Another post spruiking yesterday’s compendium of indicator research – link here. The attached images highlight some further considerations around indicators – no methodology or logics here, just scattered extracts. · Image 1 highlights that simple lead / lag denominations may not adequately cover the full performance spectrum of indicators. And there’s more detailed analyses than this… Continue reading Indicating what Indicators Indicate… a follow-on post about safety indicators
Research Compendium: Safety & Risk Performance indicators (lead, lag, drive, process safety + more)
This compendium covers several themes relating to safety performance indicators / risk indicators / process safety indicators. The following topics are covered: Note: Shout me a coffee Indicator Definitions Australian Constructors Association. Lead Indicators Safety Measurement in the Construction Industry: https://www.constructors.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Lead-Performance-Indicators-Guideline.pdf Guo, B. H., & Yiu, T. W. (2016). Developing leading indicators to monitor the… Continue reading Research Compendium: Safety & Risk Performance indicators (lead, lag, drive, process safety + more)
Behavioral Observations Reduce the Probability of Injury for a Week
Here’s one that may interest (trigger) people. This poster presentation highlights the effects of behavioural observations on reported safety incidents the following week. They looked at data over two years from a chemical manufacturing plant and oil refinery plant respectively. I’m always a bit sceptical on studies which rely on behavioural observations, and more importantly,… Continue reading Behavioral Observations Reduce the Probability of Injury for a Week
Wrong, Strong, and Silent: What happens when automated systems with high autonomy and high authority misbehave?
This article from Dekker and Woods discusses the ‘risks of literal-minded automation’, being a “system that can’t tell if its model of the world is the world it is actually in”. This issue manifests in automated systems being wrong, strong and silent—and while the issue has existed for at least 70 years, the risk “looms… Continue reading Wrong, Strong, and Silent: What happens when automated systems with high autonomy and high authority misbehave?
A Systems Thinking Approach to Leading Indicators in the Petrochemical Industry
I’m putting together the next Research Compendium, covering indicator definitions, frameworks and examples. Showing my own bias is a focus on Nancy Leveson’s work. This post has some extracts from her article ‘A Systems Thinking Approach to Leading Indicators in the Petrochemical Industry’. This is based on what Leveson calls “assumption-based indicators”. That is, developing… Continue reading A Systems Thinking Approach to Leading Indicators in the Petrochemical Industry
Harnessing the power of ChatGPT to promote Construction Hazard Prevention through Design (CHPtD)
This study compared whether ChatGPT can assist in hazard recognition during Construction Hazard Prevention Through Design (CHPtD) sessions (e.g. safety in design). Via randomised controlled experimental design, 162 civil and construction engineering students were tasked with hazard recognition activities with or without ChatGPT assistance. Providing background: Results: Ref: Uddin, S. J., Albert, A., & Tamanna,… Continue reading Harnessing the power of ChatGPT to promote Construction Hazard Prevention through Design (CHPtD)
Thinking About Process Safety Indicators
This well-cited paper from Hopkins (2007) discusses some of the inconsistencies that existed at the time (and likely does still) about process safety indicators, and the definitions and uses of other indicators like leading and lagging. This paper sparked a number of interested follow-up papers from other authors – I’ll cover some of these soon.… Continue reading Thinking About Process Safety Indicators
The relationships between safety professionals and incident performance
What’s the relationship between safety professionals and incident frequency? I was reminded recently (thanks Stuart Hughes) that I ran a simple project a while back looking at if there was any guidance or evidence behind the effects of safety professionals on incidents, and whether having more or less changes the impact. I didn’t find much… Continue reading The relationships between safety professionals and incident performance
From individual behaviour to system weaknesses: The re-design of the Just Culture process in an international energy company. A case study
This 2018 paper explored the effects of a re-designed Just Culture (JC) process in an international energy company. It’s a solid read and worth your time – I’ve had to skip heaps. Providing background: · This organisation started using the James Reason JC framework in 201, but collective experience in the organisation “indicated that the… Continue reading From individual behaviour to system weaknesses: The re-design of the Just Culture process in an international energy company. A case study
Fantasy planning: The gap between systems of safety and safety of systems
Not sure if I ever properly shared this – but this was my first conference paper released back in 2018. It’s a HIGHLY condensed version of a much larger paper I wrote, and hope to publish one day. It covers a range of topics around symbolic safety, false assurance, ‘fantasy planning’, and catastrophic accidents which… Continue reading Fantasy planning: The gap between systems of safety and safety of systems
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