Counter-Errorism in Diving: Applying Human Factors to Diving

In this podcast episode, Gareth delves into the nuanced concept of safety in diving, challenging the perception of what constitutes a "safe" dive. Examining different dive scenarios, from reef dives to wreck penetrations and cave dives, the episode explores the subjective nature of acceptable risk levels based on individual training, skills, and experience. Drawing on a healthcare safety framework, the discussion categorizes safety approaches into "Ultra Adaptive," "High Reliability," and "Ultra Safe," questioning where the diving industry aligns in terms of risk management. The lack of precise data on diving failures and fatalities is highlighted, challenging the commonly cited failure rate. The episode encourages listeners to reconsider their understanding of a "safe" dive, emphasizing the importance of regular emergency and rescue plan validation, skill practice, and reflective debriefs to foster a true sense of safety in diving. Gareth prompts listeners to contemplate their personally constructed views of safety and the potential challenges when these views differ within a dive team, stressing the need for a psychologically-safe environment for effective risk management discussions. Original Blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/what-does-safe-mean   Links: Framework of contrasting approaches to safety: https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-25559-0   Tags: English, Decision Making, Gareth Lock, Risk, Risk Management, Safety Culture

In this podcast episode, Gareth explores the complexities of risk management in diving, emphasizing the hazards involved, including drowning, hypoxia, hyperoxia, entanglement, and decompression illness. The discussion challenges the traditional concept of risk, highlighting that in diving, uncertainties are managed, not risks, due to the unknown probabilities associated with events. Drawing from a real-life cave diving accident, the episode delves into cognitive biases such as availability bias, representativeness bias, and mirages, revealing how humans struggle to accurately judge risks, especially in low probability/high consequence situations. The importance of framing decisions and considering cultural effects is discussed, shedding light on the divergent perspectives within the diving community. Gareth advocates for education and systematic thinking to address biases, emphasizing the role of checklists and the unique approach of The Human Diver in managing uncertainty rather than quantifiable risk. The episode concludes by highlighting the social construction of safety and the subjective nature of an acceptable level of risk in diving. Original Blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/risk-or-uncertainty   Links: Plura cave diving accident: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diving_into_the_Unknown Anchoring case study: https://youarenotsosmart.com/2010/07/27/anchoring-effect/ Dirty Dozen splash checklist: https://thedirtydozenexpeditions.com/s/Dirty-Dozen-Group-LLC-SPLASH-CHECKLIST-30-AUDITED-BY-HUMAN-FACTORS.pdf Reference: Social Structure, Psychology, and the Estimation of Risk. Heimer, 1998: https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev.so.14.080188.002423   Tags:  English, Cognitive Biases, Decision Making, Gareth Lock

In this podcast episode, Gareth explores the nuanced meanings of terms like success, failure, good, bad, and safe within the context of a two-week workshop for developing Human Diver instructors. The workshop incorporates realistic simulations with live students from diverse backgrounds, posing challenges in team formation. The episode delves into discussions around defining success in simulations, where both positive and negative outcomes contribute to learning. Gareth shares a personal experience from the workshop, highlighting the impact of goal-oriented leadership on team dynamics and the importance of maintaining psychological safety for effective communication. The episode emphasizes the relevance of these insights to the diving community, prompting listeners to reflect on leadership styles, capacity to fail safely, emergency preparedness, and the value of non-technical skills in high-consequence environments. Ultimately, Gareth argues that being safe involves understanding context, implementing defenses, and planning to fail safely in a fallible environment. Original Blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/success-or-failure-success-and-failure   Links: DEBrIEF guide: https://www.thehumandiver.com/debrief Challenger Safety: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/team-building-psych-safety-4 The courses we run: https://www.thehumandiver.com/hfid-level-2 Safety is not being compliant with rules: https://gue.com/blog/compliance-provides-an-illusion-of-safety-in-diving/   Tags:  English, Gareth Lock, InterLAB, Leadership, Psychological Safety, Teamwork, Training

In this podcast episode, the host reflects on the crucial role of human factors in diving, particularly in the context of scientific diving, where diverse skills are essential for conducting underwater research. The episode details the experience of implementing human factors training in the first Occupational Scientific Diving Training class at the Tvärminne Zoological Station in Finland. The scientific diving class, held over six weeks, aimed to develop skills in project management, supervision, emergency plans, and diving skills. The incorporation of human factors principles, such as creating a psychologically safe environment, using checklists, and improving communication techniques, significantly enhanced the students' learning experience. The host shares how these practices fostered teamwork, reduced errors, and improved safety and efficiency in the challenging underwater environment. The episode concludes with the students' positive feedback, highlighting the transformative impact of integrating human factors training into scientific diving education. Original Blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/HF-into-scientific-diving   Links: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/research-stations/tvarminne-zoological-station/finnish-scientific-diving-academy   Tags: English, Beatrice Rivoira, Checklists Communication, Psychological Safety, Scientific Diving, Teamwork

In this podcast episode, Gareth explores the safety practices of aviation and nuclear industries, and their relevance to diving. Rather than focusing on regulations, the discussion centers on five key principles derived from Human and Organisational Performance (H&OP). The principles delve into understanding human error as normal, avoiding blame in favor of learning, recognizing that context drives behavior, emphasizing the importance of leaders' responses, and highlighting the vital role of continuous learning for improvement. Gareth provides a concise overview of each principle, underscoring their interdependence and practical applications in the diving community. The episode concludes by emphasizing the need to shift from a blame-oriented culture to one centered on learning, promoting safety and improved performance in the dynamic world of diving. Additional resources are offered for a deeper exploration of these principles. Original Blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/five-key-principles-how-to-improve-individually-and-organisationally   Links: Work as imagined will not meet the operating environment: https://gue.com/blog/compliance-provides-an-illusion-of-safety-in-diving/ James Reason’s categorised errors: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/mistakes-errors-words-have-meaning You can blame or you can learn, you can’t do both: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/surely-if-we-blame-and-punish-things-will-be-safer  Context, the decision-making process, and ‘local rationality’: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/why-diving-incident-stories-are-good-and-bad Social media sites and the fear of sharing stories: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/we-ve-got-an-attitude-problem Psycholoigcal safety: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/team-building-psych-safety-1 Dummies blog about Just Culture: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/hf-in-diving-for-dummies-part-3-just-culture Adopting HF and Non-Technical Skills training into curricula: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/knowledge-is-not-enough-we-must-apply Moving from a blame-focused approach to one which is focused on learning and understanding local rationality: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/accountability-or-another-word-for-blame Learning from unintended outcomes: https://www.thehumandiver.com/lfuo The need to tell context-rich stories: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/don-t-just-focus-on-the-errors Patrick Lencioni’s ‘The Five Dysfunctions of a Team’: https://medium.com/@leenasn/book-summary-the-five-dysfunctions-of-a-team-f3299a1f1a3c Post from the CEO of PADI: https://pros-blog.padi.com/straight-talk-from-padi-ceo-your-1-priority-and-responsibility-when-training-or-supervising-divers/%C2%A0 Moving from blame to learning: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/from_blaming_to_learning   Tags:  English, Gareth Lock, HOP, Human Error, Human Performance, Just Culture, Leadership

In this podcast episode, Jenny delves into the concept of trust, drawing a historical connection to the origin of the term "confidence man" in the late 1940s. The story of William Thompson, a small-time thief, serves as an analogy to highlight the importance of integrity in building trust, especially in teamwork. The discussion emphasizes that while skills and integrity are foundational components of trust, benevolence, or the belief that someone is acting in our best interests, plays a crucial role. Jenny explores Shane Snow's three building blocks of trust – ability, integrity, and benevolence – and emphasizes that benevolence forms the foundation, making it the most critical factor. The episode concludes by relating these trust principles to the diving community, highlighting the natural tendency for divers to trust one another based on shared identity and the significance of considering all three trust components in diving partnerships. Relevant academic references on organizational trust and teamwork are provided for further exploration. Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/do-you-trust-me-can-i-trust-you   Links: Simon Sinek’s presentation about trust: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJdXjtSnZTI Shane Snow’s three building blocks: https://www.forbes.com/sites/shanesnow/2020/04/27/this-common-approach-to-earning-trust-completely-backfires-on-leaders/ An Integrative Model of Organisational Trust: https://www.jstor.org/stable/258792?seq=7#metadata_info_tab_contents Trust in Teams: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0018726718818721 Patrick Lencioni's Five Dysfunctions of a Team. Foundation is Trust. https://medium.com/@leenasn/book-summary-the-five-dysfunctions-of-a-team-f3299a1f1a3c   Tags:  English, Jenny Lord, Leadership, Psychological Safety, Teamwork, Trust  

In this podcast episode, Gareth shares his insights from a presentation given to young CEOs and presidents during a diving trip, focusing on applying lessons from diving to non-diving environments. The discussion encompasses topics like organizational drift, competing goals, creating a shared mental model using non-technical skills, and fostering an environment supporting psychological safety and a Just Culture. The key takeaway emphasizes the importance of learning and practicing debriefs for future dives, with a focus on the DEBrIEF framework. The framework is detailed as a valuable tool for analyzing both positive and negative dive experiences, promoting a psychologically safe environment for effective debriefing. Each element of the DEBrIEF framework is explained, from defining the scope and creating psychological safety to reviewing the timeline and fostering internal and external learning. The episode concludes by highlighting the framework's role in continuous development for high-performing dive teams and the importance of a positive and supportive learning environment. The standalone DEBrIEF guide is also made available for further reference. Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/debriefing   Links: DEBrIEF guide: https://www.thehumandiver.com/debrief   Tags:  English, Debrief,Gareth Lock, Leadership, Teamwork

In this podcast episode, the focus is on a scenario involving three teams of divers tasked with finding a wreck in challenging underwater conditions. The problem requires a mix of decision-making and situation awareness, emphasizing the importance of understanding the current situation, recognizing patterns, and projecting ideas into the future. The teams face challenges such as maintaining a constant bearing and dealing with variable currents. The experienced divers demonstrate the concept of intentional deviation, choosing a longer route to increase the chances of finding the wreck. The episode highlights the application of human factors and non-technical skills in diving, showcasing how intentional decisions, though seemingly flawed economically, can be smarter in the given context. The interdependence between technical skills, environmental factors, luck, and non-technical skills is explored, emphasizing the critical link between situation awareness and the diving environment. The podcast encourages post-dive debriefs to enhance understanding of problem-solving approaches and underscores the interconnected nature of situation awareness, task, and environment in diving.

In this podcast episode, the focus is on the importance of taking action and addressing issues in various environments, drawing parallels to a scenario in fire safety training. The speaker reflects on the quote, "The standard you walk past is the lowest standard you accept," emphasizing the responsibility of leaders to initiate change by not overlooking problems. The Bystander effect is explored, particularly in the diving industry, where psychological safety and lack of standards can hinder addressing issues. The podcast discusses effective strategies to counter the Bystander effect, including proactive discussions, defined team roles and standards, and the significance of briefs and debriefs in fostering a culture of learning and improvement. The episode encourages individuals to be proactive leaders, persist in initiating change, and engage with the team to maintain momentum. Additionally, we look at how change can start with one person and gain momentum with others joining in. Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/whose-job-is-it-to-create-change   Links: Speech from Lieutenant General David Morrison:https://youtu.be/s_TfZdIhIgg?t=156 The bystander effect video: https://youtu.be/OSsPfbup0ac Interesting leadership tips: https://www.lollydaskal.com/leadership/story-everybody-somebody-anybody-nobody/ Debrief webinar from Jenny and Mike: https://youtu.be/JTM_Lh7HtmA%C2%A0 Psychological safety blogs: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/team-building-psych-safety-1 https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/team-building-psych-safety-2 https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/team-building-psych-safety-3 https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/team-building-psych-safety-4   Tags:  English, Gareth Lock, Leadership

In this podcast episode, Mike Mason, an instructor for The Human Diver in Australia, shares insights from his recent week-long dive training course focused on MOD 2 CCR. Emphasizing the importance of teamwork, he discusses key takeaways applicable to all divers, regardless of their specific diving interests. Mike delves into the significance of team pre-jump checks, highlighting how performing these checks as a group enhances awareness and emergency response. Gas planning and computer settings are explored, with an emphasis on independent problem-solving and the use of worst-case scenarios for safer decision-making. Mike also underscores the unique approach of physically supporting teammates during simulated problems, enhancing safety and situational awareness. The episode concludes with a recommendation for instructor Marc Crane, known for integrating Human Factors into dive training, and the value of non-technical skills in becoming a better diver. Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/teamwork-in-diving-what-i-learned-from-a-recent-training-course   Links: Dummies series, Leadership blog https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/HFiD-for-dummies-teamwork   Tags:  English, Communication, Decision Making, Mike Mason, Situation Awareness, Teamwork