Human Factors and Crisis Management

Continuity Forum 10 May 2012

Overview Potential employee reactions to severe crisis events or

emergency incidents (Human Factors)

How these reactions can affect the organisation’s ability to respond to the crisis

How to identify and manage these reactions to minimise disruption/damage to the organisation;

How early identification of warning signs in employees can reduce the potential for short and long-term harm & safeguard employees health & welfare

Decision-making and Human Factors

What is BCM?

“A holistic management process that identifies potential impacts that threaten an organisation & provides a framework for building resilience & the capability for an effective response that safeguards the interests of its key stakeholders, reputation, brand & value creating activities”.(Hiles, 2007)

What is a Crisis?

Definition: ‘The perception or experience of an event or situation as intolerable and something that exceeds the person’s current resources and coping mechanisms’.

Black Swan

A metaphor for a large-impact, hard-to-predict, rare event.

Is this your organisation?

Human Factors - Definition

“Human factors refers to environmental, organisational and job factors and human and individual characteristics which influence behaviour at work in a way which can affect safety”

Human Factors

Interaction of: –People with people –People with procedures –People with machines –People with their environment

Human Factors – Key Aspects!

ORGANIZATION • Strategy • Culture • Leadership • Resources • Work patterns • Communications

What are people being asked to do and where? JOB

• Tasks • Environment • Workload • Displays & controls • Alarms • Procedures

INDIVIDUAL • Risk

perception • Competence • Skills • Personality • Attitude

Where are they working?

Who is doing it?

The Dirty Dozen

Stress Fatigue Complacency Distractions Lack of Awareness Lack of Communication

Lack of Assertiveness Lack of Knowledge Norms Pressure Lack of Teamwork Lack of Resources

Lack of Assertiveness

Lack of Knowledge Norms Pressure Lack of Teamwork Lack of Resources

“We cannot change the Human Condition but we can change the conditions in which humans work.”

James Reason

Fear & Uncertainty - Balance ‘I’ve experienced many terrible things in my life, a few of which

actually happened’. Mark Twain ‘In these matters the only certainty is that nothing is certain’ Secundis ‘The one permanent emotion of the inferior man is fear - fear of the

unknown, the complex, the inexplicable. What he wants above everything else is safety’

Henry Louis Mencken

Human Factors

"The brain is a wonderful

organ: it starts work ing the moment you get up in the morning and does not stop

until you get into the office." – Robert Frost

911 – WTC – A true crisis

Physiological/Psychological Effects

It is important not to forget the physiological and psychological stressors and changes that occur to people when subject to extremes. During times of crisis severe emotional, physical and

psychological changes occur that include: – Elevated heart rate – The dumping of large amounts of hormones into the bloodstream – Visual narrowing (reduction in peripheral vision, fixation on certain

things) – Perceptual distortion (auditory occlusion, time compression or

expansion) – Dominant responses take over (automation, loss of fine motor skills)

‘Flight or Fight’ Response

A surge of adrenaline leading to an elevation of blood pressure and heart rate aimed at increasing cardiac output to meet the challenge; and also in case of blood loss, to maintain circulation; An increase in respiration – the intake of oxygen and

removal of carbon dioxide – because of an anticipated increase in energy expenditure;

Mobilises blood glucose and fats as fuel for this sustained

energy expenditure;

Flight or Fight Response (cont’d)

Diversion of blood-flow to muscles and away from the gut with the gut’s motility almost ceasing; An increase in platelet adhesiveness resulting in the blood becoming ‘stickier’ to assist with clotting; Activation of inflammatory hormones (e.g. cortisol, cytokines, interleukins etc.) which play a role in healing damaged tissues including accelerating cell replication and laying down new blood vessels. A short-term mobilisation of white blood cells to protect the body if its defences are breached; and

So that’s what this is!!!!

Incident Characteristics

Knowing the victims or their families Intense media interest or public scrutiny Physical and time pressures created by the nature of the

incident Higher than usual or expected responsibility Higher than usual physical, mental and emotional demands Uncertain or prolonged duration Possibility for recurrence

Incident Characteristics (Cont’d)

Amount of contact with victims and/or their relatives Inappropriate leadership practices Inadequate resources Co-ordination problems Poor role definition Conflict between those involved in the incident response Mission failure

Warning Signs

Depending upon the nature of the crisis and its effect on the cognitive abilities of key members of your team there is a very real possibility that persons nominated to perform key roles may well be impaired due to their reaction to the incident:

Over-involvement (initiating unnecessary contacts; excessive volunteering) Inability to let go (refusing to have scheduled breaks) Excessive worry or preoccupation about aspects of the

incident Feeling upset or jealous of another team member’s

involvement Unexplained loss of emotional control Fatigue

Warning Signs (Cont’d)

Excessive anger – for example, this can be directed at those who were seen to have caused the event, or on those who may have been seen as ineffective or a barrier to response efforts Agitation, restlessness, sleeplessness (during ongoing

response exercises) Withdrawal

Irritability

Limbic System

Limbic System: The limbic system, often referred to as the "emotional brain", is found buried within the cerebrum. Like the cerebellum, evolutionarily the structure is rather old. The main regions of this system include the thalamus, hypothalamus, amygdala, and hippocampus.

Pathways of Fear Response

‘The Scream’ – Edvard Munch

Forensic Assessment – Psycho/Physiological

Constricts Stimulates Slows No Comparative Slows Stimulates Stimulates

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Eye

Salivary Glands

Breathing

Sweat Glands

Heart

Digestion

Waste

Elimination

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Dilates Inhibits Increases Increases Accelerates Inhibits Inhibits

PARASYMPATHETIC SYMPATHETIC

Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)

‘The brain is in a constant struggle against various

psychological & physiological stressors to maintain or

regain homeostasis through the two sub-systems of the

Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) – the sympathetic &

parasympathetic nervous system’ (SNS & PNS) – {Gordon

& Fleisher, 2002}

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Stress – A Definition

‘Exposure to, or interaction with, an event or incident whereby extreme, acute or severe emotional psychological trauma is witnessed’ (Reichel, 1996)

What is Stress?

Stress is a term in psychology and biology, borrowed from physics and engineering and first used in the biological context in the 1930’s. It refers to the consequence of the failure of an organism –

human or animal – to respond adequately to mental, emotional or physical demands, whether actual or imagined (Hans Selye, 1936)

Signs of stress may be: – Cognitive – Physical – Emotional; or – Behavioural.

Stress –: Eustress - Distress

Where stress enhances function (physical or mental, such as through strength training or challenging work) it may be considered eustress. Persistent stress that is not resolved through coping or

adaptation, deemed distress, may lead to anxiety or withdrawal (depression) behavior. The difference between experiences which result in eustress

or distress is determined by the disparity between an experience (real or imagined), personal expectations, and resources to cope with the stress.

General Adaptation Syndrome

Stress defined as how the body reacts to a stressor, real or imagined – a stimulus that causes stress. Acute stressors affect a person in the short term; chronic

stressors over the longer term. Three stages: 1.Alarm; 2.Resistance; and 3.Exhaustion.

‘Approach and Avoid’ response

General Adaptation Syndrome

Alarm: Resistance: Exhaustion

ALARM Threat or stressor is realised.

RESISTANCE If stressor persists it becomes necessary to deploy coping mechanisms. Body attempts to adapt to demands however prolonged response leads to depletion of resources. EXHAUSTION Resources eventually depleted and unable to maintain normal function. If exhaustion phase is extended or severe long term damage may result (physiological/emotional/psychological).

Critical incident amnesia During the actual incident there is usually a "sensory overload"

combined with a "fixation" on some particular aspect of the critical incident, often to the exclusion of all else. Immediately after the incident, "post-incident amnesia" will often

result in a failure to remember the majority of the information observed in the incident. After a healthy night's sleep there is usually a "memory

recovery" which will result in the remembering the majority of what occurred and this memory is probably the most "pure." Within 72 hours the final and most complete form of memory will

occur, but it will be at least partially "reconstructed" (and therefore somewhat "contaminated") after the inevitable process of integrating available information from all other sources (media).

Dynamic Decision Making

Dynamic Decision-making has four components: 1.A series of decisions is required to reach a goal. 2.Decisions are interdependent. Each decision needs to be understood in the context of the other decisions in the series, either because they are constrained by earlier decisions, or because they may constrain later decisions. 3.The state of the decision problem changes over time, either autonomously (because of the system), or as a consequence of decision makers’ actions. 4.Decisions occur in real time. As such the decision maker must make a decision when the environment requires it, not in her or his own time. This is a factor generative of stress, which affects decision performance negatively, since the decision maker under stress reverts to simpler, more task-oriented modes of operation

Dynamic vs. Standard

Standard decision making does not take time criticality into account there is no analytical solution for most dynamic decision

problems a small mistake at the beginning of the process can set the

decision on a course that excellent decision making later in the process cannot correct ‘other scenarios’ it is the autonomous characteristics of the

system that influence a “good” or “bad” outcome

Process

Perception – complex vs complicated, intimately linked to the way we deal with it Different objectives and reasoning processes

Past experience – schemas

Emotional state or ‘mental mode’ – thinking technically or

emotionally Team members influence

Information overload

Conclusion

Decisions are rarely what we perceive them to be, either because we ourselves misrepresent them, or because others, trying to influence us, are framing them in a particular way. Emotion is an intrinsic part of the way we decide as human beings. A decision

framework which bans emotion is doomed to failure. In an environment where complexity and emergence can radically transform

landscapes in a short space of time, the power of a decision lies in its inherent adaptability, not the accuracy of its predictions. Reflexivity (consciousness of the environment and one’s reaction to it) is a key

factor of success for individual and team decision making. Group dynamics are a key factor in determining the outcome of a decision. They can

either have a positive (e.g. strength of a coalition) or negative (game-playing, pretending to agree, etc.) impact on the decision process.

BCM Drivers

Customers Regulation / Legislation Competitive Advantage/Sustainability Government (political, economic etc.)

Environment (P.E.S.T.)

Auditors Corporate Governance Insurers Supply Chain Protection of Brand / Reputation

Expectation Management

There are strong expectations from organisations customers, employees, suppliers and contractors as well as the community, regulatory agencies and Government:

Customers expect supplies & services to continue – or

resume rapidly – in all situations; Shareholders expect management control to remain

operational & functional through any crisis; Employees expect their lives & livelihood to be protected; Suppliers expect their revenue streams to continue; and The community expects organisations to have

comprehensive plans in place to deal with all manner of emergencies.

Selecting the Crisis Management Team

If the leader and team members are able to understand the constraints, emotional and physical demands on people and resources and recognise that there may be a need to function at significantly reduced levels for sustained periods then they will be better equipped to lead during times of crisis. To maximise the chances for successful leadership

during times of crisis a leadership team needs to be emotionally intelligent, resilient, and adaptable and have the ability to engender trust and confidence in others.

Crisis Leadership

Leaders need to remember that people will remember!

Inspiration – Vision - Clarity

People look to leaders for inspiration and a vision or clearly articulated pathway out of the crisis while at the same time offering hope and maintaining a sense of purpose. Often times the organisations history is written during times

of crisis and the behaviour, ability and manner in which the leader charts the course through this tumultuous and turbulent period leaves an indelible and long-lasting impression with employees and the wider community.

‘Insight’

People in a relatively positive mood, whether naturally occurring or induced, are better able to solve ‘insight’ or ‘creative’ problems (Isen et al., 1987 & Ashby et al., 1999)

Positive mood has also been shown to broaden attention (Gaspar & Clore, 2002)

Insight begins long before analytical problem solving and is modulated by mood (Jung-Beeman, 2008)

Crisis Management Team

An essential element and ingredient for success is ensuring you have a competent, capable, experienced and well drilled leadership team that is prepared and ready to deal with all manner of crisis. The make-up of this team is a critical success factor and

each and every member should be carefully chosen based on their attributes, skills, experience and ability to deliver safe, effective and desired outcomes when under extreme pressure and often times personal distress.

Recovery and Resumption

Recovery and resumption efforts during disruptions, crises and emergency incidents need to be coordinated by a leader & leadership team who have the ability to rapidly make decisions, and assist the organisation to make the transition from sometimes chaos to a situation where a semblance of order and control is beginning to take hold.

Exercising Plans / Training

Preparing for the organisation to function and operate with reduced resources, and most likely perform only its mission critical activities, is of paramount importance. Exercising your contingency / emergency plans, training your teams, educating your employees and having strong relationships and regular contact with combatant authorities and other key stakeholders are essential ingredients for success.

Disrupted critical

process or operation

‘Si vis pacem, para bellum’

‘If you wish for peace, prepare for war’ Publius Flavius Vegetuis Renatus, 390 C.E.