Safe As Podcast

00:17:12

E104: Professor Robin Dillon-Merrill Part 1: Near...

Safe As Podcast ·

2026/10/04

Do we routinely mistake good luck with systemic resilience – until something blows up?Today I speak with Professor Robin Dillon-Merrill (Georgetown University, McDonough School of Business), who breaks down her 20+ years of research on decision-making under risk, outcome bias, and how organizations misinterpret near misses.We discuss:• The differences between resilient vs vulnerable near misses: How the perceived ‘margin of safety’ desensitizes organizations to risk when luck is the primary reason

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00:05:31

E103: Does HOP Actually Work? Real Data From a 5-Year...

Safe As Podcast ·

2026/09/30

Does a Human & Organizational Performance (HOP) initiative improve learning and the quality of actions? And what happens when the initiative stops?This quickisode unpacks Christopher Mastrangelo’s 2026 Master’s thesis examining a multi-year HOP implementation at a large biopharmaceutical company. His project tracked operational data from 2020 through July 2025 across key metrics: a. deviation initiation ratesb. root cause classification practicesc. CAPA types, andd. cultural persistence after

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00:18:09

E101: Writing Better Safety Procedures Part 2: Rules...

Safe As Podcast ·

2026/09/27

In a 5-year petrochemical study examining over 1,400 work steps, 1/3 were performed differently from what was written in the procedure, but every task was completed successfully.Is this non-compliance or a display of worker aptitude and resilient skill?In Part 2 of our series on procedures, we look beyond the "100% compliance" rhetoric and unpack the gap between work-as-imagined (WAI) and work-as-done (WAD).We explore why workers adapt rules, how to categorise workarounds, and how to

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00:06:38

E101: From Blame to Restorative Justice: A Just...

Safe As Podcast ·

2026/09/23

Do traditional approaches unintentionally blame front-line workers instead of fixing broken organisational systems?This Quickisode unpacks how an international energy company redesigned its Just Culture (JC) framework to shift focus from individual culpability to systemic weaknesses.This company found that traditional approaches relied on judgement terminology, like violation or negligence, and frequently misapplied as disciplinary tools.Their redesigned JC tried to address these limitations,

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00:21:43

E100: Dr Linda Bellamy Part 2: Fatal vs Minor...

Safe As Podcast ·

2026/09/20

Part 2 discussion with Dr Linda Bellamy on SIFs, fatal accidents, and barrier failures.Resources & Links:Website & Articles: https://safetyinsights.orgSupport the channel: https://buymeacoffee.com/benhutchinson

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00:04:08

E99: 25 Questions for Better Incident Investigations...

Safe As Podcast ·

2026/09/16

Do your investigations often conclude when you've identified 'human error', or a pesky person not following rules?Do you want to improve the quality and depth of your learning opportunities?One way is via local rationality: understanding why decisions & actions made sense to people at the time. It's a core feature in human factors / safety-II / and Human and Organizational Performance (HOP).This episode unpacks Louise Roe's Local Rationality Question Tool in her article

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00:14:56

E98: Writing better procedures part 1: Action verbs,...

Safe As Podcast ·

2026/09/13

Why are so many procedures technically accurate, but barely workable in practice?In Part 1 of this two part series on procedural systems, we unpack the technical side of writing better, more useable procedures: exploring how to reduce safety clutter, choosing the right type of rule, and structure instructions so they support work.We unpack:• Types of rules: performance goal vs. process vs. action rules & how they limit or enable discretion• Formatting: Action-verb steps, concrete language &

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00:07:10

E97: Investigating when 'Nothing' Failed: a...

Safe As Podcast ·

2026/09/09

This quickisode races through a Safety-II / HOP inspired debrief tool which can help unearth 'hidden' insights about work that doesn't rely on incidents for learning.Resources & Links:Website & Articles: https://safetyinsights.orgSupport the channel: https://buymeacoffee.com/benhutchinson

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00:24:36

E96: Dr Linda Bellamy Part 1: Fatal vs Minor hazards,...

Safe As Podcast ·

2026/09/06

Is there a relationship between fatal and minor hazard exposures? Recent SIF research & movements suggest 'NO' - what kills people aren't the same as what hurts them.But is that scientifically accurate? Part 1 discussion with Dr Linda Bellamy, who undertook perhaps the largest study of this kind exploring the connection - and, there ** is ** a connection.We discuss barrier/control systems & how they fail and succeed, weak signals, indicators and more.Resources & Links:Website

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00:28:29

E95: Critical Controls & Barriers - Part 4: What do...

Safe As Podcast ·

2026/08/30

A bowtie or critical control register may be useful tools, but they aren't the work.In Part 4 of this series, I unpack what control / barrier models can leave out: e.g. changing conditions, competing goals, control dependencies, unintended consequences and the adaptations people make to keep work functioning.I also explore how controls can change the systems they are introduced into, why more barriers don't always mean greater risk control, and why successful work may conceal degraded

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00:14:02

E94: Dr Marcin Nazaruk Part 2: HOP, New View,...

Safe As Podcast ·

2026/08/23

Today I interview Dr Marcin Nazaruk, who shares his practical experience and research on learning from normal work / daily work, HOP / New View / Safety-II, to improve learning and risk management.The discussion also explores themes around risk controls, work constraints, risk assessments, and error traps.Support the channel: https://buymeacoffee.com/benhutchinson

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00:29:39

E93: Critical Controls & Barriers & Safeguard | Part...

Safe As Podcast ·

2026/08/16

How do we set realistic and effective human performance expectations in our barrier approaches?In part 1 we looked at definitions of controls and barriers, whereas in part 2 we explored a deeper dive into their applications and escalation factors.This episode unpacks a few key sources to explore critical human factors and human performance considerations for barrier / control systems.Website & Articles: https://safetyinsights.orgSubscribe to the series for Part 4.Support the channel:

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00:16:18

E92: Dr Marcin Nazaruk Part 1: HOP, New View,...

Safe As Podcast ·

2026/08/09

Today I interview Dr Marcin Nazaruk, who shares his practical experience and research on learning from normal work / daily work, HOP / New View / Safety-II, to improve learning and risk management.The discussion also explores themes around risk controls, work constraints, risk assessments, and error traps.Support the channel: https://buymeacoffee.com/benhutchinson

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00:30:09

E91: Critical Controls & Barriers & Safeguards | Part...

Safe As Podcast ·

2026/08/02

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

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00:11:12

E90: Dr Guido Carim Jr Part 2

Safe As Podcast ·

2026/07/26

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

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00:26:21

E89: Critical Controls, Barriers & Safeguards | Part...

Safe As Podcast ·

2026/07/19

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)

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00:13:45

E88: Dr Guido Carim Jr Part 1

Safe As Podcast ·

2026/07/17

Interview with Guido part 1

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00:07:14

E87: Risk Management vs. Rule Compliance: The False...

Safe As Podcast ·

2026/06/23

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

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00:08:00

E86: CEO speeches: Talking Our Way to Disaster...

Safe As Podcast ·

2026/06/09

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

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00:28:05

E85:When Success Leads to Disaster: Practical Drift &...

Safe As Podcast ·

2026/05/19

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

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