Does worker adaptation create safer work? This explored how offshore workers undertake microprojects via bricolage, improvising temporary solutions from available resources when original designs (WAI) don’t meet their needs (WAD). Shared under open access licence. PS. Check out my YouTube: https://youtube.com/@safe_as_pod?si=V2dbdmW–WbnhzA9 Shout a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/benhutchinson Extracts: • Offshore work is “exacerbated by the complexity of… Continue reading When operators become designers: microprojects, bricolage, and safety in high-risk systems
Tag: safety-differently
The human factor: Pursuing success and averting drift into failure – YT video, Sidney Dekker
A 2018 presentation from Sid Dekker on success and drift into failure. One of many such, and no particular reason why this one over any other. Sid starts with an example he heard, supporting the bad apple thesis: “just get rid of the nurses who make mistakes and all will be a lot safer” “Now… Continue reading The human factor: Pursuing success and averting drift into failure – YT video, Sidney Dekker
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
Hollnagel on “Human error”: error as cause, process or outcome
Not much to say – some extracts from a 2007 chapter from Erik Hollnagel, unpacking whether we really need “human error”? I knocked the summary up last night and will probably post in the next couple of weeks. Oh man, I need to give up on chapters…what a slog. He argues: · Human error “is not… Continue reading Hollnagel on “Human error”: error as cause, process or outcome
Contextualising new safety paradigms: A study in a large Australian construction company
This study explored the presence, implementation, appetite and feasibility of 12 principles representing “new safety paradigms”. It involved focus groups with 53 participants and a cross-sectional survey of 514 employees. I’ve skipped HEAPS (actually, the entire results section – so check out the full paper). Background: · “The review by Karanikas et al. (2022) revealed… Continue reading Contextualising new safety paradigms: A study in a large Australian construction company
Learning from normal work: How to Proactively Reduce Risk When Nothing Goes Wrong
An interesting article from Marcin Nazaruk, exploring learning from everyday work. Skipping a bit, so check out the full article. First he says that while it’s important to learn from failure “it is too late”. For one, diminishing incident rates “can no longer accurately reflect safety performance … and simply focusing on behaviours and unsafe… Continue reading Learning from normal work: How to Proactively Reduce Risk When Nothing Goes Wrong
Procedure excellence: Changing paradigms to enable human reliability
This paper from Elliot Wolf-Stokes and Rob Fisher may interest peeps – around orientating towards operational excellence. Covers a lot of ground – systemic drivers to procedural departures, error drivers in written guidance, mental models, enablers of human reliability and more. I’ve skipped HEAPS, so just a few extracts (link to full paper in comments):… Continue reading Procedure excellence: Changing paradigms to enable human reliability
Human Factors and New Views of safety applied to management systems: A systematic literature review
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
