~11k work-related deaths: 1% from accidents but 46% from occupational cancer. In 2019, an estimated ~11k work-related deaths occurred across the Nordic countries. Only 143, or 1%, were attributed to accidents at work. This data came from the report ‘Work today and in the future Part three. Work-related fatalities in the Nordic countries’. It attributes… Continue reading ~11k work-related deaths: 1% from accidents but 46% from occupational cancer
Author: Ben Hutchinson
The Rhetoric of Risk: Does the investigation form ‘write’ the findings before anyone investigates?
What if sometimes the investigation template has written the findings before anyone investigates? In Beverly Sauer’s interesting ‘Rhetoric of Risk’, she examines a US mining agency’s Physical Barrier Analysis Matrix. Via 50 accidents, it recorded that physical barriers were “not possible or practical” in most of them. For Sauer, this form “seems constructed to support”… Continue reading The Rhetoric of Risk: Does the investigation form ‘write’ the findings before anyone investigates?
If procedural deviation is a primary ’cause’ of failure, what if it’s also a primary ’cause’ of success? (Safe As Quickisodes)
If procedural deviation is a primary ’cause’ of failure, what if it’s also a primary ’cause’ of success? Today on Safe As Quickisodes, I rapidly unpack a study tracking 1,422 procedural steps across 40 petrochemical operations. Link in comments. Using their Skip-Order-Action (SOA) Framework, they explored how frontline personnel navigate written instructions in practice: revealing… Continue reading If procedural deviation is a primary ’cause’ of failure, what if it’s also a primary ’cause’ of success? (Safe As Quickisodes)
Free webinar on audits and safety assurance
If you’re interested, I’ll be catching up with the Critical Risk Group to discuss all things audits and safety assurance (mostly failures…) Register here: https://bit.ly/4hKmMJ8
SIF construction fall from height risk 10x higher than occupational health exposure limit – Swedish study
How much “risk” do organisations accept at work? This new Swedish study of scaffolders estimated a projected working-life risk of around 3.1 to 3.6% for a “very serious injury” (e.g. a fatal fall from height or fall resulting in at least 1 year sick leave). Interestingly, and perhaps provocatively, the authors compare this estimate with… Continue reading SIF construction fall from height risk 10x higher than occupational health exposure limit – Swedish study
The One‐Per‐Thousand Effect: Rare Catastrophic Events, Hindsight, and Defensive Medicine in Modern Obstetrics
Can one tragic event make things worse for thousands who aren’t at risk? Really interesting conceptual paper discussing a one-per-thousand effect: the process which “a rare catastrophic outcome acquires an organisational influence disproportionate to its frequency”. PS. Check out my YouTube: https://youtube.com/@safe_as_pod?si=V2dbdmW–WbnhzA9 Shout a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/benhutchinson Extracts: • “Every obstetrician remembers the newborn who was… Continue reading The One‐Per‐Thousand Effect: Rare Catastrophic Events, Hindsight, and Defensive Medicine in Modern Obstetrics
‘Getting It Right’ About Error: Why We Must Stop Pretending Errors in Construction Can and Should Be Eliminated
Does chasing zero errors help us improve, or make errors harder to ‘see’? This article from Peter E.D Love reviews a range of studies to reframe error – and provides 10 alternative propositions (which I tabulated in image 1). PS. Check out my YouTube: https://youtube.com/@safe_as_pod?si=V2dbdmW–WbnhzA9 Shout a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/benhutchinson Extracts: • “organizations should reframe errors… Continue reading ‘Getting It Right’ About Error: Why We Must Stop Pretending Errors in Construction Can and Should Be Eliminated
Boeing 737 MAX Disaster: When High-Authority Systems Go “Strong, Silent, and Wrong” (YouTube)
What happens when a high-authority automated system operates with an incorrect model of reality? This question is explored via Dekker & Woods’ (2024) article on automated systems that are Strong, Silent, and Wrong. Check it out on my YouTube – link in comments. We explore the breakdown of human-automation coordination, mode confusion, and automation surprises,… Continue reading Boeing 737 MAX Disaster: When High-Authority Systems Go “Strong, Silent, and Wrong” (YouTube)
This week on Safe As: How near misses *increases* risk, and how fatigue leads to inattentional blindness
Can near misses increase risky decision-making? This week on Safe As, I spoke with Professor Robin Dillon-Merrill covering her work on how near misses can desensitise us to risk – challenging the rhetoric around the importance of reporting them. Robin discussed how organisations routinely misinterpret near misses and mistake luck for system resilience. Namely: •… Continue reading This week on Safe As: How near misses *increases* risk, and how fatigue leads to inattentional blindness
Beyond Supervision: The Power of Role Clarity in Construction Safety Climate
How important is individual role clarity and supervisor presence in construction safety? This surveyed 810 front-line workers across 74 US projects covering their roles, experience, supervisor onsite engagement, and perceptions of the organisation’s commitment to safety. PS. Check out my YouTube: https://youtube.com/@safe_as_pod?si=V2dbdmW–WbnhzA9 Shout a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/benhutchinson Extracts: • “Companies with a well-established safety climate [SC]… Continue reading Beyond Supervision: The Power of Role Clarity in Construction Safety Climate
