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Human and organizational biases affecting the management of safety

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  • Reiman, Teemu
  • Rollenhagen, Carl

Abstract

Management of safety is always based on underlying models or theories of organization, human behavior and system safety. The aim of the article is to review and describe a set of potential biases in these models and theories. We will outline human and organizational biases that have an effect on the management of safety in four thematic areas: beliefs about human behavior, beliefs about organizations, beliefs about information and safety models. At worst, biases in these areas can lead to an approach where people are treated as isolated and independent actors who make (bad) decisions in a social vacuum and who pose a threat to safety. Such an approach aims at building barriers and constraints to human behavior and neglects the measures aiming at providing prerequisites and organizational conditions for people to work effectively. This reductionist view of safety management can also lead to too drastic a strong separation of so-called human factors from technical issues, undermining the holistic view of system safety. Human behavior needs to be understood in the context of people attempting (together) to make sense of themselves and their environment, and act based on perpetually incomplete information while relying on social conventions, affordances provided by the environment and the available cognitive heuristics. In addition, a move toward a positive view of the human contribution to safety is needed. Systemic safety management requires an increased understanding of various normal organizational phenomena – in this paper discussed from the point of view of biases – coupled with a systemic safety culture that encourages and endorses a holistic view of the workings and challenges of the socio-technical system in question.

Suggested Citation

  • Reiman, Teemu & Rollenhagen, Carl, 2011. "Human and organizational biases affecting the management of safety," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 96(10), pages 1263-1274.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:reensy:v:96:y:2011:i:10:p:1263-1274
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ress.2011.05.010
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Terje Aven & Ortwin Renn, 2009. "On risk defined as an event where the outcome is uncertain," Journal of Risk Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(1), pages 1-11, January.
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    6. Emil Ioan Turc & Philippe Baumard, 2007. "Can Organizations Really Unlearn?," Post-Print hal-03227806, HAL.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Bellamy, Linda J. & Chambon, Monique & van Guldener, Viola, 2018. "Getting resilience into safety programs using simple tools - a research background and practical implementation," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 172(C), pages 171-184.
    3. Wiig, Siri & Robert, Glenn & Anderson, Janet E. & Pietikainen, Elina & Reiman, Teemu & Macchi, Luigi & Aase, Karina, 2014. "Applying different quality and safety models in healthcare improvement work: Boundary objects and system thinking," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 134-144.

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