Published by Ben Hutchinson
A podcast dedicated to the thrifty analysis of safety science, risk, systems, and performance research. Jump onto SafetyInsights.Org for more research. Intro/Output "Dark Synth Wave" by ElephantGreen (PixaBay.com)
Listen on Apple Podcasts30 min
How do we translate a paper barrier system into one that's functional and verified as effective?Whereas part 1 looked at key definitions of control, barrier, safeguard, support, and verification activity - this episode dives deeper into the use of such frameworks.In particular, we unpack escalation / degradation / erosion factors, and the necessary support mechanisms to ensure controls work as intended, when intended.Key sources analysed in this episode:International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) – Critical Control Management FrameworkThe Chartered Institute of Ergonomics & Human Factors (CIEHF) – Human Factors in Barrier ManagementConstruction Safety Research Alliance (CSRA) & Professor Matthew HallowellPetroleum Safety Authority (PSA) NorwayResources & Links:Website & Articles: https://safetyinsights.orgSubscribe to the series for Parts 3, and 4.Support the channel: https://buymeacoffee.com/benhutchinson
11 min
Part 2 of our interview with Dr. Guido Carim Junior, Associate Professor of Aviation, pilot, researcher, and safety scientist. We pick up the conversation with digital checklists, examining the potential role of AI and how "smart" features risk narrowing human decision-making rather than supporting it.Guido shares critical thoughts on the line between genuine organizational resilience and workarounds that mask underlying brittleness. We discuss the "tragedy of adaptability" and potential blind spots within Safety-II and HOP when organizations over-rely on human adaptation instead of fixing flawed systems.We also cover how to surface informal practices for learning without turning them into rigid, bureaucratic rules, and why safety audits need to look past green-checking compliance documents to tune into weak signals and daily operational reality.Please Like, Subscribe and Share. Also check out my blog at https://SafetyInsights.OrgSupport the channel here: https://buymeacoffee.com/benhutchinson
26 min
Is that a control, barrier, safeguard, support, or verification activity? Is it an object, a human act, a system or just a procedure? Does it actually address the hazardous energy, or does it sound good on paper?If we label every single checklist and administrative task a "critical control," do we risk diluting the operational focus required to prevent high-consequence events? If everything is critical, nothing is.Part 1 of this 4-part series unpacks how these terms are used (and misused) across the industry, evaluating the baseline definitions that dictate how we manage risk.Key sources analysed in this episode:International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) – Critical Control Management FrameworkThe Chartered Institute of Ergonomics & Human Factors (CIEHF) – Human Factors in Barrier ManagementConstruction Safety Research Alliance (CSRA) & Professor Matthew HallowellPetroleum Safety Authority (PSA) NorwayResources & Links:Website & Articles: https://safetyinsights.orgSubscribe to the series for Parts 2, 3, and 4.Support the channel: https://buymeacoffee.com/benhutchinson
13 min
Interview with Guido part 1
7 min
When you're standing on the front line making an operational call, risk doesn't come with a green or red light. You have to make a binary decision: stop or go.We don't necessarily make it easy for our decision-makers to make good, defendable decisions.This video unpacks Andrew Hopkins’ 2011 Safety Science article, "Risk Management & Rule Compliance: Decision-making in hazardous industries". Hopkins argues that choosing between risk management and rule compliance is a false choice - they're complementary, not contradictory.Because risk sits on a continuum but decisions require a definitive line in the sand, high-hazard industries must translate broad risk management principles into clear operational rules for the sharp end.What is covered:a. Why risk management and rule compliance must co-exist and complement each other.b. Why frontline workers need clear "do it or don't" thresholds rather than numerical risk criteria.c. Goal, Process, and Action Rulesd. Why risk assessments can be more 'legitimation rituals'Support the channel: https://buymeacoffee.com/benhutchinson
8 min
On April 15, 2010, BP CEO Tony Hayward reassured shareholders that the company was safer and more efficient than ever. Five days later, the Deepwater Horizon disaster happened. This video unpacks a study that evaluated CEO speeches and how rhetoric and slogans can be disconnected with actual behaviour and resourcing.It explores how relentless cost-cutting and corporate rhetoric set the stage for catastrophe.Support the channel: https://buymeacoffee.com/benhutchinson
28 min
In 1994, two US Air force F15 fighters shot down two friendly US Army Black Hawk helicopters.This event shouldn't have been possible: there were experts, radio communications, radar, AWACS and more.However, this isn't a tragedy due to human error or a lack of safeguards, it happened in spite of the safeguards.This episode unpacks a few findings from the seminal book from Scott Snook called 'Friendly Fire'. We’ll explore how "Practical Drift" - the slow, invisible uncoupling of local practice from centralised procedure, turned a routine mission into a catastrophe. This book is a masterclass in what can happen when our Work-as-Imagined has little to do with the reality of Work-as-Done on the frontline.Support the channel: https://buymeacoffee.com/benhutchinson
12 min
Can our safety reporting and indicators mask signals that organizations are drifting to major accident?This episode unpacks two reports from O'Neill and colleagues looking at the pitfalls of safety reporting measures, and also explores weaknesses in annual safety reports - particularly how reports may be 'safewashing'. More research at SafetyInsights.Org Intro/Output "Dark Synth Wave" by ElephantGreen (PixaBay.com) Make sure to subscribe to Safe As on Spotify/Apple, and if you find it useful then please help share the news, and leave a rating and review on your podcast app. I also have a Safe As LinkedIn group if you want to stay up to date on releases.
13 min
This ep unpacks two articles from Andrew Hopkins, exploring the similarities between the Gretley and Moura mine disasters.Namely, Hopkins argues that a 'culture of denial' existed at both mines, and probably exists across large, high-risk organisations, too. This culture of denial involved a series of beliefs that dismissed warning signs of danger. More research at SafetyInsights.Org Intro/Output "Dark Synth Wave" by ElephantGreen (PixaBay.com) Make sure to subscribe to Safe As on Spotify/Apple, and if you find it useful then please help share the news, and leave a rating and review on your podcast app. I also have a Safe As LinkedIn group if you want to stay up to date on releases.
4 min
Our mental shortcuts (heuristics) serve us well. They help us navigate a complex, ambiguous world normally safely and efficiently. But in modern organisations, they can sometimes lead us astray - via biases. In this context biases are systematic distortions away from an expected decision or judgement. This article, with Daniel Kahneman and colleagues, unpack some ways to help debias critical decisions. In their words: "Dangerous biases can creep into every strategic choice. Here's how to find them--before they lead you astray". More research at SafetyInsights.Org Intro/Output "Dark Synth Wave" by ElephantGreen (PixaBay.com) Make sure to subscribe to Safe As on Spotify/Apple, and if you find it useful then please help share the news, and leave a rating and review on your podcast app. I also have a Safe As LinkedIn group if you want to stay up to date on releases.
34 min
Is 'Safety Culture' a nebulous construct, or even a myth, that obscures more than it reveals? Or is its persistence because it provides a useful vehicle for explaining phenomena in organisations and groups? This episode unpacks several articles (at least 10), from authors like Borys, Guldenmund, Schein, Silbey, Hopkins, Cooper and more, to unpack safety culture from both an interpretative and functionalist perspective. The episode covers common critiques from the research, proposed links with areas of performance, and some lingering ambiguity. More research at SafetyInsights.Org Intro/Output "Dark Synth Wave" by ElephantGreen (PixaBay.com) Make sure to subscribe to Safe As on Spotify/Apple, and if you find it useful then please help share the news, and leave a rating and review on your podcast app. I also have a Safe As LinkedIn group if you want to stay up to date on releases.
5 min
Leadership walkarounds seem simple on paper: get a leader to walk around, talk with some people, and then bounce out with a gleeful smile, and warm hearts.But is it that simple? Do walkarounds improve any measures of teams or organisations? Do they improve safety climate, engagement, or even safety incidents?Support the channel: https://buymeacoffee.com/benhutchinsonToday's episode explores these questions with these sources:1. Foster, M., Mha, B. S., & Mazur, L. (2023). Impact of leadership walkarounds on operational, cultural and clinical outcomes: a systematic review. BMJ Open Quality, 12(4), e002284.2. Thomas EJ, Sexton JB, Neilands TB, et al. Correction: the effect of executive walk rounds on nurse safety climate attitudes: A randomized trial of clinical units [Isrctn85147255]. BMC Health Serv Res 2005; 5.3. Shaw KN, Lavelle J, Crescenzo K, et al. Creating unit-based patient safety walk-rounds in a pediatric emergency Department. Clinical Pediatric Emergency Medicine 2006; 7:231–7.4. Purvis S, Kennedy GD, Knobloch MJ, et al. Incorporation of leadership rounds in CAUTI prevention efforts. J Nurs Care Qual 2017; 32:318–23.5. Luria, G., & Morag, I. (2012). Safety management by walking around (SMBWA): A safety intervention program based on both peer and manager participation. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 45, 248-257.6. Rotteau, L., Shojania, K. G., & Webster, F. (2014). ‘I think we should just listen and get out’: a qualitative exploration of views and experiences of Patient Safety Walkrounds. BMJ quality & safety, 23(10), 823-829.7. Singer SJ, Tucker AL. The evolving literature on safety Walkrounds: emerging themes and practical messages. BMJ Qual Saf 2014; 23:789–800.
4 min
Does using AI make us smarter, or just more confident?This ep covers a recent study on how generative AI affects our "metacognition" - our ability to judge our own performance. Researchers tracked hundreds of people solving logical reasoning problems with and without AI.They found: a) AI improved scores, but people overestimated their results even more, b) people who knew more about AI were less accurate judging their own work, c) the Dunning-Kruger effect disappeared, where everybody becomes equally overconfidentRef: “AI Makes You Smarter, But None the Wiser: The Disconnect between Performance and Metacognition” (Fernandes et al., 2026). More research at SafetyInsights.Org Intro/Output "Dark Synth Wave" by ElephantGreen (PixaBay.com) Make sure to subscribe to Safe As on Spotify/Apple, and if you find it useful then please help share the news, and leave a rating and review on your podcast app. I also have a Safe As LinkedIn group if you want to stay up to date on releases.
13 min
There are a lot of safety practices in industry. How do we know which are the most effective interventions to use?This systematic review of the evidence assesses the best evidence to answer this question. More research at SafetyInsights.Org Intro/Output "Dark Synth Wave" by ElephantGreen (PixaBay.com) Make sure to subscribe to Safe As on Spotify/Apple, and if you find it useful then please help share the news, and leave a rating and review on your podcast app. I also have a Safe As LinkedIn group if you want to stay up to date on releases.
22 min
When I say BBS - what is your initial impression? A big smile and thumbs up, or visible disgust?It certainly divides people. But is that division deserved? What does the evidence say are both the pros and cons of BBS approaches?And, how can we move forward with this debate and incorporate the best of both? Or, should we?This episode references 7 articles to provide an overview and balanced discussion of BBS in contemporary organisations. More research at SafetyInsights.Org Intro/Output "Dark Synth Wave" by ElephantGreen (PixaBay.com) Make sure to subscribe to Safe As on Spotify/Apple, and if you find it useful then please help share the news, and leave a rating and review on your podcast app. I also have a Safe As LinkedIn group if you want to stay up to date on releases.
7 min
This episode unpacks the Dreamworld Thunder Rapid ride disaster, using the Ten Pathways to Failure model. Ref: Gregson, S., & Quinlan, M. G. (2024). Death at Dreamworld: Ten pathways to disaster and failure to learn. The Economic and Labour Relations Review , 35 (2), 436-453. Support the channel at: https://buymeacoffee.com/benhutchinson More research at SafetyInsights.Org Outro music "Dark Synth Wave" by ElephantGreen (PixaBay.com)
7 min
How can you develop better indicators targeting the effectiveness of your risk control system?This episode draws on a few sources, including the HSE UK's HSG254 and the ICMM's critical control framework, among others, outlining an approach to safety indicators that targets measuring the most important elements of your risk control systems. Support the channel at: https://buymeacoffee.com/benhutchinson More research at SafetyInsights.Org Outro music "Dark Synth Wave" by ElephantGreen (PixaBay.com)
4 min
Re-recording of an older episode for YouTube
3 min
Does counting change what counts? If we create indicators on actions that we'd like to monitor, like injuries, profits, tendering, productivity, do we inadvertently focus on managing the numbers instead of the core issues?Source: Chang, L. W., Kirgios, E. L., Mullainathan, S., & Milkman, K. L. (2024). Does counting change what counts? Quantification fixation biases decision-making. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 121(46), e2400215121.Support the channel at: https://buymeacoffee.com/benhutchinsonMore research at SafetyInsights.OrgOutro music "Dark Synth Wave" by ElephantGreen (PixaBay.com)
4 min
Seven hours before the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded, four senior executives were on-site congratulating the crew for achieving seven years without a lost-time injury. It wasn’t that these leaders ignored risk; it’s that they were systematically blinded to it by a focus on the 'wrong' metrics. In this episode, we break down Andrew Hopkins’ analysis of that final visit to explore the important distinction between personal safety and process safety. We look at why injury measures may be next to useless in preventing major disasters. This isn't a story about incompetent people or 'bad apples', but how well-intentioned leadership behaviours can quietly reinforce organizational risk blindness.Source: Hopkins, A. (2011). Management walk-arounds: Lessons from the Gulf of Mexico oil well blowout. Safety Science, 49(10), 1421-1425.Support the channel at: https://buymeacoffee.com/benhutchinsonMore research at SafetyInsights.OrgOutro music "Dark Synth Wave" by ElephantGreen (PixaBay.com)