The purpose of this book is to explore the human contribution to both the reliability and resilience of complex well-defended systems. The predominant mode of treating this topic is to consider the human as a hazard, a system component whose unsafe acts are implicated in the majority of catastrophic breakdowns. But there is another perspective, one that has been relatively little studied in its own right, and that is the human as hero, a system element whose adaptations and compensations have brought troubled systems back from the brink of disaster on a significant number of occasions. What, if anything, did these heroes have in common? Can these abilities be 'bottled' and passed on to others?Insightful, eloquent and extremely accessible, James Reason provides the reader with an essential guide to human behaviour on individual and organisational levels, examining the human from both perspectives:Part I: Introduction1. The human contribution: hazard and hero2. A user's guide to the mindPart II: Unsafe Acts3. The nature and varieties of human error4. The varieties of rule-related behaviour5. Perceptions of unsafe actsPart III: Accidents6. Recurrent accident patterns7. Significant accident investigationsPart IV: Heroic recoveries8. Training, discipline and leadership9. Sheer unadulterated professionalism10. Luck and skill11. Inspired improvisation12. The ingredients of heroic recoveryPart V: Achieving resilience13. Individual and collective mindfulness14. In search of safetyThe Human Contribution is vital reading for all professionals in high-consequence environments and for managers of any complex system. All students of human factors - however seasoned - will also find it an extremely valuable and thought-provoking read.
Industry Reviews
'While humans are normally treated as a hazard and an unsafe system component, this book looks at the human as a hero - as the single force that on a significant number of occasions has saved systems from disaster. Instead of seeing humans as a source of risk, they should be seen as an indispensable resource for safety. James Reason lucidly argues for this more balanced view using many examples from the past and the present, switching effortlessly from domain to domain. Elegantly and entertainingly written, it is an invaluable supply of information and inspiration, as well as a pointer to how the thinking about safety should develop.' Erik Hollnagel, MINES ParisTech, France 'James Reason continues in his quest to set new horizons for the worlds of human performance and safety management with this new book. The Human Contribution: Unsafe Acts, Accidents and Heroic Recoveries extends the scope of interest of scientists and engineers from the familiar areas of failures and accidents to include the roles that humans play in stopping bad events, often in heroic and imaginative ways that challenge our abilities to anticipate. This book will certainly be as important to the development of new thinking in safety as his previous books, Human Error and Managing the Risks of Organizational Accidents, have proved to be. Everyone working in this area, from those researchers advancing new models and methods to those "at the sharp end" responsible for implementing safety policies and practices, will find this book both useful and easy to read and understand. John Wreathall, John Wreathall & Co. 'The serious reader will find the book intensely moving at times. The wealth of real case studies, tragedies, splendid successes and discoveries, make it well balanced and difficult to put down. Certainly it merits repeated reading for continuous satisfaction and inspiration.' Occupational Safety & Health, May 2009 '...it is a valuable and significant contribution to managing safety and will almost certainly become known as an important and indispensable resource in the future.' Health & Safety at Work, June 2009 'As the title indicates, this book not only addresses unsafe acts but also describes a number of heroic recoveries in dire conditions. The stories are spellbinding. Reason discusses what might set heroes apart from others and provides insights into the qualities of resilience in people as well as organizations. This book, with its many thought-provoking insights, will be useful to those involved in the application of human factors/ergonomics as well as to academics - actually to anyone who is interested in or concerned with human activity.' Ergonomics in Design, Winter 2010
