Review

Tim Marsh on Malcolm Gladwell's latest work

Rebel Ideas by Matthew Syed

Safety Science Research is a collection of studies drawing on the work of more than 25 authors. These include contributions from professors, doctors and lecturers who specialise in fields such as sociology, organisational behaviour, psychology and risk management. The material is broad and covers safety at work as well as industry sectors that include transport and engineering.

About 25 years ago American consultancy Behavioral Science Technology (BST) arrived in the UK. At the time its work was cutting-edge and consequently its services have helped to save many lives.

Andrew Hopkins, whose name is synonymous with process safety, has written extensively about the causes of major accidents in the oil, gas and mining sectors, as well as aviation and transport. His erudite analyses of Deepwater Horizon, Texas City and Longford, among others, underline his outstanding contributions to safety at work that resonate globally.  

The idiom to never judge a book by its cover means not to prejudge the worth or value of something by its outward appearance alone. 

Readers of Caroline Webb’s How to Have a Good Day and John Briffa’s A Great Day at the Office will feel they are on familiar ground here. As with her fellow authors, Natasha Wallace takes a user-friendly approach to ‘flourishing’ (at work, specifically). 

The overlap between two distinct areas of regulatory law – health and safety and environmental – can be strewn with complications. It follows, therefore, that explaining how to overcome these, and communicating solutions to lawyer and non-lawyer alike, would be a testing challenge. But it is one that the authors of HSE and Environment Agency Prosecution have risen to.  

In Disastrous Decisions and Failure to Learn Andrew Hopkins presented excellent examples of management making it clear bad news is unwelcome and the importance of a proactive or mindful culture.