Episode 141 - Boeing 737 Max: Key Learning for Boards & Executives with Dr Andrew Hopkins

In this distinctive episode of The Safety Guru, renowned safety expert Dr Andrew Hopkins joins us to explore the critical lessons from the Boeing 737 MAX. Drawing from his latest book, Andrew unpacks a comprehensive analysis of its troubled history, uncovering flawed system design, organizational blind spots, and safety decisions that led to devastating consequences. He shares key learnings for boards and executives, emphasizing safety as a core responsibility and underscoring the importance of understanding and managing risk at the highest levels, while addressing how long-term safety performance is essential to sustainable business success. This information-rich episode delivers valuable takeaways on strengthening the role of safety governance, enhancing risk oversight, improving leadership accountability, and building safer systems for the future. Listen now!

About the Guest:

Andrew Hopkins is Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the Australian National University, Canberra. He was a consultant to the U.S. Chemical Safety Board in its investigations of the 2005 BP Texas City Refinery disaster and the 2010 BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill, and served as an expert witness at the Royal Commission into the 1998 Exxon gas plant explosion near Melbourne. He has written books on these and other disasters, including in mining, and has consulted for major companies in the mining, petroleum, chemical, electrical, and defence industries. He speaks regularly to audiences around the world about the human and organisational causes of major accidents.

For more information: https://sociology.cass.anu.edu.au/people/professor-andrew-hopkins

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