SH295: Four Ways We Talk About 'Human Factors' in Diving
About this episode
This episode explores the various interpretations of 'human factors' in diving and emphasizes the importance of systems thinking for safety improvements.
This episode explores what people really mean when they talk about “human factors” in diving—and why the term can sometimes create more confusion than clarity. It looks at four different ways the phrase is commonly used: blaming “the human factor” when something goes wrong, focusing on what is happening inside the diver such as stress or decision-making, examining the external conditions that shape performance like equipment, procedures, and team dynamics, and finally viewing diving as a complex socio-technical system where people, technology, organisations, and the environment all interact. While the first three approaches can offer useful insights, they often miss the bigger picture. Real learning and lasting safety improvements come from understanding how the whole system works together, not just identifying individual mistakes. By shifting from blame to systems thinking, instructors and divers can better understand why outcomes occur and make meaningful changes that help everyone become better than yesterday. Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/post/four-ways-of-hf Tags: THD-English | THD-Education & Content Type
People in this episode
Host: Gareth Lock
Topics covered
- human factors
- diving
- safety
- systems thinking
- performance
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: The Human Diver
More episodes of Counter-Errorism in Diving: Applying Human Factors to Diving
- SH297: CRM, ISO 8804, and Scientific Diving: Opportunities and Existing Materials
- SH296: When 'I'm Fine' Isn't True: Speaking Up and Ending the Dive
- SH294: Clickbait, trolls and comments. How dive incident posts can teach us — if we let them
- SH293: Why does nothing change? Why do the same failures keep happening?
- SH292: Learning or Blaming: The Choice the Diving Industry Needs to Make. Part 3 of 3.
- SH291: What the Data Told Us: Fear, Trust, and the Stories That Never Get Told. Part 2 of 3.
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