Integrating the best of BBS & HOP

This 2018 article has already done the rounds – but may mildly interest people who have not read it; titled “Integrating the best of BBS & HOP”.

It discusses the strengths of leveraging both HOP and BBS perspectives to improve workplace safety.

Probably not the most powerful arguments from both sides, but at least it’s not mud slinging.

One argument I found strange was their discussion around how HOP proponents “acknowledge the occurrence of intentional and unintentional deviation, most emphasize normalized deviation, which reflects larger system issues”.

Namely, they say that normalisation of deviance (NOD) is characterised by “Essentially, employees operate below the highest standards of the job and fail to follow all prescribed procedures and job expectations”.

Explaining NOD as essentially people not following all prescribed procedures is pretty obscure and misleading, since Vaughan discussed how most people, most of the time, were following the procedures. But, whatever.