This study evaluated the evidence around the attenuation of skill in high-risk industries. One challenge is the skill decay for handling non-routine situations. Skill decay is defined as “the inability to retrieve formerly trained and acquired knowledge and skills after periods of non-use with a consequence of decreased performance” (p2). Learning complex cognitive skills is… Continue reading Factors Influencing Attenuating Skill Decay in High-Risk Industries – a scoping review

Do psychosocial work factors influence chronic low back pain (CLBP)? Yes, according to this meta-analysis of 18 studies (N = 19,572 of pooled participants). Psychosocial work factors like workload, job control and social support were found to be significantly related to CLBP. **** ABSTRACT Background The aim of this review was to synthesize the evidence on the… Continue reading Psychosocial areas of worklife and chronic low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis

This explored how Safety-I (S-I) and Safety-II (S-II) perspectives can be jointly adopted in construction projects – one in Brazil and another Norway. Safety planning and event reporting were evaluated. For background, S-I has a long and established history and is largely “based on understanding of risk through failure and past events” whereas “Safety-II has… Continue reading Safety-I and safety-II: opportunities for an integrated approach in the construction industry

What is the relationship between physical activity and prolonged sitting with health risks of sitting? This study found that the amount of physical activity needed to offset sitting risks is substantially less than has been previously highlighted (particularly during that militant “era” of sit-stand desks a few years back). ** ABSTRACT Background: It is unclear… Continue reading Sitting time, physical activity, and risk of mortality in adults

This paper discussed some “hard truths” in the assurance of human performance in high risk environments. Namely drawing on insights from cognitive decision making, heuristics & biases, bowtie analyses and weaknesses in the way human factors are considered in barrier management. It’s said human performance continues to be relied on as a control, yet organisations… Continue reading Human Factors in Barrier Management: Hard Truths and Challenges

One of the more important studies I’ve posted in a while…coffee is super. The greatest reduction in all-cause mortality was found for 3.5 cups/day, 2.5 cups/day for cardiovascular disease, and 2 cups/day for cancer mortality. The relationship between all-cause mortality and coffee consumption was found irrespective of age, overweight status, alcohol, smoking and caffeine status.… Continue reading Coffee consumption and all‑cause and cause‑specific mortality:a meta‑analysis by potential modifiers

This was really interesting. It explored when does leader humility lead to positive versus negative worker outcomes and why? Leader humility is defined as “an interpersonal characteristic that emerges in social contexts that connotes (a) a manifested willingness to view oneself accurately, (b) a displayed appreciation of others’ strengths and contributions, and (c) teachability, or… Continue reading The double-edged sword of leader humility: Investigating when and why leader humility promotes versus inhibits subordinate deviance

ABSTRACT Individuals in high-risk occupations (e.g., military service) often report physical, psychological, and organizational problems. Although leaders can partially buffer their subordinates against these problems, the impact of established leadership skills appears limited, especially in high-risk occupations. Thus, building on recent theories of domain-specific leadership, we examined whether leadership focused on the specific domain of… Continue reading Sleep Leadership in High-Risk Occupations: An Investigation of Soldiers on Peacekeeping and Combat Missions

Has the concept of safety culture become a “grab bag of behavioral and other visible characteristics” that has lost much of its depth and subtlety? This is a fantastic paper by Frank Guldenmund scheduled for a summary in the near future. Some points I liked: ·        Facets of culture and how they relate to performance largely… Continue reading Understanding or misunderstanding safety culture

This paper drew on a real medical failure event to discuss three artificial perspectives on learning: 1) a human centred/cognitive perspective (what things looked like from the doctor’s perspective) 2) an organisational perspective (a view of the healthcare system & hospital configuration) 3) a joint human/org. perspective (a blend of the views) I say artificial… Continue reading Overlooking causes in healthcare accident investigation: Choosing the analysis is choosing the results