With nearly 25 years in operational policing and extensive experience (my new career!) in high-hazard industries like oil and gas, mining, and construction, I’ve seen firsthand the challenges and rewards of building high-performing, ethically grounded teams in environments where safety and decision-making are critical. Whether in law enforcement or industrial settings, effective teams are driven by a foundation of ethical decision making, clear frameworks, and a relentless commitment to safety and accountability.
Ethical decision-making in high-hazard industries is intrinsically tied to high performing teams and safety-critical themes, with chronic unease acting as an underlying driver. The high performing elements, team cohesion, information sharing, leadership, vision/goal sharing, and psychological safety are essential in environments where safety is paramount. Meanwhile, the PEAR and PLANE frameworks provide structured guidance for decision-making that supports these team based elements. Together, these frameworks not only enhance operational integrity but also foster a culture where chronic unease an ongoing awareness of risk is leveraged as a constructive force, driving continuous vigilance and improvement.
PEAR, a risk assessment framework predominantly used in the oil and gas industry, focuses on the protection of four key elements: People, Environment, Assets, and Reputation. This model is crucial for identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks in high-hazard industries. The PEAR framework prioritises safety and operational effectiveness by safeguarding these core components of a business. When combined with high-performing team principles and ethical decision-making frameworks, PEAR provides an operational structure that can guide teams to make responsible, well-considered decisions while ensuring safety is never compromised.
On the other hand, PLANE is a decision making approach widely used within UK policing. It encourages decision makers to ensure that actions taken are Proportionate, Legal, Accountable, Necessary, and Ethical. This model is vital in guiding law enforcement officers to navigate complex, high-stakes situations while remaining ethically grounded. Just as policing requires officers to justify their decisions based on these principles, high-hazard industries can draw on PLANE to ensure that their decisions are well thought out and legally sound, aligning with organisational values and safety standards.
In both policing and high-hazard industries, team cohesion is crucial for effective, ethically grounded operations. When teams share a strong sense of unity and mutual responsibility, they are more likely to uphold ethical standards and make decisions that align with the values embedded in PLANE (proportionate, legal, accountable, necessary, ethical) and PEAR (People, Environment, Assets, and Reputation). Cohesive teams in high-hazard industries, as in policing, are empowered to hold each other accountable, fostering an environment where ethical concerns are openly discussed and operational risks are managed collectively. Chronic unease plays a role here by instilling a culture of constant vigilance; high performing teams understand that no matter how cohesive they are, there is always a need to remain alert to potential hazards and deviations from standards.
Information sharing is also vital for ethical decision making, as it ensures that teams operate with a full understanding of risks, safeguards, and procedural expectations. In high-hazard industries, the PLANE principle of transparency aligns with PEAR’s focus on Reputation, as open communication about risks and decisions builds internal and external trust. When information flows effectively within a team, individuals are better prepared to make proportionate, accountable, and ethical decisions. Chronic unease complements this by encouraging teams to question assumptions and share even minor concerns, reinforcing an atmosphere where transparency and vigilance are prioritised over complacency.
Leadership plays a central role in setting and maintaining high ethical standards. Leaders in high-hazard industries can draw on the PLANE model’s emphasis on accountability and the PEAR framework’s focus on protecting People and Assets to make decisions that exemplify integrity and responsibility. Effective leaders also instil a sense of chronic unease within their teams, recognising that a mindful awareness of risk can be a catalyst for maintaining high standards and constant improvement. Leaders who model an ongoing commitment to ethical principles create high-performing teams that are equipped to respond proactively to emerging risks, rather than reacting only after issues arise.
A shared vision and goals further support ethical decision-making, especially when aligned with safety critical themes such as standards, communication, involvement, and risk management. In high-hazard industries, PEAR’s emphasis on the Environment and Reputation aligns with a goal of sustainable, responsible operations, while PLANE reinforces the importance of ethical, transparent decisions that can be justified to stakeholders. By fostering a shared vision that emphasises these ethical priorities, high-performing teams are encouraged to view their daily tasks through a broader lens, understanding how individual actions contribute to the organisation’s safety and integrity. Chronic unease here becomes an asset, prompting teams to regularly revisit and refine their goals to adapt to evolving risks and challenges.
Finally, psychological safety is essential for fostering an environment where ethical concerns are freely expressed and addressed. High-performing teams in high-hazard industries, like policing units, benefit from an atmosphere where members feel safe to raise questions, voice doubts, and report near-misses. In this context, chronic unease complements psychological safety by reinforcing that safety is never absolute and that ongoing vigilance is required. When teams operate with a healthy sense of unease, they are less likely to overlook small warning signs, and more likely to uphold the ethical principles of PLANE and PEAR by protecting people, the environment, and the organisation’s reputation through timely, transparent action.
The safety critical themes of standards, communication, involvement, and risk management are also strengthened when ethical decision-making is embedded within the culture. High standards provide a clear basis for evaluating actions, ensuring that they are proportionate, legal, and necessary. Open communication facilitates accountability and transparency, and team involvement encourages ethical decision-making, as more perspectives are considered and diverse insights are integrated into operational decisions. Risk management aligns naturally with chronic unease, as teams are encouraged to remain continuously aware of potential hazards and to act proactively in mitigating them.
In high-hazard industries, combining the ethical frameworks of PLANE and PEAR with high-performing team principles and safety critical themes enables organisations to achieve both operational resilience and ethical integrity. By fostering a culture of chronic unease an ever present awareness that things could go wrong organisations create high-performing teams that are vigilant, ethically grounded, and consistently aligned with their mission to protect people, assets, and the environment. This ongoing commitment to ethical and safety-focused decision-making not only enhances performance but also builds lasting trust and reputation in the high-hazard sector.
