In August, the US Coast Guard released their report into the 2023 Titan submersible implosion that killed 5 people whilst diving to the Titanic wreckage.
Their investigation concluded that the incident was “entirely preventable”. The report determined that there were systematic failures largely due to failures in following protocols for safety and maintenance.
The “toxic workplace culture” was also detailed as a contributing factor, with issues identified as:
- Staff being fired or threatened with dismissal to discourage them from raising safety concerns
- Poor governance in senior decision making and the over-ruling of engineering directives
- Inflating safety numbers to give a false impression of reliability and safety
- Financial pressure resulting in cost-cutting measures that compromised safety
- Failure to investigate and respond to previous incidents
The final report put forward 17 safety recommendations.
This incident serves as a reminder to all organisations of the importance of establishing a positive safety culture that is supported by an effective safety management system.
4 actions you can take to support your organisation’s safety culture:
- Talk about workplace safety regularly to keep it front of mind and demonstrate it is a priority
- Make sure your safety management system is updated, effective and implemented
- Ensure your organisation’s Officers have completed their Due Diligence training
- Conduct regular WHS Audits of your safety management system
Want to know more or need some support?
We have a library of blogs on our webpage providing information and guidance on WHS and risk management, including WHS Due Diligence and WHS Basics. You can read and review all of our blogs by clicking the link below. We update them regularly, so be sure to check back in to stay up to date!
You can also book a 30-minute discovery call with our team where we can discuss and support your organisational safety and risk management needs.