decision making and rescuer ’ s stress
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DECISION MAKING And rescuer ’ s stress. How to avoid a step too far. Sea Tech Week, Brest, the 19 th of october 2006 Captain Charles CLADEN, Les Abeilles International. A STEP TOO FAR?. Thoughts on salvage and rescue operations at sea …. Based on a study and with the kind - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
DECISION MAKINGDECISION MAKINGAnd rescuer’s stressAnd rescuer’s stress
How to avoid a step too far
Sea Tech Week, Brest, the 19 th of october 2006Captain Charles CLADEN, Les Abeilles International
A STEP TOO FAR?
Thoughts on salvage and rescue operations at sea …
Based on a study and with the kind authorisation ofDr Stéphane Oggier,medic-mountain guide, FXB Air-Glaciers - Sion, Switzerland.
- Adapt strategy to each situation- Find solutions, ...
Aims-Build awareness of the risks incurred during operations
Contents- Salvage accidents… fate?- Are the risks justified?- Why take risks?
- What psychology says,- Explanations on hand.
-How to diminish risks?
PROBABILITY PROBABILITY OF ACCIDENTSOF ACCIDENTS
- equation- risk addition- f (quantity of exposure to risks)
- examples:- cold, night, poor material, lack of maintenance, defective radio, Poor training, poor visibilityfatigue, bad weather, bad strategy.- Number of consecutive interventions without rest
An accident is not always fatalAn accident is not always fatal
Rescuers are humansRescuers are humans What the psychology tell us ?
RESCUER’S TRAPS Rescuer’s brain1. Stubborness2. Desire to please3. Expert’s aura4. Social positionning5. Feeling of unusualness
Once the initial decision is taken in an operation, the following decisions are easier to take if they are consistent with the initial one …
Trap n°1: StubbornessTrap n°1: Stubborness
Trap n°2: Desire to pleaseTrap n°2: Desire to please
We engage into an activity because we admire or respect the people already engaged.
We think we too will be admired and respected…It’s our desire to please, seduce…
Trap n°3: The expert’s auraTrap n°3: The expert’s aura
Crew members think that the salvage master’s expertise is infallible, whatever tired and under pressure he may be, and attribute to him capacities which are unrealistic
Trap n°4: Social positionningTrap n°4: Social positionning
When someone or a group feels confident in their abilities, they have a tendency to take greater risks…especially when they think that somebody is watching
When faced with an unusual intervention,
the temptation to take risks is greater, even though cautiousness would be wiser
TRAP N°5: Feeling of unusualnessTRAP N°5: Feeling of unusualness
- The principle of the « hot potato »
- The red-cross sheep, and commercial thinking
- The vicious circle,
- The « Zorro » syndrome
- Bridge over the river Kwaï syndrome
Explanations on hand …
Principle of the « hot potato »Principle of the « hot potato »
Intervention+anxiety = « hot potato »
It’s often simpler and more reassuring to adopt the same behaviour as others
The red-cross sheep(Or return on investment)
The vicious circle:When an operation is requested
- The MRCC thinks that it is urgent
-the salvage master also thinks that it is really urgent
-The crew don’t want to be left out and supports the salvage master
-The on-scene commander get convinced through the people engaged and their feeling of urgency
As soon as an accident is known a rescuer does not react
in the same way as others outside the accident
THE « ZORRO » THE « ZORRO » SYNDROMESYNDROME
Rescuer Non rescuer
« Bridge over the river Kwaï « Bridge over the river Kwaï syndrome »syndrome »
Respect of the procedure Respect of the procedure was more importantwas more important
than finalitythan finality
Building the bridge
well
became the only aim
To summarize,
I have taken risks:
- some for commercial reasons, - more often, through lack of thought,- with verve, through stress or routine,
- and often … not even to save lives
The solutions,or: « What to do to limit those
risks? »- Common sense,
- Remove guilt feelings,
- A phone call, so easy !
- a coffee break,
- The guide line
?
« Common sense »- Common sense: We all think we’ve got bags of it …
-As a consequence, don’t rely too much on common sense …especially in case of emergency !
- Lastly, always beware of yourself !
Putting guilt feelings aside :« we are not those who put them that high on the beach ! »
« A phone call, it’s easy !
Calling again, personally and directly the MRCC, and possibly also the casualty and witnesses:- avoids errors due to middlemen, - allows to judge the actual degree of urgency of the situation.
« The coffee break »-It induces taking time and sitting back to view the event from an appropriate distance- To take a break will help to avoid the traps of the « hot potato » and the vicious circle-To take a break gives you a chance to study a plan,to listen to others’ pointsof view; but it is somewhat of a « time-eater »
« The Guideline-It’s a tool that helps find out what direction to take (decisional compass)
-Avoids overheating of your grey cells in conditions that are complex and never alike
- It spares energy for impromptu decisions that will always be needed in field action
AS A CONCLUSION- No taking of useless risks as long as lives or coastal populations are not endangered
-Priority to time factors-Set alarms on time that might overrun
PS:
There are2 new messages for you
Message n° 1
Before any rescue operartion at sea, think to :- put guilt feelings aside,- give that so easy phone call- apply the time-measurement principle- take a coffee break.
Total: 5 minutes and 55 seconds
And in case of doubt:call some colleague not in the hot seat !
Message n°2 :Message n°2 :And Keep coolAnd Keep cool … …
Given the complexity
of some situations
No one in the rescue activity is fully sheltered from a misjudgement error