Carsten Busch, a safety historian, challenges the criticism of safety pioneer Herbert William Heinrich in an engaging interview. He explores Heinrich's work, emphasizes the importance of context, and reveals the surprising role of insurance companies in workplace safety. Carsten encourages safety professionals to read Heinrich's work before forming their opinions and explains the relevance of asking good questions. Check out Carsten's book on Heinrich and recommended reading. Safety Labs dives into the origins of safety as a profession and the concept of the 'new view' in safety.
Understanding the original ideas of Herbert William Heinrich is crucial for reassessing his work and legacy in modern safety practice.
The historical context, including the influence of insurance companies and the emergence of safety as a profession, is essential for comprehending Heinrich's contributions to workplace safety.
Deep dives
Appreciating Heinrich's Work and Legacy
Karsten Bush believes it is important to reassess the work and legacy of Herbert William Heinrich, the founder of modern safety practice. While many people discuss and criticize Heinrich's work without actually reading it, Bush emphasizes the need to understand his original ideas. This realization came to him during a lengthy online discussion on Heinrich's concept of 88% of accidents being caused by human failure. To truly evaluate Heinrich's work, one must engage with his actual writings and consider the historical context in which he operated, including the influence of insurance companies and the emergence of safety as a profession.
Understanding Heinrich's Background and Context
Heinrich, a former blue-collar worker and engineer, spent his entire career in the insurance industry. This context is often overlooked, as people question the relevance of his work in safety. However, during the early 20th century, insurance companies played a significant role in promoting safety and enforcing regulations, especially in the absence of comprehensive safety laws. Heinrich's focus on management responsibility and his ability to simplify safety concepts for top-level managers indicate that his work should be seen as a management book rather than solely a safety book. His contributions should be understood within the historical context of the development of safety as a profession and the influence of scientific management.
Examining Heinrich's Ideas and Critiques
Heinrich's ideas, such as the 88% ratio of accidents caused by human failure, have faced both substantial and rhetorical critiques. While some criticisms focus on the biased nature of his data and the need for more nuanced approaches, others misrepresent his work by cherry-picking or dismissing it altogether. However, understanding the ethical implications of such critiques is essential, as misrepresenting Heinrich's ideas can lead to the creation of new safety myths. By critically evaluating his work and appreciating its complexity, safety professionals can develop a more nuanced understanding of Heinrich's ideas and the impact they have had on the field.
Embracing a Middle Ground in Safety Discourse Today
The safety discourse today often sees diverse perspectives and approaches, with some individuals strongly favoring or dismissing Heinrich's work. However, there is more in common among these perspectives than meets the eye. Instead of focusing on minimal differences and engaging in polarizing debates, safety professionals should concentrate on the shared goal of protecting people and improving job conditions. By seeking common ground and asking good questions, professionals can bridge gaps and work towards a more comprehensive and effective approach to safety.
In this episode, Mary Conquest speaks with Carsten Busch - the "Indiana Jones of Safety", who has over 25 years of experience in HSEQ Management. and is a tutor in the Lund University human factors and system safety program.
Carsten is also a Safety historian and has extensively researched and written about the work of Herbert William Heinrich - and shares his finding with us in this fascinating interview.
Heinrich is considered by many to be the founder of modern Safety practice, but has become a polarizing figure in today’s safety discourse.
Carsten believes Heinrich’s work and legacy should be reappraised, and he helps Safety professionals understand what he actually wrote - rather than basing their knowledge on hearsay.
One of Carsten’s main concerns is that New View Safety authors aren’t applying their own principles when they criticize Heinrich and could be positioning his work to reinforce their own approaches.
Context is key and you’ll discover what Heinrich actually said, who his primary audience was (not Safety professionals!), and the surprising role insurance companies played in enhancing Workplace Safety in the 1930s.