We will discuss how other safety science researchers have designed theories that use Rasmussen’s concepts, the major takeaways from Rasmussen’s article, and how safety professionals can use these theories to analyze and improve systems in their own organizations today.
Discussion Points:
Quotes:
“That’s the forever challenge in safety, is people have great ideas, but what do you do with them? Eventually, you’ve got to turn it into a method.” - Drew Rae
“These accidental events are shaped by the activity of people. Safety, therefore, depends on the control of people’s work processes.” - David Provan
“There’s always going to be this natural migration of activity towards the boundaries of acceptable performance.” - David Provan
“This is like the most honest look at work I think I’ve seen in any safety paper.” - Drew Rae
“If you’re a safety professional, just how much time are you spending understanding all of these ins and outs and nuances of work, and people’s experience of work? …You actually need to find out from the insiders inside the system. ” - David Provan
“‘You can’t just keep swatting at mosquitos, you actually have to drain the swamp.’ I think that’s the overarching conceptual framework that Rasmussen wanted us to have.” - David Provan
Resources:
