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
This episode dives into the importance of investing in skills and experience to prepare for unexpected challenges in diving and life. Using an analogy of red and white blood cells, we explore the balance between productivity and response readiness, emphasizing why both are essential. Drawing lessons from Captain Sullenberger’s emergency landing on the Hudson River, we highlight the value of deliberate practice, teamwork, and situational awareness. By learning from our own experiences and others’ stories, we can improve decision-making and be better equipped to handle ambiguity, uncertainty, and complexity. Are you ready to invest in your “bank of experience”?
Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/blood-banks-diving
Tags: English, Decision Making, Gareth Lock, Human Factors, Risk
This episode explores the critical role of leadership in diving, drawing on a challenging night dive on the Abu Nuhas reef and lessons from military aviation. The dive highlighted the importance of accountability, planning, and adapting leadership styles to the situation. Diving lacks formal leadership training, yet all divers—from instructors to dive center managers—play leadership roles. Drawing inspiration from a Marine Corps officer’s letter, we discuss core leadership values such as professional hunger, focus, attitude, moral courage, and dedication. These values, combined with structured debriefs and continuous learning, are essential for fostering safety, excellence, and teamwork in diving.
Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/leadershipindiving
Links: Blog about deviation:
”Leaders in learning mode develop stronger skills than their peers”: https://hbr.org/2017/08/good-leaders-are-good-learners
Tags: English, Gareth Lock, Human Factors, Leadership, Teamwork
This episode dives into the lessons the diving community can learn from aviation safety practices, using the near-disaster of Air Canada Flight AC759 at San Francisco Airport as a starting point. In aviation, near-misses are thoroughly investigated to uncover systemic issues rather than just individual mistakes, fostering a culture of learning and improvement. By contrast, the diving industry often discourages open discussions about close calls due to fear of criticism or legal consequences, hindering collective growth. We explore how a shift toward non-judgmental analysis and systemic thinking could enhance safety in diving, encouraging shared learning from mistakes and near-misses to prevent future incidents.
Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/aviation-diving-errors
Links: Mercury News report: http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/08/02/ntsb-finds-blind-spot-in-sfo-radar-following-air-canada-near-disaster/
Tags: English, Gareth Lock, Human Factors
In this episode, we explore how authority gradients—the imbalance of power or experience between individuals—can lead to critical mistakes in diving and other high-stakes environments. Drawing lessons from aviation, medicine, and real-world diving incidents, we discuss how the fear of questioning a more experienced person can prevent vital safety concerns from being raised. Whether it's a student diver hesitant to challenge their instructor or a junior crew member in aviation unable to assert their concerns, the consequences can be life-threatening. We highlight the importance of fostering open communication, psychological safety, and mutual accountability to prevent errors and improve safety across all levels of experience.
Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/the-power-of-one
Links: Wrong site surgery: http://www.newstatesman.com/2014/05/how-mistakes-can-save-lives
Pan Am/KLM accident: https://www.skybrary.aero/index.php/B742_/_B741,_Los_Rodeos_Tenerife,_1977_(RI_AGC_WX)
Landing gear light problem: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Airlines_Flight_173
Crew Resource Management: https://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP720.PDF
Non-Technical Skills: https://www.rcsed.ac.uk/professional-support-development-resources/learning-resources/non-technical-skills-for-surgeons-notss
Human Factors skills in Diving: https://www.thehumandiver.com/
Tags: English, Gareth Lock
In this episode, we dive into the role of social conformity, biases, and decision-making in diving safety. Humans naturally seek group belonging, but this can lead to harsh judgments when incidents occur, particularly on social media. We explore how biases like hindsight and outcome bias affect our perceptions of accidents, often focusing on blame rather than understanding the decision-making processes behind them. To improve diving safety, it’s essential to create a "Just Culture"—a psychologically safe environment where mistakes can be shared without fear of humiliation or judgment. By examining flawed systems rather than individual outcomes and teaching the "why" behind protocols, we can foster better decision-making and prevent future incidents.
Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/we-judge-based-on-outcomes-not-on-process
Links: Learning teams blog: https://www.thehumandiver/blog/can-divers-learn-from-the-us-forest-service
Hindsight bias: https://www.thehumandiver/blog/incompetent-and-unaware-you-don-t-know-what-you-don-t-know
More about Just Culture: https://humanisticsystems.com/2016/11/24/just-culture-who-are-we-really-afraid-of%EF%BB%BF/
Tags: English, Gareth Lock
In this episode, we explore how cognitive biases—mental shortcuts that influence our decisions—affect our actions in complex and dynamic situations. Whether things go right or wrong, biases like overconfidence, expectation bias, and hindsight bias shape our thinking, often without us realizing it. We discuss practical ways to identify and reflect on these biases to improve decision-making, drawing from Buster Benson’s framework that simplifies 175 cognitive biases into four key challenges: filtering too much information, finding meaning in a confusing world, acting quickly under uncertainty, and deciding what to remember. Tune in to learn how understanding biases can enhance awareness and resilience.
Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/i-am-biased-you-are-biased-we-are-all-biased
Links: Wikipedia page of cognitive biases: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cognitive_biases
Cognitive bias cheat sheet blog: https://betterhumans.coach.me/cognitive-bias-cheat-sheet-55a472476b18
Links: English, Gareth Lock
This podcast episode explores how the U.S. Forest Service uses structured Learning Reviews to improve safety in high-risk environments by focusing on understanding the context, mindset, and systemic factors behind incidents rather than assigning blame. Highlighting parallels to the diving community, we discuss the importance of storytelling, identifying gaps between "normal" and "ideal" operations, and addressing systemic issues to enhance safety and learning. With insights from the USFS's approach and Todd Conklin’s Learning Teams, we consider how divers and training organizations can adopt these principles to prevent accidents, foster accountability, and improve decision-making under pressure.
Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/can-divers-learn-from-the-us-forest-service
Links: USFS Learning review: http://wildfiretoday.com/2014/08/07/usfs-to-use-new-serious-accident-review-system/
Todd Conklin’s book: https://www.amazon.com/Pre-Accident-Investigations-Introduction-Organizational-Safety/dp/1409447820
Tags: English, Gareth Lock, Human Factors, Incident Reporting, Safety
In this episode, we dive into the complexities of decision-making in high-risk environments, focusing on why some choices that lead to accidents might seem baffling but are understandable in context. We discuss Todd Conklin's and Chris Perrow's ideas on "Normal Accidents," highlighting how unforeseen events can occur despite experience and training due to factors like hindsight and outcome biases. We’ll explore the three types of decision-making—skills-based, rules-based, and knowledge-based—explaining how each influences our actions, especially in unfamiliar situations. Lastly, we’ll address how understanding decision-making can lead to safer diving practices by analyzing actions and events before they turn into incidents.
Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/why-did-he-make-such-an-obvious-mistake
Links: Endsley’s SA model: https://s3.amazonaws.com/kajabi-storefronts-production/blogs/817/images/sbYcrVK0QVe0CYJ2fYoC_ngcezfVOQw69fnrwH2BI_EndsleyModel.jpg
Known unknowns blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/known-unknowns-are-they-considered-enough-in-diving
Tags: English, Decision Making, Gareth Lock, Human Factors, Rules
In this episode, we explore Donald Rumsfeld's "known knowns, known unknowns, and unknown unknowns" concept and how it applies to risk management in diving. Using the Johari window model of self-reflection, we discuss the importance of understanding risks that divers face, from routine (known knowns) to unpredictable (unknown unknowns). The episode highlights the role of experience, training, and non-technical skills in preventing accidents and managing emergencies. Listeners will gain insights on improving their decision-making and awareness, so they can better navigate both anticipated and unforeseen challenges in their diving journeys.
Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/known-unknowns-are-they-considered-enough-in-diving
Links: Johari Window: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johari_window
Dunning Kruger effect: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/incompetent-and-unaware-you-don-t-know-what-you-don-t-know
Experience blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/complacency-the-silent-killer-but-it-s-not-that-simple
Charles Perrow, Normal Accidents: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_Accidents
Parker Turner’s cave collapse: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/09/150901121005.htm
Aqaurius Project fatality: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dewey_Smith
Tags: English, Gareth Lock
In this episode, we delve into the story of Eric, a wingsuit base jumper who nearly died during a jump, to explore the risks, attitudes, and decision-making in extreme sports. Eric’s candid interview highlights how rapid progression without mentorship, inferred peer pressure, and normalization of risky behavior nearly led to fatal consequences. His reflections underscore the need for awareness, honest self-assessment, and the courage to address safety concerns, both in wingsuit base jumping and diving. The episode discusses the role of social media in glamorizing risky sports, the sunk-cost fallacy, and the importance of learning from near-misses. By drawing parallels to diving, we hope to inspire listeners to be more mindful of safety, effective communication, and continuous learning in any high-risk pursuit. Warning: This podcast contains swearing.
Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/congratulations-on-surviving-dude-you-re-one-lucky-f-er
Links: Full blog: http://topgunbase.ws/i-flew-my-wingsuit-into-trees-and-woke-up-in-a-hospital/
Today is a good day to die article: https://issuu.com/divermedicandaquaticsafety/docs/divermedicmagazine_issue9
Incompetent and Unaware blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/blog/incompetent-and-unaware-you-don-t-know-what-you-don-t-know
DAN non-fatal incident reporting: http://www.danap.org/accident/nfdir.php
British Sub Aqua Club incident reporting: http://www.bsac.com/page.asp?section=1038§ionTitle=Annual+Diving+Incident+Report
Tags: English, Decision Making, Gareth Lock, Normalisation of Deviance, Situational Awareness
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