We can learn a lot from incident, but we need to ask better questions. In part 1 with Dr Linda Bellamy, Linda explains why incident investigations should move past a human-focus and unpack: a. the barriers/controls that failed b. the task needed to maintain or use that barrier c. the conditions shaping the task d.… Continue reading SIFs, barrier & safety system failures & learning: Pt 1 with Dr Linda Bellamy
Author: Ben Hutchinson
Price or safety – Exploring the role of supply chain certifications and audits for SMEs’ health and safety management
Are supply chain certification audits adding value for small-to-medium businesses (SMEs)? This explored the value of these audits among a large retailer and its small fruit & veggie suppliers. PS. Check out my YouTube and recent Critical Control / barrier vid: https://youtu.be/Ly1mEn_KCLQ?si=yG3yRVOM0r2eyyKI Shout a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/benhutchinson Extracts: · “analysis reveals that supply chain certifications and the… Continue reading Price or safety – Exploring the role of supply chain certifications and audits for SMEs’ health and safety management
The Origins, Impacts and Future of High Reliability Organizations Research: A Reflective Essay
Did HROs succeed by **not** managing the unexpected? An interesting article from two of the original HRO researchers discussing its origins and potential future. And they mildly clarify a misconception from Weick & alternative streams of HRO theory, saying HROs didn’t actually focus on managing the unexpected. PS. Check out my YouTube and recent Critical… Continue reading The Origins, Impacts and Future of High Reliability Organizations Research: A Reflective Essay
Dr Linda Bellamy part 1: SIFs & the links between minor and major incidents
Is there a link between fatal and minor hazard exposures? Recent SIF research & campaigns suggest ‘NO’ – what kills people aren’t the same as what hurts them. But is that scientifically accurate? In part 1 of my chat with Dr Linda Bellamy, we discuss how Linda undertook perhaps the largest study of this kind… Continue reading Dr Linda Bellamy part 1: SIFs & the links between minor and major incidents
Safe As: Writing better procedures 2 pt series, and new series of Quickisodes starting with a Safety-II debrief tool
Let’s gooo…Just finished editing a two-part series on writing better procedures. Part 1 looks more at the technical side – action verbs, equipment identifiers, splitting compound instructions, and hazard labels. We also unpack cognitive load, numbered steps, conditional logics (if/then) and high-risk hold-points and more. Actually, we start with a more important question – do… Continue reading Safe As: Writing better procedures 2 pt series, and new series of Quickisodes starting with a Safety-II debrief tool
Can adding more controls / barriers create new failure modes?
Can adding more controls / barriers create new failure modes? …maybe. Adding new controls doesn’t leave the surrounding work unchanged. A control may prevent one event while obstructing another function, shifting risk elsewhere, or introducing byproducts that weren’t initially anticipated. E.g. a barricade protecting plant / pedestrian collisions may also obstruct visibility, or an alarm… Continue reading Can adding more controls / barriers create new failure modes?
The More Who Die, the Less We Care: Evidence from Natural Language Analysis of Online News Articles and Social Media Posts
At what point does the loss of human life become mere statistics? This study analysed >100k mentions of death in news articles and social media posts based on valence (overall positive or negative qualities) and arousal (the degree of intensity people have about the text), grouped by number of deaths mentioned. Paul Slovic was a… Continue reading The More Who Die, the Less We Care: Evidence from Natural Language Analysis of Online News Articles and Social Media Posts
Differences in SIF Risk Perceptions among Construction Experts
Would two construction experts see the same SIF threat on the same site? This study from Frank Benin, Sid Bhandari & Matthew Hallowell evaluated how 19 construction experts perceive the likelihood of SIFs during routine work and how confident they were in those assessments. Assessments were sought via 3 work site scenario photos (so note… Continue reading Differences in SIF Risk Perceptions among Construction Experts
WHEN IS PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY HELPFUL IN ORGANIZATIONS? A LONGITUDINAL STUDY
When is psychological safety helpful in organisations? When are higher perceived levels not? This investigated New York City public score responses (545 schools) and 170k survey responses to explore the boundary conditions. They contrast the effects of PS with both psychological empowerment (the extent individuals see their work as having impact or being important) and… Continue reading WHEN IS PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY HELPFUL IN ORGANIZATIONS? A LONGITUDINAL STUDY
Critical Controls & Barriers / Part 4: What are barrier models leaving out? A Safety-II Critique
A bowtie or critical control register may be useful tools, but they aren’t the work itself. In Part 4 of this YouTube series, I unpack what control / barrier models can leave out: e.g. changing conditions, competing goals, control dependencies, unintended consequences and the adaptations people make to keep work functioning. I also explore how… Continue reading Critical Controls & Barriers / Part 4: What are barrier models leaving out? A Safety-II Critique
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