Trapping Safety into Rules: How Desirable or Avoidable Is Proceduralization?
'Procedures are by some seen as a panacea for all safety problems, while others realise that they are a double-edged solution that hinders as much as it helps. The book provides a refreshing analysis of the basic practical and theoretical issues, and is a valuable reference for people who recognise the difference between working to rule and working safely.'Erik Hollnagel, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark 'This collection should be required reading for those who design and implement procedural strategies for managing risk across a broad range of complex socio-technical activities. The essays make a major contribution to our understanding of how overly detailed and specific procedural rules may raise new problems and risks as their volume and formalization increase, limiting discretion and impeding learning from mistakes or errors.'Professor Emeritus Gene Rochlin, University of California, Berkeley, USA 'If you are involved in the development and implementation of procedures, this is a book to read. It is not a guideline how to deal with the problem of realising safety and proceduralization. It provides an overview of the history of the development of procedures, the interaction of culture with procedures, and some of the effects procedures can have on the execution of tasks and the realisation of safety. As such it is a major contribution in understanding the delicate relationship between rules and procedures, the development of expertise, and the contribution of this to safety.' Newsletter of the Europe Chapter of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, no. 2 / 2013