Stay ConnectedHuman factors is a critical topic within the world of SCUBA diving, scientific diving, military diving, and commercial diving. This podcast is a mixture of interviews and ‘shorts’ which are audio versions of the weekly blog from The Human Diver.
Each month we will look to have at least one interview and one case study discussion where we look at an event in detail and how human factors and non-technical skills contributed (or prevented) it from happening in the manner it did.
Copyright: © 2023 (c) The Human Diver 2023
Pre-dive checks are essential for diving safety, but they’re often rushed or overlooked, especially on busy dive boats. Factors like time pressure, peer pressure, distractions, and overconfidence can lead divers to skip thorough checks, relying instead on past outcomes. However, regardless of experience, using a familiar checklist with your buddy is key to ensuring equipment works and everyone knows how to assist in an emergency. While dive boats may not always allow for perfect checks, taking time beforehand—at the dive shop or during the journey—to understand your buddy’s gear can mitigate risks. Dive Masters play a vital role in setting the standard by demonstrating thorough checks. Ultimately, effective pre-dive checks improve safety, reduce errors, and prepare divers for unexpected situations.
Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/checks-on-a-dive-boat
Tags: English, Checklists, Decision Making, Mike Mason, Teamwork
In this episode, Gareth Lock explores the critical role of situation awareness and risk management in diving, emphasizing the importance of building accurate mental models to anticipate and manage potential hazards. He discusses how assumptions, experience, and training shape decision-making, and highlights the distinction between managing risks logically and addressing uncertainty through mental shortcuts and emotions. Gareth shares how The Human Diver promotes non-technical skills, psychological safety, and a Just Culture, fostering a learning approach to adverse events. With new programs and instructors worldwide, 2025 promises more opportunities to improve diving safety and teamwork.
Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/making-sense-now
Links: DAN Southern Africa webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSeKQidAZZA&t=547s
Upcoming Face to Face courses: https://www.thehumandiver.com/hfid-level-2#section-1637697699737
Tags: English, Decision-Making, Gareth Lock, Situation Awareness
In this blog, Bart Den Ouden shares a personal experience highlighting the importance of psychological safety, vulnerability, and human factors in diving. While teaching a rebreather instructor course, Bart forgot a critical piece of equipment, turning the oversight into a teachable moment. He emphasizes that instructors, as humans, can make mistakes, and fostering open communication and trust among divers is essential for safety and learning. By reflecting on errors—intentional or accidental—divers can improve team dynamics, decision-making, and preparedness, creating safer environments for themselves and others.
Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/checking_each_other
Tags: English, Bart Den Ouden, CCR, Human Error, Leadership, Psychological Safety, Rebreather, Teamwork
The first-ever Human Factors in Diving Conference, held on September 24-25, 2021, brought together 27 speakers from around the world to explore the application of human factors, non-technical skills, Just Culture, and psychological safety in diving. Spanning nearly 25 hours of content over two days, the event showcased a global virtual conference model using the LexGo Live platform, with a focus on interactive and engaging experiences. Despite challenges with ticket sales, tight deadlines, and technical logistics, the conference provided invaluable insights and demonstrated the potential of human factors to enhance safety across recreational, military, commercial, and public safety diving. The event highlighted both the successes and lessons learned, paving the way for future efforts to bring this critical knowledge to the diving community.
Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/acorn-to-conference
Links: Conference website: https://www.hf-in-diving-conference.com/
Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thehumandiver863
LexGo platform: https://www.lexgo.work/
Marketing advisors: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosconkie/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/mickeywilsonfirestarter/
Tags: English, Gareth Lock, Human Factors
Accidents in diving, and life, rarely stem from a single "root cause" but rather from a complex interplay of factors—technical skills, context, randomness, and non-technical skills like communication and decision-making. This episode explores how cognitive biases, such as the fundamental attribution error, often lead us to blame individuals rather than considering the broader system in which events unfold. Drawing parallels from diving, surgery, and other high-stakes environments, we discuss the importance of understanding the full context, embracing feedback, and focusing on interdependencies to improve safety and outcomes. Tune in to challenge your assumptions and expand your perspective on risk and decision-making.
Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/the-root-cause-of-an-accident
Links: Fundamental attribution bias: https://gue.com/blog/the-role-of-agency-when-discussing-diving-incidents-an-adverse-event-occurs-an-instructor-makes-a-mistake/
The rise of human factors paper: https://europepmc.org/article/med/31183182#free-full-text
Tags: English, Gareth Lock, Incident Investigation, Investigations
In this episode, Gareth Lock delves into the nature of human error, exploring concepts like slips, lapses, mistakes, and violations through the lens of safety research and diving experiences. Drawing on James Reason’s work, Gareth explains how understanding errors and violations—whether unintended or situational—can foster learning, reduce outcome bias, and improve safety systems. By openly discussing mistakes, instructors can lower authority gradients, increase psychological safety, and promote a Just Culture where errors are seen as opportunities for growth rather than blame. Tune in to learn how these principles apply to diving and beyond.
Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/mistakes-errors-words-have-meaning
Tags: English, Decision Making, Gareth Lock, Human Error, Psychological Safety
In this episode, Gareth Lock explores the critical role of checklists in enhancing safety and reducing errors in high-risk environments like diving, surgery, and aviation. Drawing insights from Atul Gawande's The Checklist Manifesto, Gareth highlights how properly designed checklists can prevent lapses, improve communication, and establish a culture of accountability. Despite resistance from those who view checklists as unnecessary or a sign of weakness, evidence shows their ability to save lives by addressing "unknown unknowns" and mitigating human error. Gareth shares personal experiences and emphasizes the importance of embracing checklists to ensure safety, reliability, and performance in diving and beyond.
Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/surgeons-and-checklists
Links: Downloads and Transcripts of Atul Gawande’s lectures: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00729d9/episodes/player
The problem with not using checklists: http://aerossurance.com/helicopters/habits-kill/
The Checklist manifesto: https://cognitasresearch.wordpress.com/2015/01/17/only-20-of-surgeons-would-like-to-use-a-checklist-in-their-operations/0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E
NHS checklist: http://www.nrls.npsa.nhs.uk/resources/?entryid45=59860
DAN study: http://www.alertdiver.com/checklists
Checklist design: http://ti.arc.nasa.gov/profile/adegani/procedure-design/
Chain of events of things going wrong (1): http://silentdiversion.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/human-error-dont-blame-rebreather.html?spref=fb&m=1
(2): https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2018/06/05/navy-officer-35-dies-in-off-duty-diving-mishap/
Tags: English, Checklists, Gareth Lock, Human Factors
In this episode, Bart Den Ouden reflects on the importance of mastering the basics before taking on advanced challenges, using ice diving as a vivid example. During a rare opportunity for ice diving in the Netherlands, Bart observed several instructors rushing into instructor-level ice diving certifications without adequate experience. Drawing parallels with the Dunning-Kruger effect and highlighting the risks of "unknown unknowns," he emphasizes the dangers of overconfidence and taking shortcuts in training. Bart challenges dive professionals to lead by example, prioritize safety, and ensure they truly earn their certifications, reminding us all to slow down and build skills step by step.
Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/run-before-walk
Links: Micheal Thomas’ blog for TDI: https://www.tdisdi.com/tdi-diver-news/slow-down-young-fella-attitudes-in-technical-diving/
Dunning Kruger effect: https://vimeo.com/223029249
Tags: English, Bart Den Ouden, Decision Making, Instruction, Leadership
In this episode, we explore the critical role of leadership and decision-making in diving safety, using a real-life story about a young instructor, “Jack,” who made a risky dive on a rebreather he wasn’t certified to use. Despite his confidence, Jack’s actions reflect dangerous cognitive biases like overconfidence, outcome bias, and normalization of deviance, shaped by a culture of cutting corners in his early training. Through this cautionary tale, we highlight the importance of setting the right example as dive leaders, understanding the consequences of our actions, and promoting a safety-first mindset. Tune in to learn why responsible leadership and listening to feedback are vital for creating a safer diving community.
Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/lead-a-horse-to-water
Tags: English, Bart Den Ouden, Decision Making, Situation Awareness
In this episode, we explore how listening to your inner voice can be a lifesaver, both in diving and everyday life. Bart Den Ouden shares his personal journey of uncovering severe heart issues despite passing regular diving medicals, emphasizing the importance of recognizing warning signs and overcoming cognitive biases like denial and confirmation bias. We also discuss a diver’s near-fatal experience with immersion pulmonary edema (IPO) and how quick action and a well-equipped facility saved their life. These stories highlight the critical role of self-awareness, preventative measures, and teamwork in planning to fail safely—whether under water or on land. Listen in to learn why trusting that “little voice” could be the key to staying alive.
Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/plan-to-fail-safely-part-2-passing-the-test-doesn-t-say-it-all
Links: Angioplasty and Stent: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronary-angioplasty/what-happens/
HSE Medical requirements: https://www.hse.gov.uk/diving/medical-requirements.htm
IPO (IPE): http://www.ukdmc.org/medical-conditions/immersion-pulmonary-oedema/
BMJ article: https://heart.bmj.com/content/80/6/537
DAN article: https://www.diversalertnetwork.org/health/heart/cardiac-health
Tags: English, Bart Den Ouden, Cognitive Biases, Decision Making, Medical
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
