Using expert perspectives to explore factors affecting choice of methods in safety analysis

Farooqi, A.; Ryan, B.; Cobb, S.

Abstract

Many methods have been developed to understand and improve system safety. Previous research has indicated that a 'research-practice gap' exists in use of methods, where systemic methods are not adopted in practice. This study extends this research, by using interviews and focus groups with 29 safety experts to investigate their choice and use of different error and accident analysis methods. This study supports previous conclusions on the research-practice gap in different analysis approaches taken by researchers and practitioners, and provides new insights in understanding experts' familiarity and willingness to consider safety II approaches to safety analysis, including their interpretations of the principles of emergence and resonance. The key findings were that participants, both with and without prior experience of using FRAM (Functional Resonance Analysis Method, Hollnagel, 2012), used various strategies to identify how performance variabilities may resonate through the system to produce unwanted outcomes. They recognised the value of the safety II perspective in providing detailed recommendations for improving system safety, although some did not understand the underlying concepts, or described FRAM as time consuming and complex to use. There is a need to enhance the practical applicability of emerging methods, which provide further avenues of research.

Citation

Farooqi, A., Ryan, B., & Cobb, S. (2022). Using expert perspectives to explore factors affecting choice of methods in safety analysis. Safety Science, 146, Article 105571. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2021.105571

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 1, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Nov 11, 2021
• Publication Date: 2022-02
• Deposit Date: Nov 11, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: May 12, 2023
• Journal: Safety Science
• Print ISSN: 0925-7535
• Electronic ISSN: 1879-1042
• Publisher: Elsevier BV
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 146
• Article Number: 105571
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2021.105571
• Keywords: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health; Safety Research; Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/6680139
• Publisher URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0925753521004136