Do Not Judge Human Errors: ^|^ldquo;Punishing Culture^|^rdquo; May Damage Safety Culture

This study reanalyses the commuter train incident that involved the West Japan Railway Company (JR West). The incident, which occurred on 25 April 2005, claimed 107 lives (passengers and the train driver) and injured 562 passengers. The delay in using the brake and the train driver’s inattention generated confusion and serious errors. The train driver’s inattentiveness may be attributed to his grave concern over reporting personal mistakes to company authorities as it is mandatory for erring JR West crew members to go through ‘learning practices’. The phenomenological analyses showed how the unintended consequences of such learning practices played a key role in the train incident. This study also draws on Foucault’s concepts on discipline to analyse the learning practices in JR West, and employs the concept of collective myopia to account for the reasoning of JR West managers.

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Effects of a Simulation Educational Experience on Critical Care Staff's Recognition of Stressors Affecting Performance and Use of Teamwork Skills

10.28971/532012ph157 ◽

2012 ◽

Author(s):

Heidi Paradis

Keyword(s):

Critical Care ◽

Healthcare System ◽

Safety Culture ◽

Medical Error ◽

Educational Experience ◽

Quality Of Healthcare ◽

Quality Outcomes ◽

Human Errors ◽

Teamwork Skills

<p>Human limitations are sources of medical error that result in injuries, deaths and cost reaching millions. Preventing human errors from reaching patients is an imperative goal of a healthcare system that desires to reduce costs and produce quality outcomes. There is a mounting body of evidence that safety culture measurement and intervention can impact the safety and quality of healthcare.</p>

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Safety Culture and Safety-Relevant Behavior in Air Traffic Management

Aviation Psychology and Applied Human Factors ◽

10.1027/2192-0923/a000068 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 3-17 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Michaela Schwarz ◽

K. Wolfgang Kallus

Keyword(s):

Safety Culture ◽

Traffic Management ◽

Service Providers ◽

Five Factor Model ◽

Principal Component ◽

Air Traffic Management ◽

Air Traffic ◽

Psychometric Validation ◽

Safety Attitudes ◽

Culture Development

Since 2010, air navigation service providers have been mandated to implement a positive and proactive safety culture based on shared beliefs, assumptions, and values regarding safety. This mandate raised the need to develop and validate a concept and tools to assess the level of safety culture in organizations. An initial set of 40 safety culture questions based on eight themes underwent psychometric validation. Principal component analysis was applied to data from 282 air traffic management staff, producing a five-factor model of informed culture, reporting and learning culture, just culture, and flexible culture, as well as management’s safety attitudes. This five-factor solution was validated across two different occupational groups and assessment dates (construct validity). Criterion validity was partly achieved by predicting safety-relevant behavior on the job through three out of five safety culture scores. Results indicated a nonlinear relationship with safety culture scales. Overall the proposed concept proved reliable and valid with respect to safety culture development, providing a robust foundation for managers, safety experts, and operational and safety researchers to measure and further improve the level of safety culture within the air traffic management context.

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Locus of Control, Safety Attitudes and Involvement in Hazardous Events in Indian Army Aviators

Aviation Psychology and Applied Human Factors ◽

10.1027/2192-0923/a000036 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 9-18 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Catherine Joseph ◽

Suhasini Reddy ◽

Kanwal Kashore Sharma

Keyword(s):

Locus Of Control ◽

Future Research ◽

Research Needs ◽

Negative Attitudes ◽

Human Errors ◽

Safety Attitudes ◽

Positive Correlation ◽

Self Confidence

Locus of control (LOC), safety attitudes, and involvement in hazardous events were studied in 205 Indian Army aviators using a questionnaire-based method. A positive correlation was found between external LOC and involvement in hazardous events. Higher impulsivity and anxiety, and decreased self-confidence, safety orientation, and denial were associated with a greater number of hazardous events. Higher external LOC was associated with higher impulsivity, anxiety, and weather anxiety and with lower self-confidence, safety orientation, and denial. Internal LOC was associated with increased self-confidence, safety orientation, and denial. Hazardous events and self-confidence were higher in those involved in accidents than those not involved in accidents. Future research needs to address whether training can effectively modify LOC and negative attitudes, and whether this would cause a reduction in, and better management of, human errors.

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Got the Results, Now What Do You Do?

Aviation Psychology and Applied Human Factors ◽

10.1027/2192-0923/a000020 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 25-33 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Michaela Heese

Keyword(s):

Safety Culture ◽

Success Factors ◽

Service Providers ◽

Transformation Process ◽

Driving Safety ◽

Critical Success ◽

Culture Transformation ◽

Survey Results ◽

Air Navigation Services ◽

Navigation Service

Members of the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation have committed themselves to measure and improve safety culture within their organizations by 2013 ( CANSO, 2010 ). This paper attempts to offer support to air navigation service providers that have already implemented a standardized safety culture survey approach, in the process of transforming their safety culture based on existing survey results. First, an overview of the state of the art with respect to safety culture is presented. Then the application of the CANSO safety culture model from theory into practice is demonstrated based on four selected case studies. Finally, a summary of practical examples for driving safety culture change is provided, and critical success factors supporting the safety culture transformation process are discussed.

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