About the Author
Steven Shorrock is an interdisciplinary humanistic, systems and design practitioner interested in human work from multiple perspectives.
Chartered Psychologist (CPsychol) & Chartered Ergonomist and Human Factors Specialist (CErgHF)
Tag Archives: accidents
What Human Factors isn’t: 4. A Cause of Accidents
‘Human Factors’ (or Ergonomics) is often presented as something that it’s not, or as something that is only a small part of the whole. Rather than just explain what Human Factors is, in this sporadic series of short posts I … Continue reading
Posted in Human Factors/Ergonomics
Tagged accidents, causation, human factors, myths, root cause, safety, safety-I, safety-II
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Giving Guidance to Government
This article was published in The Ergonomist, published by the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors, No. 568, Nov-Dec 2018. From healthcare and patient safety, to the latest developments in driver automation, human factors is not only relevant across … Continue reading
Posted in Human Factors/Ergonomics
Tagged accidents, automation, autonomy, cars, committees, driving, ergonomics, expert witness, expertise, government, gross negligence manslaughter, healthcare, human factors, learning, policy, reviews, roads
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The Real Focus of Safety-II
Safety-II has become a talking point. It is discussed not only among safety professionals, but – perhaps more importantly – among front line practitioners, managers, board members and regulators in a wide array of industries. Its practical and inclusive focus … Continue reading
Posted in Safety, Systems Thinking
Tagged accidents, archetypes, congruence, holism, local rationality, normal work, practice, safety, safety-I, safety-II, Systems Thinking, the messy reality, work-as-done, work-as-imagined, work-as-prescribed
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Human Factors at The Fringe: Nuclear Family
Nuclear Family is a gripping piece of interactive theatre which follows Joe and Ellen, nuclear plant workers and siblings, faced with an imminent disaster. Audience members will be privy to what could possibly be their last hours as they struggle … Continue reading
Posted in Human Factors/Ergonomics, Safety
Tagged accidents, empathy, hindsight, human factors, local rationality, outcome bias, safety, theatre
5 Comments
Human Factors at The Fringe: My Eyes Went Dark
Written and directed by Matthew Wilkinson. A thrilling modern tragedy about a Russian architect driven to revenge after losing his family in a plane crash. Cal MacAninch and Thusitha Jayasundera give electrifying performances in this searing new play about the … Continue reading
Posted in Human Factors/Ergonomics, Safety, Systems Thinking
Tagged accidents, art, blame, human error, human factors, just culture, management, safety, Systems Thinking, theatre
7 Comments
Never/zero thinking
There has been much talk in recent years about ‘never events’ and ‘zero harm’, similar to talk in the safety community about ‘zero accidents’. It sounds obvious: no one would want an accident. And we all wish that serious harm would not result from accidents. But as expressed and implemented top-down, never/zero is problematic for many reasons. In this post, I shall outline just a few, as I see them. Continue reading
Posted in Human Factors/Ergonomics, Safety, Systems Thinking
Tagged accidents, blame, human error, human factors, just culture, management, never events, safety, safety-I, safety-II, Systems Thinking, targets, zero harm
9 Comments
‘Human error’ in the headlines: Press reporting on Virgin Galactic
Again, a familiar smoke pattern has emerged from the ashes of a high-profile accident. The National Transportation Safety Board held a hearing in Washington D.C. on 28 July 2015 on the Virgin Galactic crash over California on October 31, 2014. … Continue reading
Posted in Human Factors/Ergonomics, Safety, Systems Thinking
Tagged accidents, blame, ergonomics, human error, human factors, Language, safety-I, safety-II, social media, Systems Thinking
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Reducing ‘the human factor’
If you work in an industry such as transportation or healthcare – where human involvement is critical – you have probably heard people talk about ‘the human factor’. This elusive term is rarely defined, but people often refer to reducing it, or perhaps mitigating it. … Continue reading
Is ‘human error’ the handicap of human factors? A discussion among human factors specialists.
Following most major accidents, one phrase is almost guaranteed to headline in the popular press: ‘human error’. The concept is also popular in the ergonomics and human factors (EHF) discipline and profession; it is probably among the most profitable in … Continue reading
Posted in Human Factors/Ergonomics, Safety, Systems Thinking
Tagged accidents, ergonomics, human error, human factors, safety, safety-I, safety-II, Systems Thinking
2 Comments
SAFETY is our Primary Goal!
OVER BLACK WE HEAR THE DULL SOUNDS OF INDUSTRY; A MUFFLED MASS OF MACHINES, GEARS, STEAM. FADE IN ON: A SIGN. Twelve feet across. Painted decades earlier, grime-covered black, white and red. It reads in large 40’s era, hand-painted type, “SAFETY IS … Continue reading
Posted in Safety, Systems Thinking
Tagged accidents, safety culture, safety-I, safety-II, Systems Thinking
2 Comments
