This conference paper from Leonidas Brasileiro, Julio Cesar de Faria Alvim Wasserman and Gilson Brito Alves Lima may interest you. It explored how different concepts under HF and New View have been applied to management systems via literature review (2000 – 2023). Note: I’ve skipped a lot, so check out the paper. Some extracts: · “New… Continue reading Human Factors and New Views of safety applied to management systems: A systematic literature review
Management walk-arounds: Lessons from the Gulf of Mexico oil well blowout
This 2011 paper from Andrew Hopkins discusses the function of management walkarounds, and their role in the genesis of major accidents, using the Macondo blowout accident. *** Note: This type of description is replete with counterfactuals and the clarity of hindsight, so keep that in mind. Overall, Hopkins argues that despite the best intentions of… Continue reading Management walk-arounds: Lessons from the Gulf of Mexico oil well blowout
Examining the asymptote in safety progress: A literature review
This paper is highly recommended. I can’t do it justice as it covers a lot of material, but the authors argue that a range of safety practices and beliefs are linked to a plateau in safety performance improvements. Practices associated with compliance, control and quantification could be, at least partially, responsible for this inability to… Continue reading Examining the asymptote in safety progress: A literature review
What are we to make of safe behaviour programs?
This 2006 discussion paper from Andrew Hopkins critically discusses some assumptions underlying safe behaviour programs and some of their limitations in the context of complex systems. I can only cover some of the points, so recommend you read the full paper. Note: Trigger warning for those who violently object to ‘unsafe behaviour’. Overall, Hopkins argues:… Continue reading What are we to make of safe behaviour programs?
The harms of promoting ‘Zero Harm’
This brief editorial discussed some challenges to zero harm approaches (‘absolute safety’) in healthcare. I particularly liked how the author argued that not only is zero harm not attainable, in an absolute sense, but “is unknowable”. Some points: · The authors encourage shifting away from ‘absolute safety’ “towards doing a better job of actively managing risk,… Continue reading The harms of promoting ‘Zero Harm’
The Use and Abuse of “Culture”
This well-known paper from Hopkins (found in several forms, book chapters, articles, presentations) critically challenges some core assumptions of safety culture. In short, directly quoting the paper: (1) Culture is a characteristic of a group, not an individual, and talk of culture must always specify the relevant group (2) Organisations have it within their power… Continue reading The Use and Abuse of “Culture”
Linking leader inclusiveness to work unit performance: The importance of psychological safety and learning from failures
This explored how leader behaviour influences how well clinical units learn from failure and on team performance based in hospitals. 55 clinical units (with an avg of 20 people per unit) & 224 workers were surveyed. Leader inclusiveness (leader behaviours of being available, accessible and inviting input, openness and showing fallibility), psychological safety and unit… Continue reading Linking leader inclusiveness to work unit performance: The importance of psychological safety and learning from failures
Hazard identification performance comparison between virtual reality and traditional construction safety training modes for different learning style individuals.
This new study may interest people – it compared hazard identification performance between VR and traditional construction safety training. They also compared the results to different learning styles (which I’ve skipped). Key findings: · “both traditional and VR training can improve the efficiency of visual search during individual hazard identification, increase hazard identification accuracy by individuals,… Continue reading Hazard identification performance comparison between virtual reality and traditional construction safety training modes for different learning style individuals.
Safety checklist compliance and a false sense of safety: New directions for research
This discussion paper explored the checklists and false senses of safety. In healthcare they say that probably the best known version of the checklist is the WHO surgical safety checklist. Prior work has generally shown positive effects, like reduced care complications and 30-day mortality rate. Interesting though, studies on compliance rates of the WHO checklist… Continue reading Safety checklist compliance and a false sense of safety: New directions for research
Models of drift: man-made disaster & incubation, systemic migration, normalisation of deviance, practical drift
More extracts from Foundations of Safety Science, this time some points around the different perspectives of drift and disaster incubation. Some points: · “Disasters do not come out of the blue, says man-made disaster theory” but are “preceded by sometimes lengthy periods of gradually increasing risk” · These risks often go unnoticed or unrecognised – incubation period… Continue reading Models of drift: man-made disaster & incubation, systemic migration, normalisation of deviance, practical drift
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