SafetyInsights.org

Another interesting extract from James Reason below.

Jim discusses some paradoxes in safety. A paradox is “a statement contrary to received opinion; seemingly absurd though perhaps well-founded” (p3).

It’s noted that the pursuit of safety “abounds with paradox” (and likely all forms of organisational work).

I’ll post a summary of his paper in the next week or two but for now here are the paradoxes he discusses:

That is, in Reason’s view:

1.  health and safety is odd in that it more defines its success by the absence of safety (unsafety) rather than the presence of it.
2. Little considerations are given towards how efforts to increase safety can also, sometimes, backfire.
3. Excessively constraining the actions of people can also limit the agility needed to ensure safe and reliable work.
4. An uncritical focus on zero harm/target zero may lead an organisation to focus on the less important issues or less attainable goals.

For a paper >20 years old, these topics would pass as current in any contemporary debate.

Source:  Reason, J. (2000). Injury Control and Safety Promotion, 7(1), 3-14.

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Link to the LinkedIn post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/benhutchinson2_another-interesting-extract-from-james-reason-activity-6966165645205872640-35Bn?utm_source=linkedin_share&utm_medium=member_desktop_web