Counter-Errorism in Diving: Applying Human Factors to Diving

In this episode, we explore Donald Rumsfeld's "known knowns, known unknowns, and unknown unknowns" concept and how it applies to risk management in diving. Using the Johari window model of self-reflection, we discuss the importance of understanding risks that divers face, from routine (known knowns) to unpredictable (unknown unknowns). The episode highlights the role of experience, training, and non-technical skills in preventing accidents and managing emergencies. Listeners will gain insights on improving their decision-making and awareness, so they can better navigate both anticipated and unforeseen challenges in their diving journeys.   Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/known-unknowns-are-they-considered-enough-in-diving   Links: Johari Window: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johari_window Dunning Kruger effect: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/incompetent-and-unaware-you-don-t-know-what-you-don-t-know Experience blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/complacency-the-silent-killer-but-it-s-not-that-simple Charles Perrow, Normal Accidents: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_Accidents Parker Turner’s cave collapse: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/09/150901121005.htm Aqaurius Project fatality: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dewey_Smith   Tags: English, Gareth Lock

In this episode, we delve into the story of Eric, a wingsuit base jumper who nearly died during a jump, to explore the risks, attitudes, and decision-making in extreme sports. Eric’s candid interview highlights how rapid progression without mentorship, inferred peer pressure, and normalization of risky behavior nearly led to fatal consequences. His reflections underscore the need for awareness, honest self-assessment, and the courage to address safety concerns, both in wingsuit base jumping and diving. The episode discusses the role of social media in glamorizing risky sports, the sunk-cost fallacy, and the importance of learning from near-misses. By drawing parallels to diving, we hope to inspire listeners to be more mindful of safety, effective communication, and continuous learning in any high-risk pursuit. Warning: This podcast contains swearing.   Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/congratulations-on-surviving-dude-you-re-one-lucky-f-er   Links: Full blog: http://topgunbase.ws/i-flew-my-wingsuit-into-trees-and-woke-up-in-a-hospital/ Today is a good day to die article: https://issuu.com/divermedicandaquaticsafety/docs/divermedicmagazine_issue9 Incompetent and Unaware blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/incompetent-and-unaware-you-don-t-know-what-you-don-t-know DAN non-fatal incident reporting: http://www.danap.org/accident/nfdir.php British Sub Aqua Club incident reporting: http://www.bsac.com/page.asp?section=1038&sectionTitle=Annual+Diving+Incident+Report   Tags:  English, Decision Making, Gareth Lock, Normalisation of Deviance, Situational Awareness

One of the key lessons in diving is that anyone can end a dive at any time for any reason, no questions asked, yet making that call can be tough due to unspoken pressures. This episode explores how inferred peer pressure, desire for group belonging, and risk-taking in “losing situations” all affect a diver’s willingness to thumb a dive. Through stories and research, we discuss how factors like fatigue, previous lost dive opportunities, and good visibility can cloud judgment, making it harder to call off a dive. Recognizing these influences and discussing them in debriefs can help divers build confidence in prioritizing safety over peer expectations.   Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/why-is-it-so-hard-to-thumb-a-dive-or-end-something-that-you-have-committed-to   Links: Paletz’s research about pilots in Alaska: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Socializing-the-Human-Factors-Analysis-and-Paletz-Bearman/58a0496739adb8778b3f95cf53e9016f15dcf8e6 Kahneman and Tversky’s research: http://psiexp.ss.uci.edu/research/teaching/Tversky_Kahneman_1974.pdf   Tags:  English, Gareth Lock, Human Factors

In this episode, we dive into the concept of human error, examining why labeling it as the sole cause of accidents often oversimplifies the issue and prevents meaningful improvement. Human error is natural, inevitable, and can range from minor to life-threatening in impact. Effective safety culture encourages open discussion of mistakes without blame, helping us understand the factors influencing these errors, like pressure, environment, and subconscious decision-making. This episode also covers how divers and instructors can reflect on and report errors, find systemic solutions, and avoid jumping to conclusions like "human error," which should be a starting point, not an endpoint, in any investigation.   Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/human-error-or-diver-error-are-they-just-an-easy-way-of-blaming-the-individual   Links: Situation awareness model: https://s3.amazonaws.com/kajabi-storefronts-production/blogs/817/images/sbYcrVK0QVe0CYJ2fYoC_ngcezfVOQw69fnrwH2BI_EndsleyModel.jpg Diving fatality causes from DAN: http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/files/DivingFatalityCauses.pdf Instructor who didn’t analyse their gas: https://www.divingincidents.org/reports/136 AOW diver continuing diving: https://issuu.com/divermedicandaquaticsafety/docs/divermedicmagazine_issue6 Diving Incident Safety Management System: http://www.divingincidents.org/ Second victim issues: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BsHmwAFPKs   Tags:  English, Gareth Lock, Human Error, Human Performance, Just Culture, Safety

In this episode, we explore the concept of a Just Culture in diving, where learning from mistakes and sharing incidents openly helps improve safety without fear of unfair criticism or blame. Inspired by Human Factors and Ergonomics, which emerged in WWII to address human error in fast-evolving systems, Just Culture highlights that mistakes often result from systemic issues, not individual faults. In diving, many errors go unreported due to fear of judgment, especially on social media, which prevents the community from learning valuable lessons. Just Culture fosters a fair, open environment where divers can learn from errors and incidents, understanding the difference between human error, risky behavior, and recklessness, helping all divers make safer decisions.   Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/we-all-make-errors-let-s-not-judge-those-involved-without-understanding-the-how-it-made-sense   Links: Blog about local rationality: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/local-rationality-why-an-old-lady-vandalised-art-and-how-to-improve-diving-safety   Tags: English, Gareth Lock

In this episode, we discuss how openly sharing failures can lead to safer, more effective diving practices and team connections. Inspired by a diving forum thread called “I Learned About Diving From That,” we explore how sharing mistakes helps others learn without fear of criticism, creating a “Just Culture.” Embracing failure is vital for growth: it strengthens team bonds, encourages personal learning, fosters tolerance, and prepares us for future challenges. By acknowledging our mistakes, we create a safe space for feedback, helping us improve and making every dive a chance to learn and grow. Failure is normal; learning from it is essential.   Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/why-is-it-so-hard-to-talk-about-failure   Links: The Dive Forum: http://www.thediveforum.co.uk/   Tags:  English, Diving, Failure, Gareth Lock, Human Factors, Leadership, Scuba Diving

In this episode, we explore how understanding "local rationality"—the idea that people make decisions that make sense to them in the moment—can improve diving safety and team performance. Using the story of a 91-year-old woman who "completed" a crossword art piece in a museum, believing it was interactive, we see how context shapes our actions. This concept is critical in diving, where incidents are often judged in hindsight, ignoring the pressures, norms, and limited information divers faced. By approaching errors with curiosity rather than blame, we can better understand and prevent future mishaps in diving and beyond.   Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/local-rationality-why-an-old-lady-vandalised-art-and-how-to-improve-diving-safety   Links: BBC report about “vandalism”: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36796581 Mod 1 CCR bailout: https://www.divingincidents.org/reports/136 Diving with out of date cells: https://cognitasresearch.wordpress.com/2015/05/04/ccr-incident-feb-2013-double-cell-failure-human-factors-inquest-report/   Tags:  English, Communication, Decision Making, Gareth Lock, Human Error, Human Factors

In this episode, we delve into "normalization of deviance"—how divers, like workers in many fields, can gradually drift from safe practices due to pressures to be more efficient or productive. Often starting with small rule-bending or shortcuts, this drift can increase over time, as divers operate closer to safety limits without realizing the risk. Drawing on examples from high-reliability organizations, we'll discuss strategies for recognizing and counteracting this drift, from clear baseline definitions to fostering environments where divers feel comfortable speaking up about concerns. Finally, we explore the value of critical debriefs to ensure safe practices remain a priority.   Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/being-a-deviant-is-normal   Links: Steve Lewis’ blog: https://decodoppler.wordpress.com/2015/03/04/normalization-of-deviance/ Andy Davis’ blog: http://scubatechphilippines.com/scuba_blog/guy-garman-world-depth-record-fatal-dive/#The_Issue_of_Normalization_of_Deviance Amalberti’s papers: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S092575350000045X http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2464877/ Cook’s paper: http://qualitysafety.bmj.com/content/14/2/130.short Blog about complacency: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/complacency-the-silent-killer-but-it-s-not-that-simple Efficiency thoroughness trade off: http://erikhollnagel.com/ideas/etto-principle/index.html   Tags:  English, Gareth Lock, Human Factors, Non-Technical Skills, Normalisation of Deviance, Normalization of Deviance

In this episode, we explore complacency in technical diving, using the tragic case of Wes Skiles' 2010 rebreather accident as a springboard. Often labeled as the "silent killer," complacency can emerge when divers become overly reliant on their equipment and fail to actively monitor it, especially automated systems like rebreathers. Diving systems, much like any automated setup, require continuous attention and critical monitoring to avoid a gradual drift from safe operating practices—a concept known as the "normalization of deviance." We discuss the importance of training, shared learning from others' experiences, and maintaining a mindset of proactive failure anticipation, following insights from human factors research.   Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/complacency-the-silent-killer-but-it-s-not-that-simple   Links: Report about Wes Skiles: http://postoncourts.blog.palmbeachpost.com/2016/05/20/pbc-jury-deciding-whether-to-award-widow-of-famed-diver-wes-skiles-25-million/ HFACS: https://www.nifc.gov/fireInfo/fireInfo_documents/humanfactors_classAnly.pdf Parasuraman et al 2010: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21077562 Normalisation of deviance blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/incompetent-and-unaware-you-don-t-know-what-you-don-t-know Endsley’s Situation Awareness model: http://hfs.sagepub.com/content/37/1/32.short?rss=1&ssource=mfc Bahner et al: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1071581908000724 HUDs research: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21077562 Pilot missing parked aircraft: http://www.aviation.illinois.edu/avimain/papers/research/pub_pdfs/techreports/05-23.pdf   Tags: English, Gareth Lock

In this episode, we dive into the Dunning-Kruger effect and how it impacts diver safety. The presentation from TekDiveUSA 2016 emphasizes that humans often overestimate their own knowledge, creating gaps in situational awareness that can lead to dangerous decisions. By understanding cognitive biases, such as outcome and hindsight bias, divers can begin to recognize how easy it is to misjudge risks. Just as in aviation, implementing safety protocols like checklists and open communication within dive teams can improve decision-making. The Human Diver training offers essential human factors skills, enabling divers to better manage complex situations and avoid the complacency that comes from overconfidence.   Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/incompetent-and-unaware-you-don-t-know-what-you-don-t-know   Links: Wingsuit video: https://www.dropbox.com/s/9cs51gbyujce3i6/Wingsuit-small.mp4?dl=1 Digger video: https://www.dropbox.com/s/lmoj32hq6ajgd7h/Digger-Captioned.mp4?dl=1 Selective attention video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGQmdoK_ZfY&feature=youtu.be Sidney Dekker’s videos on Just Culture: https://youtu.be/PVWjgqDANWA Reading list: https://www.thehumandiver.com/pages/reading-list   Tags:  English, Diving, Gareth Lock, Human Factors, Safety