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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/oct/28/dreamworlds-management-should-take-responsibility-and-stop-the-weasel-words
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| Dreamworld's management should take responsibility and stop the weasel words Dreamworld's management should take responsibility and stop the weasel words | |
| (2 months later) | |
| This was the statement released by Dreamworld on Thursday: “Dreamworld would like to assure the public and park guests that at the time of the incident the park was fully compliant with all required safety certifications.” | This was the statement released by Dreamworld on Thursday: “Dreamworld would like to assure the public and park guests that at the time of the incident the park was fully compliant with all required safety certifications.” |
| In the history of crisis management, this would have to be up there with one of the worst things a company has said. As someone pointed out on the radio, it would be akin to a plane crashing and the company saying the plane was safe at the time of the crash. | In the history of crisis management, this would have to be up there with one of the worst things a company has said. As someone pointed out on the radio, it would be akin to a plane crashing and the company saying the plane was safe at the time of the crash. |
| Four people died, so all the “required safety certifications” means sweet FA. Is this supposed to make the families feel better? “Sorry but we were compliant?” | Four people died, so all the “required safety certifications” means sweet FA. Is this supposed to make the families feel better? “Sorry but we were compliant?” |
| If people died, your ride wasn’t safe. | If people died, your ride wasn’t safe. |
| We are not talking “an act of God” here like a lightning strike or something that could not have been predicted. This is man-made equipment operated by people. Somewhere, someone or a few people did not do their jobs. Is there a blame game? Damn straight there is. And the reason there is a blame game happening is because the company doesn’t seem to be taking responsibility. | We are not talking “an act of God” here like a lightning strike or something that could not have been predicted. This is man-made equipment operated by people. Somewhere, someone or a few people did not do their jobs. Is there a blame game? Damn straight there is. And the reason there is a blame game happening is because the company doesn’t seem to be taking responsibility. |
| Crisis Management 101 says you “React, Respond and Reassure”. What Ardent is doing is React, Respond and Defend. When four people die in your care, on your equipment, do not defend yourself. | Crisis Management 101 says you “React, Respond and Reassure”. What Ardent is doing is React, Respond and Defend. When four people die in your care, on your equipment, do not defend yourself. |
| What the response should have been was: “We are sorry. We will have a transparent and thorough process to find out exactly what went wrong. And we will put measures into place to ensure that never happens again.” | What the response should have been was: “We are sorry. We will have a transparent and thorough process to find out exactly what went wrong. And we will put measures into place to ensure that never happens again.” |
| Any company of that size operating in that sphere should have had a plan in place to deal with a crisis. Either the plan hasn’t been followed or it didn’t exist. Either way is an indictment on the organisational processes of the company. | Any company of that size operating in that sphere should have had a plan in place to deal with a crisis. Either the plan hasn’t been followed or it didn’t exist. Either way is an indictment on the organisational processes of the company. |
| And the company’s mismanagement of the aftermath of the tragedy seemed to compound as the week went on. | And the company’s mismanagement of the aftermath of the tragedy seemed to compound as the week went on. |
| If the annual general meeting had to go ahead, then surely the vote on bonuses could have been postponed (Westfield has postponed votes in an AGM before). And the bonus money should have been donated at the time of the meeting, not after the media outcry about it – because then it looks like the company is responding to negative media rather then doing it because it is the right thing to do. | If the annual general meeting had to go ahead, then surely the vote on bonuses could have been postponed (Westfield has postponed votes in an AGM before). And the bonus money should have been donated at the time of the meeting, not after the media outcry about it – because then it looks like the company is responding to negative media rather then doing it because it is the right thing to do. |
| When the chief executive doesn’t seem to know that families haven’t been contacted, that’s a terrible look – not just because of the miscommunication but because as CEO she should have been making those calls. | When the chief executive doesn’t seem to know that families haven’t been contacted, that’s a terrible look – not just because of the miscommunication but because as CEO she should have been making those calls. |
| But although the CEO is the head of the company, this is not one person’s fault. There is a systemic issue throughout the company. | But although the CEO is the head of the company, this is not one person’s fault. There is a systemic issue throughout the company. |
| This is not a one-off tragedy handled badly. This was a tragedy waiting to happen from a company with a history of bad practice, secrecy and spin. | This is not a one-off tragedy handled badly. This was a tragedy waiting to happen from a company with a history of bad practice, secrecy and spin. |
| On Thursday, it said: “All our procedures and systems are constantly benchmarked against international best practice and ride manufacturer specifications.” These are weasel words because while “benchmarked” may sound like it means they are compliant with manufacturing guidelines, it doesn’t mean that at all. | On Thursday, it said: “All our procedures and systems are constantly benchmarked against international best practice and ride manufacturer specifications.” These are weasel words because while “benchmarked” may sound like it means they are compliant with manufacturing guidelines, it doesn’t mean that at all. |
| In fact, documentation in writing from 2014 clearly states that while Ardent was aware of the manufacturers’ guidelines, it had “a different view”, specifically in regards to the amount of operators who should be working on a ride. | In fact, documentation in writing from 2014 clearly states that while Ardent was aware of the manufacturers’ guidelines, it had “a different view”, specifically in regards to the amount of operators who should be working on a ride. |
| In 2012, an independent audit by an expert across 13 rides found breaches on all of them. And despite numerous attempts by the Australian Workers’ Union to obtain information about safety procedures at Dreamworld under the Right to Information Act, Ardent has thwarted every one of them. | In 2012, an independent audit by an expert across 13 rides found breaches on all of them. And despite numerous attempts by the Australian Workers’ Union to obtain information about safety procedures at Dreamworld under the Right to Information Act, Ardent has thwarted every one of them. |
| Ardent has a history of unsafe practices and of resisting recommendations on safety. Its crisis management is awful. But that’s the least of its problems. | Ardent has a history of unsafe practices and of resisting recommendations on safety. Its crisis management is awful. But that’s the least of its problems. |