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Organizational features relevant to the emergence and mitigation of catastrophic events

Author

Listed:
  • Clemens Heitsch

    (Gesellschaft für Anlagen-und Reaktorsicherheit (GRS) gGmbH)

  • Michael Paßens

    (Gesellschaft für Anlagen-und Reaktorsicherheit (GRS) gGmbH)

  • Jan C. Stiller

    (Gesellschaft für Anlagen-und Reaktorsicherheit (GRS) gGmbH)

Abstract

The safety of any facility employing risk-carrying technology is substantially influenced by organizational aspects of the facility's operation. Organizational features such as acceptance of nonconformances or voicing of safety concerns may positively or negatively influence the safe operation of facilities. In most cases, information on these features arises from the analysis of prominent events in the same industry (e.g., the Deepwater Horizon explosion for offshore drilling). To research a comprehensive set of relevant organizational features, we included 15 events from a broad basis of disasters and near-disasters of different extent including events from different industries and countries. To develop a reliable basis for an assessment, only organizational features were considered for which immediate evidence is available that they actually caused or substantially facilitated the emergence of the catastrophic event. In the analysis, a catalog of 47 different organizational features facilitating the emergence of catastrophic events and impeding their mitigation was found. It includes, e.g., acceptance of nonconformances, disregard of safety concerns, insufficient change management, and the absence of a systematic management of safety margins. A statistical analysis showed that features that are frequently relevant for the emergence of disasters or near-disasters may be expected to be in the catalog. For a specific industry (German nuclear power), the applicability of the results for the assessment of an organization was researched, with the result that the features are applicable and that sufficient information is available to assess them. Similar results may be expected for other countries or industries employing risk-carrying technology due to general similarities in management, regulation, and oversight.

Suggested Citation

  • Clemens Heitsch & Michael Paßens & Jan C. Stiller, 2022. "Organizational features relevant to the emergence and mitigation of catastrophic events," Environment Systems and Decisions, Springer, vol. 42(2), pages 189-206, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:envsyd:v:42:y:2022:i:2:d:10.1007_s10669-022-09847-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s10669-022-09847-1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Maryam Tabibzadeh & Najmedin Meshkati, 2014. "Learning from the BP Deepwater Horizon accident: risk analysis of human and organizational factors in negative pressure test," Environment Systems and Decisions, Springer, vol. 34(2), pages 194-207, June.
    2. J. Park & T. P. Seager & P. S. C. Rao & M. Convertino & I. Linkov, 2013. "Integrating Risk and Resilience Approaches to Catastrophe Management in Engineering Systems," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 33(3), pages 356-367, March.
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