SH169: “The root cause of an accident is our imagination”

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