Safe As Podcast

A podcast dedicated to the thrifty analysis of safety science, risk, systems, and performance research. Jump onto SafetyInsights.Org for more research.Intro/Output "Dark Synth Wave" by ElephantGreen (PixaBay.com)

Safe As Podcast is a science podcast hosted by Ben Hutchinson, with 96 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Ben Hutchinson hosts Safe As Podcast, a science show with 96 episodes published.

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  Episode #99

  E99: 25 Questions for Better Incident Investigations | Safety-II / HOP

  Sep 16, 20264 minS1

  Do your investigations often conclude when you've identified 'human error', or a pesky person not following rules?Do you want to improve the quality and depth of your learning opportunities?One way is via local rationality: understanding why decisions & actions made sense to people at the time. It's a core feature in human factors / safety-II / and Human and Organizational Performance (HOP).This episode unpacks Louise Roe's Local Rationality Question Tool in her article presented at the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics & Human Factors (CIEHF) 2025 conference.The tool covers things like: - workload, time pressure & environmental cues; goals, assumptions & information available- training, policies & useable job aids- team dynamics & information flow- Expectations & imagined outcomes/'what ifs'Ref: Roe, L. (2025). Local rationality question tool: understanding why it made sense at the time. In Golightly, D., Balfe, N., & Charles, R. (Eds.), Contemporary Ergonomics and Human Factors 2025: Proceedings of the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors Annual Conference (pp. 360-362). CIEHF. Resources & Links:Website & Articles: https://safetyinsights.orgSupport the channel: https://buymeacoffee.com/benhutchinson

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  Episode #98

  E98: Writing better procedures part 1: Action verbs, human factors & more

  Sep 13, 202615 minS1

  Why are so many procedures technically accurate, but barely workable in practice?In Part 1 of this two part series on procedural systems, we unpack the technical side of writing better, more useable procedures: exploring how to reduce safety clutter, choosing the right type of rule, and structure instructions so they support work.We unpack:• Types of rules: performance goal vs. process vs. action rules & how they limit or enable discretion• Formatting: Action-verb steps, concrete language & single-action steps• Critical steps: Highlighting actions where mistakes cause immediate or unrecoverable harm• Warnings & alerts: What guidelines and research suggests about effective warning placementAnd more.In Part 2, we go beyond technical writing and structure to unpack procedures from a Resilience Engineering and Safety-II perspective – procedures as resources for action.Resources & Links:Website & Articles: https://safetyinsights.orgSupport the channel: https://buymeacoffee.com/benhutchinson

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  Episode #97

  E97: Investigating when 'Nothing' Failed: a Safety-II/HOP debrief tool (Quickisode)

  Sep 9, 20267 minS1

  This quickisode races through a Safety-II / HOP inspired debrief tool which can help unearth 'hidden' insights about work that doesn't rely on incidents for learning.Resources & Links:Website & Articles: https://safetyinsights.orgSupport the channel: https://buymeacoffee.com/benhutchinson

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  Episode #96

  E96: Dr Linda Bellamy Part 1: Fatal vs Minor hazards, SIFs & Barrier Failures

  Sep 6, 202625 minS1

  Is there a relationship between fatal and minor hazard exposures? Recent SIF research & movements suggest 'NO' - what kills people aren't the same as what hurts them. But is that scientifically accurate? Part 1 discussion with Dr Linda Bellamy, who undertook perhaps the largest study of this kind exploring the connection - and, there ** is ** a connection. We discuss barrier/control systems & how they fail and succeed, weak signals, indicators and more. Resources & Links:Website & Articles: https://safetyinsights.orgSupport the channel: https://buymeacoffee.com/benhutchinson

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  Episode #95

  E95: Critical Controls & Barriers - Part 4: What do barrier models leave out? A Safety-II critique

  Aug 30, 202628 minS1

  A bowtie or critical control register may be useful tools, but they aren't the work.In Part 4 of this series, I unpack what control / barrier models can leave out: e.g. changing conditions, competing goals, control dependencies, unintended consequences and the adaptations people make to keep work functioning.I also explore how controls can change the systems they are introduced into, why more barriers don't always mean greater risk control, and why successful work may conceal degraded controls and poor design.We should specify, support and verify barriers but also ask: "What do the people using the control know that the bowtie doesn’t show?"Part 1: https://youtu.be/qQfORHGC4BsPart 2: https://youtu.be/7sPqw5NAyiEPart 3: https://youtu.be/Ly1mEn_KCLQResources & Links:Website & Articles: https://safetyinsights.orgSupport the channel: https://buymeacoffee.com/benhutchinson

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