The Safety of Work

We chose to use two papers to frame our discussion. Those papers are Construction Safety Training Using Immersive Virtual Reality and Comparing Immersive Virtual Reality and PowerPoint as Methods for Delivering Safety Training.Let us know if and how you are using Virtual Reality in your business.Topics:VR research is a mixed bag.How VR training works.Advantages to VR training.How VR training can be used more effectively.Outsiders publishing in safety journals.Quotes:“It was fairly targeted towards the outcome they want from normal types of training.”“It does suggest that if we are going to spend more money on this...then the way to follow up is down that idea of simulating particular work tasks…”“It’s like watching the Phantom Menace and then watching the Phantom Menace with 3D goggles and deciding that 3D goggles are no good, because they didn’t make it into a better movie.” Resources:Sacks, R., Perlman, A., & Barak, R. (2013). Construction safety training using immersive virtual reality. Construction Management and Economics, 31(9), 1005-1017.Leder, J., Horlitz, T., Puschmann, P., Wittstock, V., & Schütz, A. (2019). Comparing immersive virtual reality and powerpoint as methods for delivering safety training: Impacts on risk perception, learning, and decision making. Safety science, 111, 271-286.Feedback@safetyofwork.com

We use the paper When Redundant On-Screen Text in Multimedia Technical Instruction can Interfere with Learning to frame our discussion.Topics:This problem existed before Microsoft.Do presentation slides help you communicate?Text on slides serving as a distraction.What the cognitive load theory tells us.Changing one’s approach to presentations.Quotes:“I think people genuinely think it’s a good way to convey information.”“The cognitive load theory is suggesting, in this case, that the worst thing to do is to give them text...and audio at the same time.”“It definitely doesn’t apply that diagrams plus audio is bad.”Resources:Kalyuga, S., Chandler, P., & Sweller, J. (2004). When redundant on-screen text in multimedia technical instruction can interfere with learning. Human factors, 46(3), 567-581.Feedback@safetyofwork.com

Tune in to hear Carsten discuss his research into Heinrich’s work.Topics:The impetus behind Carsten’s paper.What his paper covered.Why Heinrich’s ratio is so important.Why capable workers are the most important factor in safety.How corporations use Heinrich’s ratio in testing.Heinrich’s overall impact and legacy.Quotes:“It’s interesting the way you go on to say that he wasn’t actually saying that you have to manage the three-hundred to prevent the one…”“I think he would have liked to see himself, first and foremost, as a management advisor, because that is the audience for his book…”“There’s a lot of talk about the Swiss Cheese model being linear...and it isn’t!” Resources:Carsten’s Paper on HeinrichFeedback@safetyofwork.com 

Tune in to hear us discuss the lessons learned from this important report.Topics:Why the Brady Report was made.The pros and cons of this type of study.Malcolm Jones’ paper about grief cycles in business.Why fatalities aren’t extraordinary events.HRO theories and programs.Why LTI’s aren’t relevant.Why reported incidents aren’t a negative indicator.How fatalities could have possibly been avoided.Practical takeaways from our conversation.Quotes:“The report contains, like, a couple of hundred pages of graphs and nowhere is there any sort of test to see what model best fits the graph.”“It’s not new for big investigation reports...for people to get hold of one particular theory of safety and think that it provides all of the answers.”“This definitely shows the naivete, if you think you can’t hide hospitalizable injuries.”Resources:The Brady ReportFeedback@Safetyofwork.com

Discover if safety awards genuinely improve workplace safety or if they merely serve as marketing ploys. The conversation dives into behavioral economics and how awards can nudge individuals towards safer practices. Explore the paradox where these recognitions might demotivate high performers while promoting a false sense of security. Learn about the discrepancies in safety award prevalence across industries and the evolving role of safety professionals in balancing safety with broader organizational goals.

Explore the fascinating world of High Reliability Organizations (HROs) in healthcare. Discover how these organizations achieve safety in high-risk environments by focusing on failure and fostering resilience. Learn about the challenges of researching HROs and the importance of transparent methodologies. Hear about the role of reflexivity and the significance of empowering frontline healthcare workers. Delve into case studies that reveal how teamwork and a blame-free culture can enhance patient outcomes in complex medical settings.

To frame our discussion, we decided to reference a few papers. The papers we use are Females Do Not Have More Road Accidents on Friday the 13th, Much Ado About the Full Moon, and Moon Phases and Nighttime Road Crashes Involving Pedestrians. Tune in to hear our chat!Topics:Calendar effects.Gendered calendar effects.The full moon effect.Contradictory studies.Superstitious safety practitioners.Quotes:“The idea is that if it’s a robust result, it should apply regardless of the decisions you make…”“It’s becoming increasingly common now for researchers to publish their raw data alongside their publications, so that other authors can actually make their own assessment of the papers…”“We’re pretty sure that accident-proneness is really a symptom of confirmation bias or statistical artifacts.” Resources:Näyhä, S. (2002). Traffic deaths and superstition on Friday the 13th. American Journal of Psychiatry, 159(12), 2110-2111.Radun, I., & Summala, H. (2004). Females do not have more injury road accidents on Friday the 13th. BMC public health, 4(1), 54.Redelmeier, D. A., & Shafir, E. (2017). The full moon and motorcycle related mortality: population based double control study. bmj, 359.Rotton, J., & Kelly, I. W. (1985). Much ado about the full moon: A meta-analysis of lunar-lunacy research. Psychological bulletin, 97(2), 286.Feedback@safetyofwork.com

We use the papers, Zero Accident, Vision-Based Strategies in Organizations; Zero Vision, Enlightenment, and Religion; and UK Construction Safety: A Zero Paradox to frame our discussion. Tune in to hear what we think!Topics:The concept of zero-harm.The pros and cons of a zero-harm approach.When management makes safety-focused decisions.Can zero-harm lead to distorted reporting?Can you accurately compare zero and non-zero groups in a study?Quotes:“Yes: Every individual accident, there’s ways that we can find that it could have been avoided, but do we think that we can run a national road network and never kill anyone?”“I think we have to keep in mind that if you’re not going to do quantitative evaluation research, then the conclusions that you draw can’t be quantitatively evaluated conclusions.”“Over the study period, the zero group had four fatalities and the non-zero group had no fatalities.” Resources:Zwetsloot, G. I., Kines, P., Wybo, J. L., Ruotsala, R., Drupsteen, L., & Bezemer, R. A. (2017). Zero Accident Vision based strategies in organisations: Innovative perspectives. Safety science, 91, 260-268.Dekker, S. (2017). Zero commitment: commentary on Zwetsloot et al., and Sherratt and Dainty. Policy and Practice in Health and Safety, 15(2), 124-130.Zwetsloot, G. (2017). Vision Zero: promising perspectives and implementation failures. A commentary on the papers by Sherratt and Dainty, and Dekker. Policy and Practice in Health and Safety, 15(2), 120-123.Sherratt, F., & Dainty, A. R. (2017). UK construction safety: a zero paradox?. Policy and Practice in Health and Safety, 15(2), 108-116.Sherratt, F., & Dainty, A. R. (2017). Responses to the vision zero articles. Policy and Practice in Health and Safety, 15(2), 117-119.Dekker, S. W., Long, R., & Wybo, J. L. (2016). Zero vision and a Western salvation narrative. Safety science, 88, 219-223.Dekker, S. (2017). Zero Vision: enlightenment and new religion. Policy and Practice in Health and Safety, 15(2), 101-107.Feedback@safetyofwork.com

This discussion delves into the tangled trade-offs between safety and production in high-risk industries, particularly fishing. It examines how decision-making is influenced by operational goals and risk management. The importance of resilience over traditional safety measures is emphasized, along with the impact of performance-based payment systems. The need for effective simulation training in skill development and risk management is also highlighted, showcasing both its advantages and the challenges faced in implementation.

Workers often hesitate to stop unsafe tasks despite evident risks. The podcast delves into how focus groups can reveal these complexities while also wrestling with challenges like groupthink. It emphasizes the crucial role of supervisors in fostering a supportive safety culture. Empowering workers through open communication is key to navigating safety decisions. Additionally, it highlights the need for flexible work planning to adapt to dynamic situations, ensuring safety remains a priority in high-pressure environments.