Cristian Sylvestre is the Managing Director of HabitSafe, an incident prevention programme that has achieved a consistent 60-90% reduction in workplace incidents of all severities within 6 to 12 months of its implementation. It also improves workplace engagement and moves safety culture forward.
Cristian has had a long career in safety, having held various senior safety and environmental roles in ICI, Shell and other organisations over a 25 year period where he has developed a unique way of thinking about safety.
Cristian is passionate about applying the latest discoveries of neuroscience and behavioural research to help individuals and organisations be safer - not from an academic or psychological perspective but from a practical one. He is currently assisting a number of organisations develop and implement leading edge incident prevention programs that involves workers, supervisors and other leaders. When things need to change, everyone needs to be involved in the process.
The programs he helps organisations implement reduce incident rates by helping people become aware of the main causes of inattention, how unintentional mistakes come about and what each person can do to minimise these, at work and outside. After all, a little more attention and no mistake is often the difference between a glancing blow and a direct hit.
He holds a Chemical Engineering Degree with Honours and a Masters, and is a frequent speaker at safety conferences across Australia, the US and abroad. He has presented numerous keynote presentations in public and private events to a varied number of industries.
Talking Points
Leading With Neuroscience to Help People Use Their Brain As Personal Protective Equipment
Despite strong investment in systems and training, serious incidents have plateaued. Neuroscience shows most incidents arise from inattention driven by subconscious Brain Modes, Complacency, Impatience and Fatigue. This Keynote gives leaders a whole-of-brain approach and a practical three-step method, Know the Way, Show the Way, Go the Way. Attendees learn how to coach attentive habits, lift psychological safety and reduce incidents at work, on the road and at home.Leading With Neuroscience to Help People Use Their Brain As Personal Protective Equipment
Key Takeaways
- Understand the three Subconscious Brain Modes and when each drives behaviour.
- Apply the leadership method, Know the Way, Show the Way, Go the Way, to influence attention.
- Use simple coaching scripts to build Attentive Habits that activate when it counts.
- Reduce incidents by addressing inattention, not just retraining or system tweaks.
- Improve engagement and psychological safety by helping people take ownership of their safety.
Complacency, The Invisible Risk on Autopilot
Complacency is present in most incidents because people run on Autopilot and habits for the majority of tasks. You can’t turn Autopilot off, you must work with human biology and replace Inattentive Habits with Attentive Habits. This session pinpoints the three situations where Complacency strikes most often, moving ourselves, moving things around us, and changes in surface or height, and the matching Attentive Habits that counter each. Leaders learn how to spot Complacency and coach habit change so safer behaviour happens automatically.Complacency, The Invisible Risk on Autopilot
Key Takeaways:
- Recognise how Autopilot and habits drive inattention, and why Complacency is common.
- Identify the three high-risk situations and the specific Attentive Habits that address them.
- Spot Complacency early using practical cues, then coach habit replacement effectively.
- Build systems and supports that make Attentive Habits stick, even when outcomes are usually “fine”.
- Lift safety performance without over-reliance on discipline or refresher training.
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