Resilience terminology and a visualisation of resilience/robustness in practice

This may interest people. It covers concepts of resilient performance within seaports. It’s a bit random (seaports), but otherwise gives a handy overview of resilience terms and applications. The first two images are just basic definitions. Extracts: ·        Image 3 represents resilience elements during disruptions – from pre-disruption, to the disruption, then post-disruption. ·        During pre-disruption, the… Continue reading Resilience terminology and a visualisation of resilience/robustness in practice

The systems approach to medicine: controversy and misconceptions — Dekker & Leveson

This was a really brief discussion paper from Dekker and Leveson, covering systems thinking in medicine. Three parts – see comments. Nothing new for most, but they cover: ·        “The ‘systems approach’ to patient safety has recently led to questions about its ethics and practical utility” ·        E.g. A recent paper from a retired neurosurgeon questioned systems… Continue reading The systems approach to medicine: controversy and misconceptions — Dekker & Leveson

Identification of management traits related to human factors in new views of safety approaches

This paper from Leônidas Brasileiro and colleagues evaluated common attributes across approaches grouped under ‘New View’. i.e. HRO, S-II, SD, RE & HOP – they used both literature and Delphi method. Not a summary since you can read the full paper. It’s an accessible read if you’re keen to quickly understand some key differences and… Continue reading Identification of management traits related to human factors in new views of safety approaches

Human Error: Trick or Treat?

This 2007 chapter from Hollnagel unpacked whether we really need the concept of “human error” (HE). It’s a whole chapter, so I’ve skipped HEAPS. Tl;dr according to Hollnagel: ·         “there is no need of a theory of “human error” because the observed discrepancies in performance should be explained by a theory of normal performance rather… Continue reading Human Error: Trick or Treat?

Human Success: Old wine in new bottles, or a shift of mindset for HRA in an automated world?

A really interesting conference paper from Andreas Bye, discussing whether shifting Human Reliability Analysis (HRA) terminology from human error to human success would help alleviate some of the blame-connotations. Also discussed is the human role in automated systems. It was meant to be a mini-post with a few dot-points and a couple of images, but… Continue reading Human Success: Old wine in new bottles, or a shift of mindset for HRA in an automated world?

Analyzing Procedure Performance using Abstraction Hierarchy: Implications of Designing Procedures for High-risk Process Operations

This paper explored the use of procedures and operator performance from the perspective of work domain analysis/abstraction hierarchy. I’ve skipped heaps – the ‘doing’ part of the abstraction hierarchy, but their descriptions of the problem and the discussion had some gold. For context: ·         Procedural issues have been linked in a number of major accidents… Continue reading Analyzing Procedure Performance using Abstraction Hierarchy: Implications of Designing Procedures for High-risk Process Operations

The rise of learning teams: How organisations in Australia are adopting group learning practices for safety improvement

This Master’s thesis from Andrew Barrett explored group learning practices, like learning teams, for safety improvement. Specifically, he studied the following question via institutional ethnographic interviews: ·         how are organisations in Australia adopting group learning practices for safety improvement? Way too much to cover – so check out the thesis. Some background extracts: ·         “Safety… Continue reading The rise of learning teams: How organisations in Australia are adopting group learning practices for safety improvement

Resilient Procedures: Oxymoron or Innovation?

An interesting chapter from the late Bob Wears around ‘resilient procedures’. I’ve skipped heaps. They specifically explore: ·         what baggage tends to accompany procedures ·         what is bad about procedures ·         what is good about them ·         how procedures might be designed to support or even enhance resilience, instead of degrading it. Procedures are said… Continue reading Resilient Procedures: Oxymoron or Innovation?

“The fetishism of scientific management” – a 1912 criticism

An interesting critique of Scientific Management approach from 1912. Great title – ‘fetishism of scientific management’. The author argues that: ·        Scientific Management isn’t even that ‘new’, and is kind of what they’ve always done (…where have we heard that argument before?) ·        Says it takes away from the craftsmanship of people and that people are the… Continue reading “The fetishism of scientific management” – a 1912 criticism

Human Performance Tools: Engaging Workers as the Best Defense Against Errors & Error Precursors

This article covered a more progressive view on human performance, with suggestions on some tools. Too much to cover, so just a few points. They start by saying to consider three truisms: “To err is human. Workers are fallible. Errors are inevitable (as well as predictable)”. These are fundamentals to understanding the human performance approach… Continue reading Human Performance Tools: Engaging Workers as the Best Defense Against Errors & Error Precursors