ORP Executive Interview with Pernille Thau: Key Drivers for Workplace Safety

Many organisations recognise the need for improved prevention but struggle to determine where to start. According to Pernille Thau, one of the most critical steps is conducting workplace assessments, surveys, and questionnaires for both managers and employees, including the Vision Zero Maturity Scale Model for Prevention, developed by Human House. These tools help organisations evaluate their current prevention level and identify areas for improvement.

– We also use gap analyses to provide a structured review of how well a company follows the Vision Zero 7 Golden Rules and, most importantly, where they need improvement, explains Pernille Thau.

Based on these findings, she collaborates with clients to develop prioritisation strategies, ensuring that organisations focus on key areas such as risk assessment and employee involvement.

The Power of a “Not on My Watch” Mindset

A strong safety culture starts with leadership. Pernille Thau emphasises that top management commitment is crucial:

– First of all, managers should take personal responsibility for ensuring that no one gets hurt under their leadership. Leadership behaviour matters – employees follow what managers do, not just what they say.

– Many executives claim that “safety comes first”, but they must also demonstrate this commitment through daily actions.

Pernille Thau encourages leaders to:

• Integrate safety discussions into all meetings.
• Actively motivate employees to prioritise prevention.
• Encourage line managers to attend safety walks to drive change within their organisation.

Training and Daily Actions for Prevention

To embed safety into daily operations, both line managers and employees need training. Pernille Thau highlights key strategies for improving safety culture, such as:

• Manager safety walks, where leaders actively observe and engage with employees about safety.
• Integrating dialogues about safety into all meetings, ensuring that safety remains a constant priority.
• Encouraging open dialogue, so employees feel comfortable reporting risks and discussing safety concerns.

Psychological Safety: A Key Factor in OSH

Psychological safety has become a critical factor in occupational health and safety. Employees must feel safe to report risks and discuss safety openly without fear of being ignored or met with scepticism.

– When leaders foster a culture of care, where both management and employees look out for each other’s safety, they promote psychological safety. This, in turn, helps create a healthy, safe, and productive workplace, says Pernille Thau.

Sustaining Motivation for Vision Zero

The Vision Zero approach is effective because of its simplicity, making it easier for non-OSH professionals, such as line managers, to integrate safety into daily work. Measuring leading indicators (preventive actions) rather than just lagging indicators (accident rates) helps sustain motivation.

However, Pernille Thau warns against focusing solely on “zero accidents,” as this can lead to underreporting of incidents. Instead, organisations should:

• Measure and celebrate proactive safety actions, such as completed risk assessments.
• Train managers to understand their role in fostering a safety culture, not just enforcing rules.
• Embed safety into company values, ensuring long-term commitment.

– Structure – policies and procedures – is important, but culture drives real change. Companies should move from a compliance-based ‘control culture’ to a proactive ‘commitment’ safety culture, concludes Pernille Thau.

By prioritising leadership and cultural transformation, organisations can create safer workplaces and ensure that safety is not just a policy, but a shared responsibility.

Watch the entire interview where Pernille Thau engages in a relevant and interesting talk with ORP’s Liliya Yakhneva – here.