• Contact

  • Newsletter

  • About us

  • Delivery options

  • Prospero Book Market Podcast

  • Simplicity in Safety Investigations: Moving Towards Learning from Incidents, Second Edition

    Simplicity in Safety Investigations by Long, Ian;

    Moving Towards Learning from Incidents, Second Edition

      • GET 20% OFF

      • The discount is only available for 'Alert of Favourite Topics' newsletter recipients.
      • Publisher's listprice GBP 49.99
      • The price is estimated because at the time of ordering we do not know what conversion rates will apply to HUF / product currency when the book arrives. In case HUF is weaker, the price increases slightly, in case HUF is stronger, the price goes lower slightly.

        23 882 Ft (22 745 Ft + 5% VAT)
      • Discount 20% (cc. 4 776 Ft off)
      • Discounted price 19 106 Ft (18 196 Ft + 5% VAT)
      • Discount is valid until: 31 December 2025

    23 882 Ft

    db

    Availability

    Estimated delivery time: Expected time of arrival: end of January 2026.
    Not in stock at Prospero.

    Why don't you give exact delivery time?

    Delivery time is estimated on our previous experiences. We give estimations only, because we order from outside Hungary, and the delivery time mainly depends on how quickly the publisher supplies the book. Faster or slower deliveries both happen, but we do our best to supply as quickly as possible.

    Product details:

    • Edition number 2
    • Publisher CRC Press
    • Date of Publication 30 June 2025

    • ISBN 9781032869896
    • Binding Paperback
    • No. of pages202 pages
    • Size 234x156 mm
    • Weight 320 g
    • Language English
    • Illustrations 6 Illustrations, black & white; 6 Line drawings, black & white; 4 Tables, black & white
    • 666

    Categories

    Short description:

    This book reveals the critical necessity of transitioning from identifying lessons to implementing actionable changes in workplace safety. New to this edition are two additional chapters, updated content on lessons learned from investigations and increased coverage of the process required to better understand workplace fatalities. 

    More

    Long description:

    This book investigates over 30 major catastrophes and reveals the critical necessity of transitioning from identifying lessons to implementing actionable changes in workplace safety.


    Recognising the gap between incident analysis and meaningful workplace transformation, the book advocates for a shift in mindset, emphasising practical application over theoretical comprehension. This book delivers a comprehensive framework that connects incident findings and tangible and practical workplace improvements. Building upon the works of renowned safety science thinkers, including Sidney Dekker and James Reason, the book offers insights garnered from years of industry experience, delivering a pragmatic approach that is usable in any workplace. New to this edition are two new chapters, updated content on lessons learned from investigations, and increased coverage of the process required to better understand workplace fatalities. Through investigating common drivers of disasters, from the Herald of Free Enterprise ferry tragedy to the Fukushima Daiichi meltdown, the reader will gain an understanding of what can be learned from past incidents and how that can be applied to ensure a safer future.


    This second edition of Simplicity in Safety Investigations: Moving Towards Learning from Incidents is an indispensable resource tailored for those in occupational health and safety practice, including supervisors, managers, and business leaders across diverse industries.

    More

    Table of Contents:

    Acknowledgements ix


    Early thoughts xi


    Introduction xiii


    What does this edition cover? xv


    Chapter 1 Learning, mindset, and approach 1


    What is learning? 1


    Mindset 2


    Approach 6


    Chapter essentials 7


    Chapter 2 Before you start 8


    Key decisions: study level, scope, team formation, and roles 8


    Learning Study level 8


    Scope and team formation 9


    A simple study 10


    A detailed study 11


    Roles 13


    The art of facilitation and using a coaching style in facilitation 14


    Your conversations and questions (before and after an event) 19


    Chapter essentials 19


    Chapter 3 Getting to ‘lessons to be learnt’ – the process 20


    Step 0: Immediate response (Pre-Learning Study work) 20


    Step 1: A decision to undertake a Learning Study is made 21


    Step 2: Preliminary information gathering is completed 22


    A side note on post-incident conversations/ interviewing (as compared to taking statements) 23


    Generous listening 25


    The interview conversation 27


    Step 3: A Learning Study team is formed 29


    Step 4: The team goes through the draft Work-As-Done timeline 29


    Step 5: More comprehensive information gathering is undertaken by the team, including a PEEPO 30


    How to run an effective and efficient PEEPO 31


    Step 6: The timeline is completed, and ‘Elements of Interest’ are identified (determining Work-As-Done, Work- As-Normal, and Work-As-Written) 33


    A side note on the differences between WAD, WAN, and WAW 33


    Step 7: The contributors are listed for each Element of Interest 42


    Hazards and risks 45


    Understanding hazards, risk, and controlling of risk 46


    Systems of work and their interrelationships 47


    Shared space as it relates to safe workspaces 47


    The limitations and use of situational awareness 48


    Attitude and mindset 48


    Understanding their ‘why’ 48


    The importance of attitude, internal decisions, and sense-making 49


    The adoption of a growth mindset, including a learning mindset 49


    Competency 50


    Core ‘competency training’ and ‘awareness induction’ 50


    Experience 50


    Process, tools, and equipment 51


    Understanding of process and equipment 51


    Equipment, tools, and plant design 51


    Planning and task assignment 51


    Task planning, assignment, acceptance, and monitoring, including communication 52


    Understanding their own and others’ expectations 52


    Answering a different question – that is, when the action doesn’t match the request 53


    What-You-See-Is-All-There-Is and plan continuation 53


    Efficiency-Thoroughness Trade-Off 54


    Drift 54


    Leadership 54


    Leadership 54


    Accountability and authority mismatch 55


    The level of understanding and curiosity about how work is actually done 55


    Step 8: For each sentence, word, or statement created within the contributors, the team explores what we can learn 56


    Step 9: Actions from Learning Study 62


    Actions with SMARTS 62


    Step 10: Write the report 65


    Learning from Normal Work 66


    Chapter essentials 69


    Chapter 4 Converting lessons to be learnt into lessons learnt 70


    Sharing versus learning 70


    The process 71


    How can we maximise the likelihood of learning remaining embedded in behaviour? 76


    Chapter essentials 79


    Chapter 5 Lessons we need to learn 80


    Bhopal 81


    Chernobyl 82


    Space Shuttle Challenger 82


    Herald of Free Enterprise 83


    Piper Alpha oil rig 84


    Space Shuttle Columbia 84


    Deep Water Horizon 85


    Fukushima Daiichi 86


    Three Mile Island 87


    Toulouse AZF Fertilizer Plant 88


    West Fertilizer Company 88


    Texas City Explosion 89


    Flixborough 90


    Longford Esso Plant 90


    Gretley Mine 91


    Costa Concordia 92


    Flight AF 447 92


    Sewol Ferry 92


    Lac-Megantic Train Explosion 93


    Phillips Explosion 93


    DuPont Toxic Chemical Release 94


    Grovepark Mills Explosion 95


    Pike River underground mine explosion 95


    LPG Fire at Valero – McKee Refinery 96


    Catastrophic rupture of heat exchanger at the Tessoro petroleum refinery in Anacortes, Washington 96


    AL Solutions metal dust explosion and fire, New Cumberland, USA 97


    Nitrous oxide explosion 97


    Ethylene release and fire 97


    Imperial Sugar 98


    Fatal Liquid Nitrogen Release. Foundation Food Group 98


    The top 12 categories and their barriers 99


    Learning from previous incidents (and audits) 99


    Understanding of process, equipment, experience, and competence 107


    Procedures and risk assessments 110


    Critical processes 114


    Emergency planning and processes 116


    Management of Change 118


    Leadership 119


    Cost and production pressures 121


    Shift handover and communications 122


    Drift 124


    Key performance indices 125


    Maintenance and poor equipment 126


    Overview 127


    All 22 lessons to be learnt 127


    Barriers 129


    Chapter essentials 133


    Chapter 6 Conclusion 134


    Afterword, not after-thought 135


    The quality checklist 135


    Bibliography/essential reading list 137


    Appendices 143


    A Post-incident conversations – interviews 145


    B Case study/mock-up scenario for Learning Study training purposes 159


    C Safety Oscillation model 177


    Index 181

    More