SafetyInsights.org

Happy to share our latest study on audit failures. It is full open access. This study focused on the mechanisms of how safety audits fail, according to accident investigations. After screening thousands of accident reports, we were left with a sample of 44 reports for evaluation (primarily from the US and the CSB). We were… Continue reading My latest paper on audit failures: a counterfactual analysis based on 44 major accident reports

Do perceptions of individual blame and error contribute to nursing aide (caregiver henceforth) assault and lack of reporting? Yes, according to a study to be posted shortly. This study explored the beliefs and organizational contexts of caregiver assaults due to aggressive residents. Although the cohort is pretty specific (caregivers in rural nursing homes), the social… Continue reading Attributions of blame and individual error in workplace assault and aggression mask the underlying issues

This study examined the malleable nature of safety compliance activities (adherence to procedures etc.) and how this can change on a daily basis with the impact of Passive Avoidant Leadership (PAL) styles. Laissez-faire leadership & management-by-exception are often referred to as PAL. Also studied was the effects of moral disengagement (where people disengage from humane… Continue reading Passive avoidant leadership and safety non-compliance: A 30 days diary study among naval cadets

This may interest people – it comes from a paper that systematically reviewed the literature on the antecedents of safety cognition in construction workers. Cognition is “all processes by which … sensory inputs is transformed, reduced, elaborated, stored, recovered, and used”. It’s great that they broadened cognition from just an individual process to the broader… Continue reading Systematic review of the antecedents involved in construction worker cognition and risk perception

This paper explored the links between psychological safety, Lean implementation and construction safety. Surveys and semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 17 construction workers (project managers, workers, senior managers, engineers and more). Providing background: ·         They briefly cover some of the empirical links between lean implementation and project and safety performance ·         One study “concluded that… Continue reading Assessing Psychological Safety in Lean Construction Projects in the United States

A coroner’s report detailing a workplace fatality relating to an exploding gas strut. Such a relatively ‘simple’ failure resulted in a tragic outcome when a gas strut on a trailer was tapped with a hammer and the hammer claw was used to lever it over the thread. The strut subsequently exploded, killing one person. The… Continue reading Coroners report: exploding gas strut; poor manufactured quality, no engineering design, drawings or advice, lack of risk assessment on installation process

This study has been cited a lot, so I thought time to summarise it. It studied the relationship between fatal and non-fatal accidents, and economic activity, in Finnish manufacturing and construction industries (between 1977 – 1991). Providing background: ·         They provide some brief background on fatal workplace accidents (as of 1998); being largely male workers… Continue reading Accidents and fatal accidents—some paradoxes

What are the links between psychosocial factors and safety in high-risk industries? A study to be posted soon systematically reviewed the evidence to answer this question. This 2023 study evaluated 40 studies on the links between psychosocial factors, hazards and risks, and their interactions with safety behaviours (compliance and participation) and safety outputs (accidents, near… Continue reading Links between psychosocial factors and safety behaviour and outputs in high-risk industries

What are the links between Psychological Safety (PS), Lean construction, and performance? A study soon to be posted found higher PS in Lean compared to non-lean. A small study of 17 construction workers (managers, engineers, trades) based in the US explored the links between these facets. Overall they found: ·        Lean implementation, with elements like respect… Continue reading Links between psychological safety and performance in Lean vs non-Lean US construction

his explored whether construction workers are more likely to recognise safety hazards of higher safety risk than those of relatively lower risk. That is, does the underlying risk imposed by a safety hazard affect whether it will be recognised or not? 287 workers across 57 construction companies were assessed via images of construction work (demonstrating… Continue reading Does the potential safety risk affect whether particular construction hazards are recognized or not?