Putting the Person in Process Safety

Abstract

Abstract The current thinking in the field of workplace safety distinguishes between process safety and person safety (i.e., the human factors). In actuality, people and their attitudes and behaviours are critical for process safety. If a process safety initiative is conceptualised similarly to other organisational interventions, people play a significant role in determining the success of a process safety initiative. To illustrate this concept, this presentation demonstrates how applying key concepts from the disciplines of Organisational Psychology (e.g., change management), Social Psychology (e.g., team dynamics), and Neuroscience (e.g., thinking patterns and habits) can make process safety initiatives more effective. Process safety is an important piece of the workplace safety jigsaw puzzle. By integrating this piece with the people piece, the effectiveness of process safety initiatives can be improved. This presentation will challenge attendees’ current assumptions about the role of people in process safety.