Part 2 interview with Dom Cooper on YouTube. Over these 2 eps, we discuss BBS, SIFS, weaknesses of HOP, and a lively debate on whether we can trust injury outcome measures, and more. Please subscribe, like, comment (directly on the YT video), and help share with your network. 🙏 Shout me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/benhutchinsonSafe As… Continue reading Part 2 interview with Dom Cooper: SIFS, BBS, HOP, and can we trust injury outcome measures
Author: Ben Hutchinson
EHS Congress 2026 – let’s gooooo (sign up to my session if you’re attending)
Safety (and risk) nerds, ASSEMBLE! Have you signed up to my session at EHS Congress 2026 #EHSC, Wed 8:20am? I’ll be discussing my PhD research on the safety masquerade: how the systems we come to develop and trust, deceive us. Here are some benefits to attending – you’ll learn about: · False system assurance and the… Continue reading EHS Congress 2026 – let’s gooooo (sign up to my session if you’re attending)
Potentially fatal incidents: identification, classification and human factor analysis
Are incident investigations underestimating the SIF potential? This study suggests Yes. It reanalysed 62 investigation reports against a bespoke tool that incorporates energy thinking, barrier analysis and Human Factors/HFACS analysis. PS. Check out my YouTube: https://youtube.com/@safe_as_pod?si=iUaDPJynPemQRZhY Background: · They use the term ‘Potentially fatal incidents (PFIs)’ to designate those that can kill · “severity of… Continue reading Potentially fatal incidents: identification, classification and human factor analysis
How Near Misses Increase Risky Decisions
We’re frequently told how important it is to report, investigate and learn from all near misses / near hits. But can this well-intentioned logic INCREASE our propensity for risk taking behaviours? Research suggests Yes. Near misses can backfire: soothing our anxiety since we narrowly avoided a failure (resilient near miss), instead of sensitising us to… Continue reading How Near Misses Increase Risky Decisions
Snook Friendly Fire: “Seeing is not necessarily believing; sometimes we must believe before we can see… The Hind was constructed … at the intersection of a … ambiguous stimulus, a strong set of expectations, and a perverse desire to see an enemy”
Extracts from one of my fav books – Scott Snook’s Friendly Fire. It’s a masterclass in applying sensemaking to understand a tragic event – in this case the 1994 friendly fire shootdown of two US Black Hawks, mistaken for enemy Hind helicopters. I’ve recorded a YouTube vid focusing on the sensemaking / Weick & practical… Continue reading Snook Friendly Fire: “Seeing is not necessarily believing; sometimes we must believe before we can see… The Hind was constructed … at the intersection of a … ambiguous stimulus, a strong set of expectations, and a perverse desire to see an enemy”
Improving Remedial Measures from Incident Investigations: A Study Across Ghanaian Mines
What types of issues are mine investigations finding and fixing? This study – I think the first I’ve covered from Ghana – investigated the recommendations from 500 investigation reports. Findings are similar to investigations elsewhere (Aus, US etc) and similar to my audit findings research. PS. Check out my YouTube: https://youtube.com/@safe_as_pod?si=iUaDPJynPemQRZhY Findings: Feel Free to… Continue reading Improving Remedial Measures from Incident Investigations: A Study Across Ghanaian Mines
Your Doctor vs AI Chatbot – who do you trust more for medical advice?
Who would you trust more for medical advice – your doctor or an AI chatbot? I think most people would say their doctor. Interesting, some new research has found AI LLMs to outperform doctors on a range of recall knowledge tests – and sometimes quite significantly so. Though, of course, this is largely based on… Continue reading Your Doctor vs AI Chatbot – who do you trust more for medical advice?
Chance of sleep-related crash at different times of the day – 50x higher chance of falling asleep at 2am vs 10am
What is your chance of having a sleep-related vehicle crash per time of day? This older article (Horne & Reyner, 1995, J Sleep Res, 4(2)) shows the probabilities of vehicle crashes (controlled for traffic density, which is important). Clear time-of-day effects peaks are visible – particularly accidents around 2 – 6 am, and 3-4 pm.… Continue reading Chance of sleep-related crash at different times of the day – 50x higher chance of falling asleep at 2am vs 10am
Effects of participatory organizational interventions on mental health and work performance: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Are Participatory Organizational Interventions (POIs) to improve working conditions effective at improving workers’ mental health and work performance? This systematic review & meta-analysis explored just 14 studies that met inclusion to find out. Evaluated outcome measures were negative mental health (burnout, depression, anxiety), positive mental health (job satisfaction, well-being, work engagement) & work performance (work… Continue reading Effects of participatory organizational interventions on mental health and work performance: A systematic review and meta-analysis
The pitfalls of safety reporting metrics and ‘safewashing’ our way to disaster
Can our safety reporting and indicators mask signals that organisations are drifting to major failure? This episode unpacks two reports from Sharron O’Neill and colleagues looking at the pitfalls of safety reporting measures. We also explore weaknesses in annual safety reports – particularly how reports may be ‘safewashing’. Shout a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/benhutchinson
SafetyInsights.org 