Safety Problems are Process Problems
Safety problems aren’t solved by blame. They’re solved by better systems.
I once dealt with a tank that kept overfilling and leaking hazardous fluid. The first reaction was to blame the operator.
Instead, I asked him to walk me through his process. That’s when the real issue showed up: the gauge was designed for a 0–100 range, but he was working in the 0–20 range. The scale was too broad, making it nearly impossible to read accurately.
The fix wasn’t discipline. It was design. We installed a 0–30 gauge, and the problem disappeared.
This experience reinforced something I’ve seen across industries: most “human errors” are really system errors. When we design tools and processes that match reality, people succeed and incidents vanish.
Where have you seen a system redesign eliminate a recurring problem?
Written by Andrew Oestmann Chase
Founder, Simple Safety Institute