SafetyInsights.org

This study explored what and how safety leading indicators can be implemented in the construction industry, based on Delphi survey of construction professionals. They sought to answer these questions: 1. How are the safety leading indicators implemented in construction? 2. What are the barriers to effectively implementing safety leading indicators in construction organizations and projects?… Continue reading Implementing safety leading indicators in construction: Toward a proactive approach to safety management

One of several studies which have applied the HFACS (Human Factors Analysis and Classification System) methodology to understanding rail incidents. What I like about this study is that even though the HFACS methodology has a natural inclination towards mapping human-related action/inaction (error and violation, or variations of performance variability, whatever you want to call it),… Continue reading Understanding the human factors contribution to railway accidents and incidents in Australia

This may interest my exercise physiology network. It’s been close to 15 years since I worked in that field, so not sure if this is now widely known, but the war against free radicals and inflammation may be misplaced in many situations. This review paper concludes that: “there remains the perception that antioxidants can counterbalance… Continue reading Potential harms of supplementation with high doses of antioxidants in athletes

This used FRAM (Functional Resonance Analysis Method) to map how everyday work is carried out in the construction of concrete structures. It also focused on how internal & external variability could propagate between coupled functions & thus, affect construction performance. Data included on-site observations, document review & interview with 85 operators. I won’t focus much… Continue reading Using functional resonance analysis method to understand construction activities for concrete structures

David Woods in his chapter from “Learning from the Columbia Accident” discusses five general patterns found across a range of major accidents as noted by Erik Hollnagel’s 1993 paper. I’ll break this up into two posts – the full chapter and book are worth reading. #1 is drift toward failure, where defences erode over time… Continue reading Five common patterns of disaster – post 1

This study explored the effects of construction noise on worker safety behaviour via negative emotion, and how the effects are influenced by two types of regulatory focus: prevention and promotion focuses. 375 workers were surveyed in workshops. Providing background: ·        They hypothesise that construction noise is associated with negative emotion. Negative emotion is “annoyance, tension, anxiety,… Continue reading Linking construction noise to worker safety behavior: The role of negative emotion and regulatory focus

This study explored the role that physical fatigue plays on hazard recognition performance (HRP) pre and post fatigue using construction case studies and Safety Risk Assessment (SRA), which is the participant’s assessment of the frequency and severity of risks associated with identified hazards. Physical fatigue was tracked in real-time using a wearable sensor including heart… Continue reading Investigating the impact of physical fatigue on construction workers’ situational awareness

A recent paper reviewed the uses, shortcomings and “new advances” of Job Safety Analyses (JSAs). The below table of shortcomings may interest you, being a handy collection of citations – but nothing surprising I don’t think. Authors: GHASEMI, F., DOOSTI-IRANI, A., & AGHAEI, H. (2023). Safety and Health at Work. Study link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.shaw.2023.03.006 Link to the… Continue reading Shortcomings of JSA / Job Safety Analyses

This systematically reviewed evidence around mental health in the construction industry. 16 studies were included (culled from an initial list of 107, after removing lower-quality & duplicates etc.). 32 risk factors were identified. Results: Overall, although several studies have explored this topic – only a few were found to use reliable mental health assessment tools.… Continue reading Mental Ill-Health Risk Factors in the Construction Industry: Systematic Review

It’s fair to say I haven’t posted a lot of behavioural/BBS research (yeah…“I am Jack’s complete lack of surprise” to quote Fight Club). This is partly because, in my view, behaviour already captures a significant amount of organisational airtime. And also, I think it can distract from higher-order design changes in less mature organisations. Nevertheless,… Continue reading Behavior-based safety 2022: today’s evidence