Learning How to Learn from Disasters through a Comparative Dichotomy Analysis: Grenfell Tower and Hurricane Katrina Case Studies

Maria Iglesias-Mendoza,Sara Hadleigh-Dunn,Ashraf Labib,Akilu Yunusa-Kaltungo

doi:10.3390/su13042030

Maria Iglesias-Mendoza, Sara Hadleigh-Dunn + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/su13042030

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Abstract

We describe two well-established, practice-based Master’s programmes as examples of existing competence development opportunities for practitioners and how such links between theory and practice can be developed and taught within the Higher Education (HE) context. We hypothesise that learning from major failures is essential in linking theory with practice in both engineering and management education. We investigate how to train emergency response teams on coping with, and learning from, rare events; a major challenge to other practitioners in the fields of safety and risk management. Comparison is undertaken between two disasters—Hurricane Katrina in the USA and the relatively recent Grenfell Tower in the UK—using a balanced dual approach of paradoxes, a dichotomy. In this paper, we demonstrate the enhancement of both engineering and management education. This was achieved through using the two case studies to emphasize the relevance of incorporating advanced mental modelling approaches for root cause analysis in training and by comparing the two cases with respect to the black swan and black elephant concepts. It is recommended that future training has a balanced approach that encompasses the outlined features of dichotomies.

Highlights

Much has been reported with regard to the events that led to the occurrence of our case study disasters, including their direct and indirect consequences
This is considered a good practice, rather than compiling case studies that belong to a certain discipline or certain decade, as the hypothesis was that lessons can be learnt from a generic nature perspective that cuts across different disciplines
We have discussed the causes of both disasters, with evidence from reports showing that the most crucial failure points can be attributed to evacuation and emergency response activities

Summary

Introduction

Sustainability is a very broad topic that covers virtually every aspect of human endeavours, which sometimes makes it difficult to have a single definition. Sustainability can be defined as a multifaceted endeavour aimed at enhancing the quality of life for people without necessarily compromising the integrity of their environments and the ability of future generations to meet their own needs [4]. While research and practice have continued to develop and implement useful strategies for preserving most of our most vulnerable resources, it is crucial to note that such strategies cannot be truly sustainable without systematizing the ability of humans to learn from failures and successes. In the field of disaster risk reduction, learning has been addressed in the literature from various

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