It is fascinating to read Reason’s book on Human Error where ‘fallibility’ is mentioned eleven times. Yet, when Safety wants to discuss its obsession with blame and cause, and when Reason is quoted, there is no mention of fallibility. Reason never defines fallibility nor has any discussion on mortality in his book.

In Dekker’s book on Human Error there is simply no discussion on fallibility or mortality at all. The focus on ‘human error’ is not defined by Dekker instead, it is placed in a discourse of ‘old’ and a ‘new view’ in a discussion of cause, symptom and system. The focus of the book is a re-framing of what error means (to Dekker) and how the discourse of ‘human error’ demonises safety.

In other works on Human Error published in Safety, there is a profound silence in discussion on fallibility, mortality, imperfection or any discussion about human ontology (theory of being). Indeed, in all the promotion of the ideology of zero and perfection, the reality of fallibility is missing.

Any silence in safety on the nature of fallibility, perfection and mortality sets up the industry for an ethical and moral dilemma.

Yet, I see in so many places (particularly in groups associated with S2, SD, RE, NV and HOP mythology) the rejection of ‘human error’ as a cause of events.

It seems when safety doesn’t like something it just wishes it away and the problem is gone. Indeed, the latest fad (promoted by the HOP cult) is that there is no blame and any error needs to be attributed to ‘the system’. Hey presto, the problem of blame and error is solved!

Of course, none of this is a reflection of reality or what happens in a court room when something goes wrong (https://safetyrisk.net/how-will-your-safety-propaganda-stand-up-in-court/).

A psychosis is any belief that is out of touch with reality.  This is what we see when Safety wants to wish away fallibility, mortality and imperfection when these don’t suit its narrative. Yet, in a court setting where cause, blame and compensation are sought, human imperfection is accepted as a stark reality indeed, why the court is listening to a matter.

I wrote a book called Fallibility and Risk in 2018 (https://www.humandymensions.com/product/fallibility-risk-living-uncertainty/) to bring to light the reality of fallibility that risk and safety must live with but seeks to ignore or wish away.

The challenge for Safety is to develop a worldview that acknowledges fallibility and develop a better understanding of the nature of Everyday Social Resilience (https://www.humandymensions.com/product/everyday-social-resilience-being-in-risk/) as its essential by-product.