Safety Leadership and Human and Organisational Factors (HOF)�Where Do We Go from Here?

Abstract

Investigations into major disasters in safety critical industries consistently reveal failings in safety leadership, including poor decision-making and lack of effective challenge and inadequate management oversight and scrutiny of safety, as major contributory factors (e.g. Texas City, 2005; Royal Air Force Nimrod, 2006). More recently, a lack of regulatory oversight has also been implicated in disasters such as Deepwater Horizon [2] and Fukushima Daiichi [17]. There is also evidence of an inability to apply the lessons learned from major accidents, whether they have occurred in the same or other major accident hazard industries. This chapter considers these issues and the potential interplay between actors at the more senior levels of organisations and the regulators of the industries involved. The chapter also considers the role of safety culture assessments as a means of identifying the human and organisational factors that are either undermining or enhancing safety within the organisation and the need for senior leadership having the right mind-set to take due cognisance of this intelligence to implement measures that improve safety. Strong and competent regulators should support this approach.