SafetyInsights.org

I’ve covered a bit on the links between shift lengths and safety/risk. (Cliffs notes: it’s more complicated than just shift hours and involves a raft of factors), but don’t think I’ve covered much on the links between shift length and productivity. Ferguson and Dawson’s excellent 2011 paper covered a range of topics on the relative… Continue reading Shift length and productivity: 12-h and 8-h

This systematic review explores how healthcare translates risk analysis and investigation to action plans, such as how risk controls were determined and implemented (e.g. Hierarchy of Control), and whether these were successful. Of 231 identified studies, 60 met inclusion criteria. Results None of the studies in the review used any systematic method for generating risk… Continue reading Successful risk assessment may not always lead to successful risk control: A systematic literature review of risk control after root cause analysis

This study explored the relationship between OHS enforcement from OSHA and a firm’s future violation behaviour (violation being penalties issued by the inspectorate). Regression analysis based on a sample of 2,965 US manufacturers with 4,474 violation records issued by OSHA was analysed. The following questions were explored: 1) Will firms take corrective action responsibly and… Continue reading Safety regulation enforcement and production safety: The role of penalties and voluntary safety management systems

Not much to add to the attached. Woods et al. in “Behind Human Error” discuss the necessary adaptation required by operators. That is, they argue “In contrast with the view that practitioners are the main source of unreliability in an otherwise successful system, close examination of how the system works in the face of everyday… Continue reading Sharp end adaptations and complexity

This study explored individual factors that contribute to risk of shift work disorder and particularly in the context of sleep hygiene. Several surveys, including the Shift Work Disorder Questionnaire, Sleep Hygiene Index and Morningnness-Eveningness Questionnare were used among 202 nurses. Sleep hygiene is a set of behavioural and environmental practices to assist with insomnia and… Continue reading The role of sleep hygiene in the risk of Shift Work Disorder in nurses

I just summarised a recent paper that explored the role that regulatory violations/penalties have on repeat violation behaviour (and interestingly, how OHSAS 18001 is involved in this relationship). Will be posted in the coming week or two. This paper provided a very brief literature review of prior work showing the efficacy of violations on firm… Continue reading Regulatory/OSHA safety violations/penalties and the effect on organisational outcome

This explored whether providing a safe workplace improves or hinders organisational survival (survival being how long the company lasts/remains financially capable). They studied over 100,000 firms over 25 years in Oregon, measuring links between a firm’s short-term claims cost (STCC) and long-term claims cost (STCC) for disabling injuries, with an interest in a firm’s risk… Continue reading The Tension Between Worker Safety and Organization Survival

I re-read the AIHS’s OHS BOK chapter on “Organisational Culture: Reviewed and Repositioned” from David Borys. I found the two attached redrafted extracts pretty interesting – highlighting the apparent empirical and practical challenges of safety culture. The chapter also included a brief but interesting discussion around how climate and culture “are metaphors we use to… Continue reading A critical view of safety culture: AIHS OHS BOK

This conference paper very briefly described a human factors analysis of rail freight yard performance, based on observations, expert elicitation and task mapping. Five freight yards, 35 hours of observations, and >30 staff interviews were included. Whether if you work in rail or not, this paper gives a really brief and high-level overview of how… Continue reading Human performance in the rail freight yard

This 2004 paper used diary methodology to track employee self-reported incidents/events and errors (including recovery from errors), and also the reasons why they would or wouldn’t normally report that event. 21 operators in a chemical plant over 15 working days completed the diaries. Providing background: ·        It’s said that while use of incident reporting schemes are… Continue reading Biases in incident reporting databases: an empirical study in the chemical process industry