In this episode, we discuss how complacency and cutting corners can lead to serious diving accidents. We explore how the same mental shortcuts that help us operate efficiently can also cause us to miss critical changes in our environment, leading to dangerous situations. Using examples from aviation and diving, we highlight the importance of situational awareness, monitoring equipment, and questioning decisions—no matter how experienced you are. We also emphasize the need for open communication, where divers feel comfortable addressing concerns without fear of judgment. The Human Diver training helps develop these essential skills to improve safety and performance in diving.

Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/it-s-the-little-things-that-catch-you-out

Links: C130 accident summary: http://aerossurance.com/safety-management/c130j-control-restriction-crash/

Tags:  English, CCR, Diving, Gareth Lock, Human Factors, Safety, Scuba Diving

In this episode, we explore why Human Factors are crucial in diving, even if you haven’t experienced an accident. Drawing from high-risk industries like NASA and aviation, we highlight how human errors often lead to major incidents, even when no technical failures are present. We discuss real-life diving examples where poor communication, peer pressure, or lack of planning led to dangerous situations. By "sweating the small stuff" and embracing constructive feedback, divers can improve teamwork, decision-making, and safety. We also introduce the Human Factors Skills in Diving courses, which teach these vital skills, showing their importance both in diving and other high-performance environments.

Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/what-relevance-does-human-factors-have-to-recreational-and-technical-diving

Links: NASA and the Challenger and Columbia disasters 

An Executive Jet crew who forgot to remove the gust lock

Pilot who didn’t drain the water from his fuel tanks http://www.kathrynsreport.com/2012/07/experimental-plane-crash-at-sandy-creek.html

Student who bailed out of his CCR https://www.divingincidents.org/reports/136

Instructor diving with out of date cells https://cognitasresearch.wordpress.com/2015/05/04/ccr-incident-feb-2013-double-cell-failure-human-factors-inquest-report/

Recently qualified AOW diver https://issuu.com/divermedicandaquaticsafety/docs/divermedicmagazine_issue6

Even experts make mistakes http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1397693/Wrong-kidney-surgeon-ignored-me-says-student.html

Tags:  English, Diving, Gareth Lock, Human Factors, Performance, Safety

In this episode, we explore the concept of "pre-mortem" or prospective hindsight, a technique that helps teams identify potential reasons for failure before a project begins. Research shows that this approach increases the ability to foresee outcomes by 30%. By imagining a scenario where a project has already failed, team members can share their insights and concerns without the fear of being seen as negative, helping to prevent issues before they occur. This method is highly effective in decision-making and risk management, particularly in high-stakes environments like diving or complex team projects.

Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/how-to-help-correct-the-biases-which-lead-to-poor-decision-making

Links: Sunk cost fallacy: http://youarenotsosmart.com/2011/03/25/the-sunk-cost-fallacy/

Authority gradient: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/authority-gradient-why-people-don-t-or-can-t-speak-up

Video from Daniel Kahneman about the “pre-mortem”: https://vimeo.com/67596631

Hindsight bias: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindsight_bias

Outcome bias: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outcome_bias

Tags: English, Gareth Lock

In this episode, we discuss the challenges teams face when speaking up, especially in the presence of authority figures. A German research study found that in 72% of cases, team members chose to remain silent even when verbal intervention was necessary, and only 40% of those who did speak up were assertive. Reasons for silence included deference to authority, lack of confidence, and failure to recognize the situation’s urgency. This highlights the need for effective Non-Technical Skills training, which helps individuals practice assertiveness without confrontation, improving safety and communication in high-stakes environments.

Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/authority-gradient-why-people-don-t-or-can-t-speak-up

Links: Tenerife crash 1977: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenerife_airport_disaster

Surgeon who removed wrong kidney: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1398408/Surgeons-who-removed-the-wrong-kidney-are-cleared.html

German research paper: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/231210745_Do_residents_and_nurses_communicate_safety_relevant_concerns_Simulation_study_on_the_influence_of_the_authority_gradient

Improving Anesthetists’ ability to speak up: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26703413

Tags: English, Gareth Lock, Healthcare

In this episode, we discuss the potential and challenges of using Big Data to predict safety and performance issues, especially when human behavior is involved. While traditional cause-and-effect thinking works in some cases, complex incidents often involve many small contributing factors that are hard to detect. Big Data could help spot these hidden factors, but it requires detailed context and validation to ensure accuracy. Unlike structured fields like medicine, human behavior is unpredictable, influenced by culture, risk perception, and dynamic environments. While Big Data shows promise, it’s not yet ready to replace the experienced insights of human supervisors.

Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/big-data-use-as-a-predictor-or-not

Links: Article about Big Data: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/07/opinion/eight-no-nine-problems-with-big-data.html?_r=0

Todd Conklin’s Podcast: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/leading-safety-metrics-big-data-prediction-todd-conklin

Tags:  English, Gareth Lock, Safety, Safety Culture

In this episode, we explore cultural awareness and how understanding our own culture is key to improving relationships and performance in diverse environments. After attending a training session at Abbey Communication, I learned that we often judge others based on our own biases without realizing it. The course used the Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner model, which outlines seven dimensions of culture, to help us understand these differences. By recognizing and respecting cultural variations, we can work toward better communication, teamwork, and safety in multi-cultural settings, rather than assuming others share our viewpoint.

Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/looking-in-the-cultural-mirror

Links: Riding the Waves of Culture (book): https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1904838383/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=1904838383&linkCode=as2&tag=cogniincidres-21

Seven dimensions: https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/seven-dimensions.htm

Seven dimensions video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veA0bLa8xAg

Abbey Communication: http://www.abbeycommunication.com/

Tags: English, Gareth Lock, Safety Culture

In this episode, we discuss the concept of "common sense" and how it's not always as common as we might think. Using the example of Columbus and his "uncommon sense" solution to standing an egg on its end, we explore how knowledge and experience shape our understanding of what seems obvious. Just because something appears simple to one person doesn't mean it's clear to others who haven't had the same experiences. This idea is crucial when explaining the need for training or coaching to others, as assumptions about common sense can hinder problem-solving and safety improvements.

Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/anyone-could-have-done-that

Links: The Ergonomist: http://www.ergonomics.org.uk/the-ergonomist/

Study about US college students knowledge: http://youarenotsosmart.com/2013/07/22/yanss-podcast-episode-seven/

Extramission theory: http://www.asa3.org/ASA/education/views/extramission.htm

Tags:  English, Gareth Lock, Human Factors, Safety

In this episode, we explore the parallels between decision-making in diving and the concepts from Daniel Kahneman's "Thinking, Fast and Slow." The discussion focuses on how divers often face tough choices when equipment malfunctions, similar to the mixed gambles described in the book. While staying on the boat may seem like the safe choice, the fear of missing a dive can lead to riskier decisions, driven by loss aversion and regret. We emphasize the importance of using logical, System 2 thinking in these situations and considering the potential consequences of your choices.

Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/how-much-are-you-willing-to-risk

Tags:  English, Diving, Gareth Lock, Human Factors, Risk Safety

In this episode, we discuss the importance of human factors in rebreather diving, highlighting key themes from the Rebreather Forum 4 conference. Rebreather diving, while offering unique opportunities, is far more complex than traditional scuba due to its intricate systems and hidden failure modes. The talk covers the role of systems thinking in improving safety, the need for a just culture, the value of psychological safety, and the importance of non-technical skills like teamwork and communication. We also explore the challenges of implementing human factors and why they are essential for the future of safe rebreather diving.

Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/summary-of-rf4-paper-human-factors-in-rebreather-diving

Links: Workshop proceedings: https://indepthmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Rebreather-Forum-4-Proceedings-2024.pdf

HSE report RR871: http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr871.pdf

HFiD Essentials program: https://www.thehumandiver.com/HFiD-Essentials

Gareth’s thesis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRXqeQvRFK0

Video’s from the presentations: https://rebreatherforum.tech/program/

Gareth’s presentation: https://gue.tv/programs/rebreather-forum-4-ccr-diving-advancements?cid=3312565&permalink=human-factors-rebreather-diving-ccr-systems-safety

Tags:  English, Gareth Lock, Rebreather, Research, Safety

In this podcast episode, we discuss a recent accident analysis published by RAID, which was framed as a hypothetical event but turned out to be based on a real-life diving incident without full consultation with those involved. The focus is on how we frame learning opportunities in diving and the importance of understanding the decisions made in the moment rather than placing blame after the fact. Effective accident analysis must explore the conditions and pressures present, fostering empathy and a learning culture within the diving community. A PDF review of this case is available in the show notes.

Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/language-matters-an-HF-approach-to-reviewing-an-accident-analysis

Links: PDF copy of the analysis text: https://bit.ly/THD_Incident_Analysis_Review

Learning from Unintended Outcomes training: https://www.thehumandiver.com/lfuo

Danish Maritime Investigation board report: https://dmaib.com/reports/2021/beaumaiden-grounding-on-18-october-2021

US Air Force report: https://www.afgsc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3850845/b-1b-accident-investigation-report-released/

Other reports and blogs: Roaring River Fatality

Links:  English, Gareth Lock, Incident Analysis, Incident Investigation, Incident Reporting, Just Culture