E102: Writing Better Safety Procedures Part 2: Rules vs Reality, WAI/WAD, Safety-II & Workarounds

<p>In a 5-year petrochemical study examining over 1,400 work steps, 1/3 were performed differently from what was written in the procedure, but every task was completed successfully.Is this non-compliance or a display of worker aptitude and resilient skill?</p><p><br /></p><p>In Part 2 of our series on procedures, we look beyond the "100% compliance" rhetoric and unpack the gap between work-as-imagined (WAI) and work-as-done (WAD).</p><p><br /></p><p>We explore why workers adapt rules, how to categorise workarounds, and how to redesign safety procedures as resources for action rather than as tools for worker control.</p><p><br /></p><p>We cover:</p><p>a. why procedures assume work is linear, predictable and controllable - and why real-world conditions constantly force adaptation</p><p>b. The RES framework which explores three drivers of procedural adaptation: Routine, Efficiency, and Safety</p><p>c. The difference between viewing procedures as top-down mandates (Model 1) vs localised, situated tools (Model 2)</p><p>d. The limits of compliance checks, and how 'pencil whipping' procedures fails to assure adequate rule following, and why procedure quality and safety climate may matter more</p><p>e. How airline pilots handle complex emergencies by drawing on fragments from checklists and SOPs rather than following linear scripts</p><p>f. The challenges of over-specification vs under-specification, and why cramming in more details forces workers into a 'damned if you do, damned if you don't' trap</p><p>g. Using Scenario-Based Training (SBT) &amp; Gary Klein’s ShadowBox approaches, and HPOG’s Walk-Through Talk-Through to build expertise &amp; redesign work systems</p><p><br /></p><p>Resources &amp; Links:Website &amp; Articles: https://safetyinsights.orgSupport the channel: https://buymeacoffee.com/benhutchinson</p>