Increased focus on Crisis Management

The disaster in the Mexican Gulf earlier this year has been an eye-opener for many companies who operate in high-risk environments.

The Falck Nutec Group, experts in Health & Safety training, has experienced increased interest in these courses worldwide.

"The only way to minimise the extent of the damage following an undesirable event is to be well-prepared. This means testing crisis and contingency plans through regular exercises," says consultant psychologist Ådne Thomassen of Falck Nutec. Falck Nutec is one of the world's largest providers of safety training for high-risk industries such as offshore, shipping and aviation. More than a hundred thousand people are trained by Falck Nutec on various crisis and contingency courses every year. The Group consists of the following companies: Falck Nutec, Falck, Falck Prime Atlantic, Falck Alford, Falck Onsite & MSTS.

What happens when a crisis hits us

"The greatest load is when the crisis hits quickly and suddenly. The resources and methods we usually use to handle things are no longer enough. Falck Nutec uses a proactive method which provides contingency management with a tool for making the right decisions in pressure situations," explains Thomassen. The body reacts to stress by increasing the activity level physiologically, emotionally and cognitively. This puts us in a position to handle dangerous situations more effectively. But if the pressure increases, stress reactions can lead to action paralysis and decision avoidance.

"If we have a great stress burden, we can quickly suffer mental overload and no longer be capable of seeing the bigger picture or taking strategic decisions to minimise the extent of the damage caused by the crisis. By having realistic crisis exercises backed by a professional advice mechanism, we can train this ability and create confidence in the contingency organisation," explains Thomassen.

Increased interest in strengthening management at all levels

An event affects different levels of an organisation in different ways. That is why it is important to train at operational, tactical and strategic level in order to identify possible weaknesses in the crisis management mechanism. The Deepwater Horizon event in the Gulf of Mexico is a good example of a serious event requiring good management at all levels.

"It is imperative that the operational contingency management works during a crisis, as this will naturally have the greatest impact on the rest of the contingency mechanism. We are seeing increased attendance on the professional courses for platform managers and installation managers, as well as for strategic management," says psychologist and organisational expert, Synnøve Nesse, who is responsible for management training at these levels at Falck Nutec. "Many of the participants have told us that this is the best management training they have taken part in, both generally and in terms of contingency management. That makes us very proud," says Nesse.

"On our training course for platform managers and installation managers, the participants receive feedback from their own contingency team, as well as professional coaching from psychologists and operational consultants. This takes place in a realistic setting with a dedicated role-playing team. The managers gain unique experience and undergo an intensive learning process."

The Falck Nutec Group

• A world leader in Health and Safety training
• 24 training centres worldwide
• 1000 employees
• Presence in 17 countries
• Part of the Falck Group