When you’re standing on the frontline making an operational call, risk doesn’t come with a green or red light. You have to make a binary decision: stop or go.
We don’t necessarily make it easy for our decision-makers to make good, defendable decisions.
This video unpacks Andrew Hopkins’ 2011 Safety Science article, “Risk Management & Rule Compliance: Decision-making in hazardous industries”.
Hopkins argues that choosing between risk management and rule compliance is a false choice – they’re complementary, not contradictory.
Because risk sits on a continuum but decisions require a definitive line in the sand, high-hazard industries must translate broad risk management principles into clear operational rules for the sharp end.
What is covered:
a. Why risk management and rule compliance must co-exist and complement each other.
b. Why frontline workers need clear ‘do it or don’t’ thresholds rather than numerical risk criteria.
c. Goal, Process, and Action Rules.
d. Why risk assessments can be more ‘legitimation rituals’.
PS. Check out my YouTube: https://youtube.com/@safe_as_pod?si=iUaDPJynPemQRZhY
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