The Safety of Work

Dave isn’t here today. Instead, Drew speaks directly with the author of the paper we intended to use to frame our discussion. Tune in to hear his discussion with Tanya Hewitt.  Topics:Discomfort with non-technical topics.Why some people are seasoned users of reporting systems.Pride in being a fixer.Feedback loops in reporting systems.Questioning the value of given instructions.Why qualitative data can be helpful. Quotes:“If people were very seasoned users of the reporting system, we’d want to really understand, ‘how did they become seasoned users?’ ”“A lot of professionals: That’s where they derive their professional pride, from being able to fix problems.”“[Reporting systems] are complex sociotechnical constructs.” Resources:Hewitt, T. A., & Chreim, S. (2015). Fix and forget or fix and report: a qualitative study of tensions at the front line of incident reporting. BMJ Qual Saf, 24(5), 303-310.Feedback@safetyofwork.com

David Woods, a resilience engineering researcher and professor, discusses his groundbreaking theory of graceful extensibility. He delves into how this theory emerged from decades of research and historical incidents, like the Columbia disaster. Woods applies these concepts to the challenges faced in healthcare during COVID-19, emphasizing the importance of anticipating surprises and the need for proactive learning. He highlights the risks of system decompensation and the necessity for organizations to adapt swiftly to maintain resilience while balancing complexity and resource limitations.

We use the following articles to frame our discussion: In Their Profession’s Service and Influencing Organizational Decision-Makers.Topics:The constant frustration of being a safety professional.Rational persuasion and other forms of influence.Publishing outside traditional safety journals.Why it can be hard to define a safety professional’s role.The optics of good connections.Adaptive framing.Why “by any means necessary” is not the key to success.Playing the long game. Quotes:“If you survey CEO’s...they want safety practitioners to have these communication skills, ability to build relationships…”“There is no pattern between these companies and their economic performance and their safety performance…”“There’s some really good advice there...for safety professionals to think about the long game.” Resources:Daudigeos, T. (2013). In their profession's service: how staff professionals exert influence in their organization. Journal of Management Studies, 50(5), 722-749.Madigan, C., Way, K., Capra, M., & Johnstone, K. (2020). Influencing organizational decision-makers–What influence tactics are OHS professionals using?. Safety Science, 121, 496-506.Cialdini, R. B., & Cialdini, R. B. (1993). Influence: The psychology of persuasion. Harper Business.Cohen, A. R., & Bradford, D. L. (2011). Influence without authority. John Wiley & Sons.Feedback@safetyofwork.com

Drew, a researcher who recently published a paper on the effectiveness of storytelling versus factual information, shares crucial insights on attitude changes. He discusses the alarming rise of anti-vaccination sentiments and how personal stories resonate more than mere facts. The conversation dives into how narratives, like those from affected families, can shift perceptions on critical topics, including workplace safety. Drew emphasizes that storytelling may be more impactful in influencing safety practices within organizations than statistical data.

Topics:Divulging our potential conflicts of interest.Hindsight bias.The four different mental processes used in assessing accidents.How the raft ride worked on a good day.The first river raft fatality on record.Various river raft incidents on record.The factors that lead to the accident at Dreamworld.Potential conclusions from this case.Quotes:“When I was reflecting after this incident,  I don’t remember a lot of safety conversation at all.”“There was a number of operational incidents associated with these rides; to do with, kind of, like, spacing and separation of rafts on the ride.”“I think in this particular case, we can almost see the way that hindsight bias is causing the selectivity.”Resources:Coroner's Inquest into Dreamworld IncidentHawkins, S. A., & Hastie, R. (1990). Hindsight: Biased judgments of past events after the outcomes are known. Psychological bulletin, 107(3), 311.Feedback@safetyofwork.com

Exciting new research explores reality-based safety science, aiming to improve safety practices by examining work dynamics rather than just accidents. The conversation critiques traditional research methods and emphasizes the need for collaboration between academics and practitioners. It highlights the importance of direct observation, clear measurement techniques, and understanding the complexities of safety behavior. Also discussed are the differences between case studies and controlled examples, advocating for a partnership that respects both practitioners' and researchers' roles.

We chose to use two papers to frame our discussion. Those papers are Construction Safety Training Using Immersive Virtual Reality and Comparing Immersive Virtual Reality and PowerPoint as Methods for Delivering Safety Training.Let us know if and how you are using Virtual Reality in your business.Topics:VR research is a mixed bag.How VR training works.Advantages to VR training.How VR training can be used more effectively.Outsiders publishing in safety journals.Quotes:“It was fairly targeted towards the outcome they want from normal types of training.”“It does suggest that if we are going to spend more money on this...then the way to follow up is down that idea of simulating particular work tasks…”“It’s like watching the Phantom Menace and then watching the Phantom Menace with 3D goggles and deciding that 3D goggles are no good, because they didn’t make it into a better movie.” Resources:Sacks, R., Perlman, A., & Barak, R. (2013). Construction safety training using immersive virtual reality. Construction Management and Economics, 31(9), 1005-1017.Leder, J., Horlitz, T., Puschmann, P., Wittstock, V., & Schütz, A. (2019). Comparing immersive virtual reality and powerpoint as methods for delivering safety training: Impacts on risk perception, learning, and decision making. Safety science, 111, 271-286.Feedback@safetyofwork.com

We use the paper When Redundant On-Screen Text in Multimedia Technical Instruction can Interfere with Learning to frame our discussion.Topics:This problem existed before Microsoft.Do presentation slides help you communicate?Text on slides serving as a distraction.What the cognitive load theory tells us.Changing one’s approach to presentations.Quotes:“I think people genuinely think it’s a good way to convey information.”“The cognitive load theory is suggesting, in this case, that the worst thing to do is to give them text...and audio at the same time.”“It definitely doesn’t apply that diagrams plus audio is bad.”Resources:Kalyuga, S., Chandler, P., & Sweller, J. (2004). When redundant on-screen text in multimedia technical instruction can interfere with learning. Human factors, 46(3), 567-581.Feedback@safetyofwork.com

Tune in to hear Carsten discuss his research into Heinrich’s work.Topics:The impetus behind Carsten’s paper.What his paper covered.Why Heinrich’s ratio is so important.Why capable workers are the most important factor in safety.How corporations use Heinrich’s ratio in testing.Heinrich’s overall impact and legacy.Quotes:“It’s interesting the way you go on to say that he wasn’t actually saying that you have to manage the three-hundred to prevent the one…”“I think he would have liked to see himself, first and foremost, as a management advisor, because that is the audience for his book…”“There’s a lot of talk about the Swiss Cheese model being linear...and it isn’t!” Resources:Carsten’s Paper on HeinrichFeedback@safetyofwork.com 

Tune in to hear us discuss the lessons learned from this important report.Topics:Why the Brady Report was made.The pros and cons of this type of study.Malcolm Jones’ paper about grief cycles in business.Why fatalities aren’t extraordinary events.HRO theories and programs.Why LTI’s aren’t relevant.Why reported incidents aren’t a negative indicator.How fatalities could have possibly been avoided.Practical takeaways from our conversation.Quotes:“The report contains, like, a couple of hundred pages of graphs and nowhere is there any sort of test to see what model best fits the graph.”“It’s not new for big investigation reports...for people to get hold of one particular theory of safety and think that it provides all of the answers.”“This definitely shows the naivete, if you think you can’t hide hospitalizable injuries.”Resources:The Brady ReportFeedback@Safetyofwork.com