Counter-Errorism in Diving: Applying Human Factors to Diving

Why is safety often seen as boring in diving? In this episode, we discuss a story of high-current dives, questionable guiding practices, and the stigma of prioritizing safety over thrill. While safety briefings and precautions might seem dull or restrictive, they’re the key to longevity in diving—and life. A safe diver isn’t boring; they’re the one who gets to dive again tomorrow. We explore the value of being the “boring” diver, how safety builds trust among dive buddies, and why prioritizing safety ensures more adventures in the long run. Don’t let “fun” override your commitment to coming home safe. Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/safety-is-boring   Links: Safety is nothingness blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/safety-is-nothingness   Tags:  English, Jenny Lord, Safety, Safety Culture

What can WWII bombers teach us about diving? The story of Abraham Wald’s counterintuitive armor placement on planes highlights the importance of analyzing what’s not immediately visible—a lesson diving can embrace. Success in diving isn’t just about avoiding accidents but understanding why things go well and whether it’s skill or luck. Reflecting on successes and failures through effective debriefs can enhance learning. Additionally, survivorship bias can skew our perception, as we often focus on thriving divers and ignore those who leave the sport. Incorporating human factors and non-technical skills, like communication and psychological safety, is crucial for safer, more enjoyable diving. Change starts with action—let’s bring these lessons to the forefront of the diving industry. Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/were-you-lucky-or-were-you-good   Links: Abraham Wald: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Wald Operations Research and Management Science Applied to Marketing: https://www.decisionanalyst.com/whitepapers/bulletholesinbombers/ DeBRIEF model: https://www.thehumandiver.com/debrief Close Calls: https://stratiskas.com/closecalls/ Under Pressure: https://www.thehumandiver.com/underpressure   Tags:  English, Decision-Making, Gareth Lock, Incident Analysis, Incident Investigation

Mistakes are an essential part of learning, but in the highly regulated world of diving, the fear of judgment often stifles open discussion. Unlike other extreme sports where mistakes are embraced as learning opportunities, diving culture tends to focus on blame. This discourages growth and progress within the community. A "Just Culture" encourages sharing mistakes—large or small—without fear, fostering learning and improvement for everyone. Divers, especially those in leadership roles, are urged to lead by example by sharing their stories, explaining how their mistakes made sense at the time, and how they’ve adapted since. Join the movement to normalize learning from errors by engaging in safe spaces like the Human Factors in Diving Facebook group. Let’s change the culture together. Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/we-ve-got-an-attitude-problem   Links: The Human Diver Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/184882365201810 My Biggest Mistake blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/my-biggest-mistake Just Culture: https://gue.com/blog/is-a-just-culture-needed-to-support-learning-from-near-misses-and-diving-accidents/ Blaming blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/surely-if-we-blame-and-punish-things-will-be-safer Building a psychologically safe team: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/team-building-psych-safety-2   Tags:  English, Decision-Making, Jenny Lord, Just Culture, Psychological Safety

When diving accidents occur, the immediate response often blames rule-breaking, but reality is far more complex. Rules are designed to enhance safety, yet accidents can happen even when rules are followed—and sometimes rules are broken without incident. Diving operations occur within a web of technical, social, and cultural conditions, which can provoke deviations. This highlights the gap between “work as imagined” (rules and procedures) and “work as done” (real-world practice). Understanding why rules are broken requires looking at the system rather than focusing solely on individuals. A Just Culture, where context-rich stories can be shared without fear of punishment, helps address underlying issues and drives meaningful improvements in safety. Punishment alone rarely deters rule-breaking if systemic conditions remain unchanged. Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/they-broke-the-rules   Links: Root Cause blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/the-root-cause-of-an-accident Identifying violation-provoking conditions in a healthcare setting: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18941971/ The Extent of Conditions: https://preaccidentpodcast.podbean.com/e/papod-399-the-extent-of-condition-episode/ Normalisation of Deviance from the Challenger launch decision: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Challenger-Launch-Decision-Technology-Deviance/dp/0226851761   Tags:  English, Decision-Making, Gareth Lock, Just Culture, Normalisation of Deviance, Normalization of Deviance

Exploring the flaws in Murphy's Law, the discussion emphasizes that success often stems from more than just luck. It highlights the importance of structured debriefs to reflect on both good and bad outcomes in diving. The podcast delves into near-misses, like the chlorine gas leak in Aqaba, showing how systemic issues can lead to individual errors. By addressing these deeper factors influencing behavior, divers can improve safety management and prevent serious incidents, rather than merely adhering to rules or blaming failures.

In this episode, we discuss a controversial Facebook post about a novice diver being taken beyond their certification limits to 45 meters by an instructor, sparking a heated debate on blame, punishment, and safety in the diving community. We explore key issues like authority gradients, risk-reward perceptions, and the normalization of deviant behaviors that lead to unsafe practices. Instead of focusing solely on punitive actions, we delve into how changing the environment and promoting a culture of learning and accountability can better address systemic issues. Tune in to understand why context, education, and proactive management are crucial for improving diving safety and culture. Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/surely-if-we-blame-and-punish-things-will-be-safer   Links: Building psychological safety blog series, Part 1: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/team-building-psych-safety-1 Crew Resource Management: https://skybrary.aero/articles/crew-resource-management-crm Non-Technical Skills for Surgeons: https://www.rcsed.ac.uk/events-courses/course-details-non-technical-skills-for-surgeons-notss Anaesthetists Non-Technical Skills: https://academic.oup.com/bja/article/105/1/38/307710 Well Operations Crew Resource Management: https://www.iogp.org/bookstore/product/guidelines-for-implementing-well-operations-crew-resource-management-training/ The Human Diver courses: https://www.thehumandiver.com/hfid-training-2025  Normalisation of Deviance blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/being-a-deviant-is-normal Experience or Expertise blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/the-importance-of-experience Sharing mistakes you make blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/my-biggest-mistake Bad Apples blog: https://gue.com/blog/do-bad-apples-actually-exist/ High Reliability Organisations: https://www.aihs.org.au/sites/default/files/A%20Practical%20Guide%20to%20becoming%20a%20High%20Reliability%20Organisation%20-%20Andrew%20Hopkins.pdf   Tags:  English, Gareth Lock, Just Culture, Leadership, Psychological Safety

This blog explores the challenges of integrating Human Factors into diving, starting with the very nature of human factors themselves. Diving incidents often get oversimplified as “diver error,” ignoring the broader system and context influencing decisions. From cognitive shortcuts to commercial pressures, Gareth Lock unpacks how biases, complacency, and industry practices affect safety. The blog emphasizes the value of non-technical skills—such as decision-making, teamwork, and situational awareness—not just for critical incidents but for enhancing the overall diving experience. It also invites divers to start small, such as with an Essentials class, to gain insights into performance and safety. Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/the_problem_with_human_factors_is   Links: Types of Human Factors: https://humanisticsystems.com/2017/08/11/four-kinds-of-human-factors-1-the-human-factor/ How the langauge we use matters: https://gue.com/blog/the-role-of-agency-when-discussing-diving-incidents-an-adverse-event-occurs-an-instructor-makes-a-mistake/ Biases and Heuristics: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/i-am-biased-you-are-biased-we-are-all-biased Drawing video: https://youtu.be/x9wn633vl_c Efficiency vs complacency: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/complacency-the-silent-killer-but-it-s-not-that-simple Outcome and severity bias: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/joining-dots-is-easy-if-you-know-the-outcome Status-quo bias: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/status-quo The Essentials Class: https://www.thehumandiver.com/HFiD-Essentials If Only… documentary: https://www.thehumandiver.com/ifonly   Tags:  English, Decision-Making, Gareth Lock, Human Factors, Non-Technical Skills

In this episode, we dive into the complex nature of safety in diving and explore why it’s not as simple as just following rules or avoiding accidents. Safety is shaped by people, technology, processes, and culture, creating a socio-technical system where risks must be managed dynamically. We discuss how perceptions of safety differ among individuals and organisations, the influence of rewards and biases on decision-making, and the balance between taking risks and achieving goals. Listeners are encouraged to reflect on their own approach to diving safety, develop skills to manage uncertainties, and embrace a mindset of continuous learning to build resilience and mitigate failures. Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/quarks-and-meows-the-state-of-diving-safety   Links: Rasmussen’s Drift: https://youtu.be/SPa9Th9Fwh4 Schrodinger's cat: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schr%C3%B6dinger%27s_cat Hindsight bias: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/joining-dots-is-easy-if-you-know-the-outcome The importance of experience: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/the-importance-of-experience High-reliability teams and organisations: https://www.high-reliability.org/the-five-principles-of-weick-sutcliffe High reliability organisations are learning organisations too: https://gue.com/blog/improvement-requires-learning-learning-happens-at-the-organizational-level-too/   Tags:  English, Decision-Making, Gareth Lock, Leadership, Safety Culture

In this episode, we explore the unintended consequences of rewarding specific behaviors and metrics in both high-risk industries and diving. From the infamous Cobra Effect in colonial India to modern-day challenges in reporting safety metrics, we examine how well-intentioned systems can backfire when rewards drive undesirable behaviors. In the diving world, certifications, dive counts, and reporting systems can be gamed, undermining safety and learning. We discuss how fostering a culture of psychological safety, shared learning, and context-driven discussions can transform mistakes into opportunities for growth. The key takeaway? Be mindful of what you reward—learning and improvement should always take precedence over punitive measures or superficial metrics. Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/are-there-cobras-in-diving   Links: Goodhart’s Law: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodhart%27s_law Scuba Accidents and Risk Management Techniques for Divers Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1612046102342961 The Human Diver: Human Factors in Diving Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/184882365201810 Weak signals: https://skybrary.aero/articles/weak-signals-approach-ansp-safety-performance BMW celebrating failure: https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/emerald-publishing/the-acclaim-of-failure-why-bmw-reward-employee-mistakes-qmDonsLAav   Tags:  English, Decision Making, Gareth Lock, Just Culture, Leadership, Psychological Safety, Teamwork

In this episode, we explore the role of punishment in learning and accident investigations, challenging the idea that punishment fosters accountability or safety. Drawing from research by Heraghty, Dekker, and Rae, we discuss how punishment often stifles honesty, trust, and meaningful learning by creating a culture of fear. Using real-world examples, like a tragic drysuit diving accident and the grounding of a liveaboard vessel, we examine systemic issues that contribute to failures and how biases like hindsight and severity affect our responses. Instead of focusing on blame, we advocate for systemic, science-based approaches to foster psychological safety, support accountability, and promote learning to prevent future incidents. Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/blame-or-learn   Links: Modifying an accident process and its justice system: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S092575352100093X?via%3Dihub Punishment doesn’t change behaviours associated with errant behaviours: https://www.simplypsychology.org/operant-conditioning.html Managing accidents using retributive justice mechanisms: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0925753520300746?via%3Dihub Linnea Mills case: https://divernet.com/scuba-news/12m-lawsuit-follows-suit-squeeze-death/ Mission Improbable: Using Fantasy Documents to Tame Disaster: https://www.jstor.org/stable/3791858?seq=1 The likelihood of drift: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/being-a-deviant-is-normal Modifying an accident process and its justice system: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S092575352100093X?via%3Dihub CIEHF Guide to Learning from Adverse Events: https://ergonomics.org.uk/resource/learning-from-adverse-events.html Socorro Vortex grounding: https://www.deeperblue.com/socorro-vortex-liveaboard-runs-aground/ Report from the Danish MAritime Accident Investigation Board: https://dmaib.com/reports/2021/beaumaiden-grounding-on-18-october-2021/ Cognitive biases that limit learning: https://gue.com/blog/drift-is-normal-being-a-deviant-is-normal-heres-why/ Identifying error prone or error producing conditions: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/human-error-in-diving-is-it-really-that-simple Stoney Cove “Safety Stop” case: https://divernet.com/scuba-diving/diving-instructor-cleared-in-safety-stop-death-case/ Sidney Dekker’s Restorative Just Culture Checklist: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Vkg0o4Fc8XWsAul-mkXNqD5lwokQ0ntP/view?usp=sharing   Tags:  English, Gareth Lock, Incident Analysis, Incident Investigation, Incident Reporting, Just Culture, Leadership, Psychological Safety