplace. Giving pep talks about how safety is truly the number one priority. Yet I find very little evidence of their best intentions becoming reality.
At first I thought the reason for the gap between management's words and deeds was a lack of commitment. The more I work with organizations, the more I realize this really isn't the case. Given the fact that organizations do not always behave rationally, it's no surprise that top management's sentiments often fail to impact daily operations.