Risk-Based Thinking: Managing the Uncertainty of Human Error in Operations

Society at large tends to misunderstand what safety is all about. It is not just the absence of harm. When nothing bad happens over a period of time, how do you know you are safe? In reality, safety is what you and your people do moment by moment, day by day to protect assets from harm and to control the hazards inherent in your operations. This is the purpose of risk-based thinking, the key element of the six building blocks of Human and Organizational Performance (H&OP). Generally, H&OP provides a risk-based approach to managing human performance in operations. But, specifically, risk-based thinking enables foresight and flexibility—even when surprised—to do what is necessary to protect assets from harm but also achieve mission success despite ongoing stresses or shocks to the operation. Although you cannot prepare for every adverse scenario, you can be ready for almost anything. When risk-based thinking is integrated into the DNA of an organization’s way of doing business, people will be ready for most unexpected situations. Eventually, safety becomes a core value, not a priority to be negotiated with others depending on circumstances. This book provides a coherent perspective on what executives and line managers within operational environments need to focus on to efficiently and effectively control, learn, and adapt.

Table of Contents:
Contents List of Figures List of Tables List of Experiences Special Thanks Introduction What This Book Is About Hu and H&OP Principles – Core Beliefs Espoused in this Book Why Read This Book Who This Book Is Written For As You Read the Book Chapter 1 A Nuclear Professional Chapter 2 A Strategic Approach Work and the Workplace The Hu Risk Hu Risk Management Model The Building Blocks of H&OP Things You Can Do Tomorrow Chapter 3 Fundamentals of Human and Organizational Performance The Notion of Human Error The Basics About Behavior, Error, and Violations The Basics About Work Context – Local Factors The Basics About Organization and Management Defenses – Controls, Barriers, and Safeguards The Severity Pyramid – Misunderstood Resilience – Adaptive Capacity of Front-Line Workers Things You Can Do Tomorrow Chapter 4 Risk-Based Thinking and Chronic Uneasiness Nothing Is Always as it Seems Risk-Based Thinking – Four Cornerstone Habits of Thought Chronic Uneasiness The Front-Line Worker – Hazard or Hero? Technical Expertise – The Bedrock of Risk-Based Thinking Conservative Decision-Making Safety Is a Core Value Things You Can Do Tomorrow Chapter 5 Critical Steps A Risk-Based, Yet Efficient Approach Recognizing a Critical Step Origins of the Critical Step Concept Risk-Important Actions (RIAs) Managing Critical Steps Is 99 Percent Good Enough? Things You Can Do Tomorrow Chapter 6 Systems Thinking for H&OP System Basics Systems Thinking – Blunt End and Sharp End The Work Execution Process Systems Thinking – The Flow of Influence Things You Can Do Tomorrow Chapter 7 Systems Learning What is Systems Learning? Drift and Accumulation Learning Methods Event Analysis Corrective Action / Preventive Action Process Learn from Success as Well as Failure Things You Can Do Tomorrow Chapter 8 Managing Human Performance The Basic Management Cycle Plan – Form Expectations Do – Communicate and Train Check – Observe and Inspect Adjust – Give and Receive Feedback Human Performance Tools Accountability and Just Culture You Can Engineer Performance Things You Can Do Tomorrow Chapter 9 Integrating and Executing H&OP and Risk-Based Thinking Remember the Seven Principles of Managing H&OP Build a Business Case A Playbook Integration – Enabling Risk-Based Thinking Execution – Deploying H&OP Promoting Risk-Based Thinking and Chronic Uneasiness Things You Can Do Tomorrow Epilogue: Live Long and Prosper Appendix 1: Glossary of Terms Appendix 2: Generic Local Factors Appendix 3: Common Error Traps Appendix 4: Fundamental Human Performance Tools Appendix 5: Candidate Indicators for H&OP Appendix 6: The Building Blocks of H&OP – Self-Assessment Criteria Appendix 7: Suggested Reading Index