Comic strip - The Operator, the Manager... and the Monster from Outer Space

Abstract

The Operator, the Manager... and the Monster from Outer Space. FonCSI has published a quirky comic strip on safety and professionalism. Laughs and reflections guaranteed.

These days, everyone is expected to be a “good professional” and the field of safety is no exception. But how does one achieve this? And more importantly, how can managers achieve this when they are torn between different duties and responsibilities?

That is the delicate topic covered humorously in The Operator, the Manager... and the Monster from Outer Space.
Through a discussion between a manager and an operator, this comic strip explores practices that may complement classic safety-related training or provide alternatives.

And if the critical ideas of the characters come across as “impertinent”, that is because this comic strip is deliberately exaggerated to encourage debate and (above all) for fun...

Professionalism and Industrial Safety

At the request of its industrial sponsors and donors, in 2016 the FonCSI launched a research programme focusing on “Professionalism and industrial safety”. Industrial companies have noted that, in spite of channelling heavy investments into safety training, the number of accidents has reached a level which they cannot seem to improve upon.

The question then is: what are the new levers for improving safety and achieving fewer accidents?
To find some answers, the FonCSI first performed an 18-month strategic analysis, consulting with international experts on professionalism. The Foundation then issued a call for research proposals and supported six research projects on the subject.

How the comic strip came about ?

One of the first fruits of this research was the publication of an academic book in 2017, through the Springer publishing house: Beyond Safety Training. Embedding Safety in Professional Skills. One of the chapters of the book more specifically caught the attention of the FonCSI team: "Captain Kirk, Managers and the Professionalization of Safety". Its author, Hervé Laroche, a professor of Management Science at ESCP Europe, had written a humorous and imaginary dialogue between a manager and an operator. The discussion between these two characters seemed naturally suited to the comic strip medium.
 

So that is what we have done with The Operator, the Manager... and the Monster from Outer Space. 

The FonCSI team invite you to share this comic strip widely as a contribution to improving safety.