Organizational factors are often found to be responsible for large-scale accidents. Why do large companies show so little interest in them? At first sight, they seem too remote from the accident and they are also likely to involve important people or systems like bonus pay based more on production figures than safety, or on staff safety rather than process safety.
The Deepwater Horizon case illustrates these common organizational factors, as well as the failure to listen of middle management, and the lack of authority of engineers in the organisation. One key factor was also the lack of organisational learning in the Company, following another accident in another location.
How can management better integrate the organizational factors? By being determined to find out "why" accidents occur.
About the expert
Andrew Hopkins is emeritus professor at the Australian National University. He is a renowned sociologist who specialises in occupational health and safety, and High Reliability Organizations. He has published many books and articles, and has also contributed to large-scale accidents investigations.