Safety leadership and systems thinking: application and evaluation of a Risk Management Framework in the mining industry

Sarah-Louise Donovan; Paul M Salmon; M G Lenne; T Horberry

doi:10.1080/00140139.2017.1308562

Back

Safety leadership and systems thinking: application and evaluation of a Risk Management Framework in the mining industry

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Safety leadership and systems thinking: application and evaluation of a Risk Management Framework in the mining industry

Sarah-Louise Donovan, Paul M Salmon, M G Lenne and T Horberry

Ergonomics, Vol.60(10), pp.1336-1350

2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00140139.2017.1308562

Files and links (1)

url

https://doi.org/10.1080/00140139.2017.1308562View

Published Version

Abstract

learning from incidents

safe performance

safety leadership

systems-thinking

Safety leadership is an important factor in supporting safety in high-risk industries. This article contends that applying systems-thinking methods to examine safety leadership can support improved learning from incidents. A case study analysis was undertaken of a large-scale mining landslide incident in which no injuries or fatalities were incurred. A multi-method approach was adopted, in which the Critical Decision Method, Rasmussen's Risk Management Framework and Accimap method were applied to examine the safety leadership decisions and actions which enabled the safe outcome. The approach enabled Rasmussen's predictions regarding safety and performance to be examined in the safety leadership context, with findings demonstrating the distribution of safety leadership across leader and system levels, and the presence of vertical integration as key to supporting the successful safety outcome. In doing so, the findings also demonstrate the usefulness of applying systems-thinking methods to examine and learn from incidents in terms of what 'went right'. The implications, including future research directions, are discussed. Practitioner Summary: This paper presents a case study analysis, in which systems-thinking methods are applied to the examination of safety leadership decisions and actions during a large-scale mining landslide incident. The findings establish safety leadership as a systems phenomenon, and furthermore, demonstrate the usefulness of applying systems-thinking methods to learn from incidents in terms of what 'went right'. Implications, including future research directions, are discussed. © 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group

Details

Title: Safety leadership and systems thinking: application and evaluation of a Risk Management Framework in the mining industry
Authors: Sarah-Louise Donovan (Author) - Monash University
Paul M Salmon (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Arts, Business and Law
M G Lenne (Author) - Monash University
T Horberry (Author) - Monash University
Publication details: Ergonomics, Vol.60(10), pp.1336-1350
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd.
Date published: 2017
DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2017.1308562
ISSN: 0014-0139
Grants: A new complex systems approach to road trauma: Applying systems thinking to the fatal five, FT140100681, Australian Research Council (Australia, Canberra) - ARC
Organisation Unit: Centre for Human Factors and Systems Science; School of Law and Society
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99451024202621
Output Type: Journal article

Metrics

6 File views/ downloads

508 Record Views

29 Times Cited - Web of Science

InCites Highlights

These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output

Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration
Web Of Science research areas: Engineering, Industrial; Ergonomics; Psychology; Psychology, Applied

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

Source: InCites