All Episodes
Episodes
SH182: My Biggest Mistake: Context Driving Behaviour
In this episode, we explore how context drives behavior and how mistakes can happen even to experienced professionals. Sharing a personal story about a diving oversight, we examine how time pressures, language...
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SH181: “Blame is the enemy of safety” - moving from blaming to learning
Mistakes, slips, and lapses are a natural part of human performance, influenced by factors like training, time pressures, and equipment design. While rule-breaking may seem deliberate, it's often shaped by context,...
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SH180: Challenger Safety: As an Instructor, don't I lose control?
In this episode, we explore how instructors can balance leadership with fostering psychological safety in diving education. Psychological safety, defined as a "rewarded vulnerability," is crucial for creating...
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SH179: How and Why Checklists Work
In this episode, we explore the importance of checklists in diving, inspired by lessons from aviation and medicine. After a tragic 1935 plane crash, pilots introduced simple checklists to reduce human error—an...
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SH178: The Importance of Experience: Expertise is different to Experience
Experience and practice are crucial for making better decisions, especially in uncertain situations, but they aren’t the same. Perfect practice builds expertise, while varied experiences across different environments...
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SH177: We see what we think we’re looking for
In this episode, we explore how human perception and assumptions can lead to critical errors, using real-world examples like the tragic 1994 friendly fire incident where two US helicopters were mistaken for enemy...
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SH176: How to Integrate Human Factors Education into a New Diving Class: A Real World Example
In this episode, we discuss integrating Human Factors training into technical diving courses, inspired by a new program blending eLearning, hands-on skills, and real-world exploration. The program emphasized teamwork,...
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SH175: You can't pay MORE attention: the myth of 'loss of situation awareness'
In this episode, we explore the complexities of situational awareness (SA) in diving and why it's often only recognized as missing after an event has occurred. SA involves interpreting sensory data and predicting...
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SH174: When The Rescuer Nearly Needs Rescuing! - Task Fixation
In this blog, a diver reflects on a simulated rescue scenario during a PADI Rescue Course, highlighting critical lessons about human factors in diving. The incident underscores the impact of high task focus, reduced...
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SH173: How to conduct effective pre-dive checks on a busy dive boat
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...
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SH172: Making sense now to see what the future might bring
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....
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SH171: If A=B and B=C, then why A≠C?
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...
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