How behavioural challenges affect the quality assurance

of risk assessments

Introduction

Me –

Dean Wiseman – Director FQMLtd

Thank You

Introduction

Topic –

This presentation will consider the effects of cognitive and social psychological factors on the execution and effectiveness of the risk assessment process

European Agency for Safety and Health at Work – ‘…the cornerstone of the European approach to prevent occupational accidents and ill health’

INDG163 - 5 Steps:

1. Identify the hazards2. Decide who may be harmed and how3. Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions4. Record your findings and implement them5. Review your assessment and update if necessary

Risk Assessment

European Agency for Safety and Health at Work – ‘…the cornerstone of the European approach to prevent occupational accidents and ill health’

INDG163 - 5 Steps:

1. Identify the hazards2. Decide who may be harmed and how3. Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions4. Record your findings and implement them5. Review your assessment and update if necessary

Risk Assessment

3. Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions

Risks:

• Likelihood…what are the chances of this event taking place?

• Consequence…what will the outcome be?

Risk

Evaluate

Risk

• Cognitive processes in use • Social factors within the team

Influencing Factors

• Heuristics • Biases

Cognitive processes in use

• Heuristic – “a simple procedure that helps find adequate, though often imperfect, answers to difficult questions.” (Kahneman 2012)

• This could be otherwise described as a mental shortcut.

• Availability Heuristic – “an event being recalled from episodic memory…a fundamentally constructive, rather than reproductive process that is prone to various kinds of errors and illusions.” Schacter and Addis (2007)

Heuristics

• “…a greater focus on evidence apparently confirming one’s hypothesis than on disconfirming evidence.” Eysenck and Keane (2010)

• The shocking case of the transatlantic flight which landed not only in the wrong airport but in the wrong country is described in a presentation on Situation Awareness by Prof. Rona Flynn (no date)

Confirmation Bias

• The compound effect!

Heuristics and Biases

Assessment Team (experienced people):

• Knowledge

• Competence

• Expertise

Sociological factors

What else do they bring?

• Expectation?

• Self affirmation?

• Baggage?

Assessment Team

• Expectation – deference to my experience, influence within group behaviour i.e. self categorisation Turner et al (1979)

• Self affirmation – the ‘above-average-effect’ Guenther and Alicke (2010)

• Baggage – associative recognition (episodic memory - emotional properties of Limbic Brain) Eysenck and Keane (2010)

Assessment Team

• Can lead to impression management – a negative aspect of self-presentation Hogg and Vaughan (2014)

Assessment Team

• Place all of the above into a context where forceful, challenging and sometimes aggressive behaviours are often tolerated and in some cases promoted!

Context

1. Risk Assessment Leaders must have an understanding of these influencing factors

2. This should be added to training and competence management systems

3. We must be able to acknowledge our own short comings!

Solution?

Thank You

Questions/Discussion