A planned electrical job. A misidentified live cable. A workplace accident that could have been fatal. What really happened, and what can we learn from it?

In this episode of How Did It Make Sense?, I am joined by Ken Mudd, a seasoned health and safety expert with over 25 years of experience across multiple industries. Together, they unravel the complex reality behind what seemed like a simple workplace accident—a contractor cutting into a live 415-volt cable, suffering burns in the process.

But as we dig deeper, we uncover a story that started months before the actual event. From conflicting business goals, delayed shutdowns, and assumptions about safety protocols, to communication breakdowns and systemic weaknesses in contractor management, this case is a classic example of how “accidents” don’t happen in isolation.

What lessons can we take from this incident to prevent similar mistakes? How do risk, business decisions, and safety intersect? And most importantly—what critical controls should have been in place?

If you’re in health and safety, leadership, or operations, this conversation will challenge the way you think about risk and responsibility in your workplace.

Connect with Ken Mudd:

Website: YorSafety.com
LinkedIn: Ken Mudd

Resources Recommended by Ken Mudd:

Beyond Blame: Learning from Failure and Success – David Zwieback
Safety Differently – Sidney Dekker
Challenging the Safety Quo – Craig Marriott
Ken’s MSc Thesis on Human Error & One-to-One Safety Feedback

Connect with Gareth Here:

Human in the System

Transforming teams. Unlocking human potential.

Using principles from Human Factors (HF), High-Reliability Organisations (HRO), and Human and Organisational Performance (HOP), we develop and deliver highly immersive and impactful programmes using the High-Velocity Learning LAB (HVLL) concept. We give you the know-how, the tools and the support to make results stick and empower your people to achieve the extraordinary. We help you answer the question "How do we uncover those hidden stories in our organisation?"

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DARK MINDS-INVESTIGATION DISCOVERY-M. William Phelps