Would you like our assistance in co-designing a customised program, beginning with a maturity assessment and leadership coaching, to ensure that your safety and operational excellence initiatives support each other effectively? Contact us

Summary Keywords

Safety excellence, Safety culture, Bradley Curve, DSS+, Simon Flack, Enterprise Excellence Podcast, Operational excellence, Zero harm, Safety leadership, Visible felt leadership, Risk tolerance, Safety huddles, Near miss reporting, Root cause problem solving, Lean leadership, Frontline engagement, Safety management systems, DuPont safety, Continuous improvement, Workplace safety

 In this episode of the Enterprise Excellence Podcast, Brad Jeavons is joined again by Simon Flack from DSS+, returning after his earlier appearance on Visual Workplace and Systems. This time, Simon dives deep into Safety Excellence—why he moved from operational excellence into safety, and how a very personal childhood experience shaped his purpose.

Simon explains the Bradley Curve and the four stages of safety culture maturity—from reactive to dependent, then independent and ultimately interdependent—emphasising the critical shift from compliance (“I do it because I have to”) to commitment (“I do it because it’s the right thing to do for me and my family”). He explores how organisations can truly understand their current culture, challenge their tolerance to risk, and avoid relying on “dumb luck” to get people home safe.

Brad and Simon unpack practical levers: meaningful safety huddles, sharing near-miss stories, and leaders being visible, felt leaders who show care, curiosity and humility. They discuss the importance of frontline ownership, leading measures, and root-cause problem solving on the biggest risks. Simon also shares how DSS+ co-designs tailored journeys with clients, linking safety excellence to operational excellence, productivity and long-term sustainability. At the heart of it all is one simple aim: every parent, partner, and friend comes home at least as well as they left for work. 

Key takeaways 

·       All injuries can be prevented – safety excellence starts with the belief that zero harm is achievable, not aspirational.

·       The Bradley Curve matters – knowing whether your culture is reactive, dependent, independent or interdependent shapes your improvement pathway.

·       Risk tolerance grows quietly – repeated “micro wins” from risky shortcuts raise tolerance until something goes wrong; near-miss sharing helps reset it.

·       Leaders must be “visible, felt leaders” – showing up with care, curiosity, and humility builds trust and genuine safety ownership.

·       Safety excellence = operational excellence – as safety culture matures, incidents fall and productivity, quality and engagement rise together.

What's next?

1.     If you need support, consider co-designing a tailored program with us, starting with a maturity assessment and leadership coaching – so that your safety and operational excellence journeys reinforce each other.

2.     Join our next community meeting.  https://www.enterpriseexcellenceacademy.com/community.

3.     Listen to another podcast with Simon Flack, https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/139-simon-flack-visual-management-and-enterprise/id1528932427?i=1000614895810

To learn more about what we do, visit https://enterpriseexcellencegroup.com.au/
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