Our mental shortcuts (heuristics) serve us well. They help us navigate a complex, ambiguous world normally safely and efficiently. But in modern organisations, they can sometimes lead us astray – via biases. In this context, biases are systematic distortions away from an expected decision or judgement. This article from Daniel Kahneman and colleagues, unpack some… Continue reading Why do leaders make terrible decisions? 12 questions to debias decisions
Author: Ben Hutchinson
When Managers Stay, Workers Are Safer: Rethinking the Value of Firm-Specific Human Capital
Does increasing manager retention and/or firm-specific capital improve reported incident data? This study analysed 16 years of data from >19k US firms. Note the various limitations, including human capital was evaluated indirectly via tenure, which was informed via some US law that aimed to limit managers changing companies, due to sharing company secrets. PS. Check… Continue reading When Managers Stay, Workers Are Safer: Rethinking the Value of Firm-Specific Human Capital
Day of the Dead: Leadership for zombie apocalypses
What can zombie apocalypses teach us about ideal leadership? Quite a lot, it seems. This ep explores a study that used Day of the Dead to unpack leadership under stress. Check it out, and if you find it useful, then please share my channel with your network, and subscribe, like, and leave a comment on… Continue reading Day of the Dead: Leadership for zombie apocalypses
The role of spatial distance to hazards in risk perception: A systematic literature review
The role of spatial distance to hazards in risk perception: A systematic literature review Not sure who this will interest – but it reviewed the evidence on how the spatial proximity to hazards alters risk perception. 54 studies met inclusion. Shared under open access licence. PS. Check out my YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@safe_as_pod Extracts:
Matt Hallowell: Predictors of more effective risk controls
What are some predictors on the use of higher-order risk controls in the field? Here Matthew Hallowell discusses research which unpacked this question. Link in comments – and links to his full interviews. If you find these videos useful then would appreciate a sub & repost! Full interview:pt1: https://youtu.be/-2cKTn8zvtApt2: https://youtu.be/LurUv4BD5xM
Safe As – ticked over 500 subs
So, probably should celebrate small wins as they happen…my channel just ticked over 500 subs since I launched in Jan 26. 60+ vids and >40k views. So, *miniscule* numbers in the grand scheme, and no Mr Beast, but people seem a little more interested then I thought they’d be going into it. 95% male audience.… Continue reading Safe As – ticked over 500 subs
Ed Schein’s view of Safety Culture: culture is a property of groups and SC shouldn’t be given conceptual status
Did you check out my recent YT vid exploring Safety Culture (SC)? It covers several critiques and points from research: https://youtu.be/QBzOd-uejXg?si=rMbQgCRryXOYx3u0 Here’s an extract I found interesting, discussing the late, great *Ed Schein’s view of SC (taken from Teemu Reiman & Carl Rollenhagen, 2014). Schein was said to be critical of SC – believing that… Continue reading Ed Schein’s view of Safety Culture: culture is a property of groups and SC shouldn’t be given conceptual status
Into the workers’ domain: witnessing a construction site accident
This was interesting – describes an ethnographic study where the researcher was onsite recording/observing work on job craft/craftsmanship, when they observed a minor site incident. It’s framed about the researcher’s contention that this hazard was normalised by the workers – but an entirely “mundane and accepted dimension of everyday site practice”. First they unpack some… Continue reading Into the workers’ domain: witnessing a construction site accident
SafetyInsights.org 