Risk Space and Driving – Elementary Failures in Understanding

Objectives/Scope The paper uses concepts introduced in SPE-199446 (Hudson, 2020) and SPE-199401i (Hudson, 2020) to place driving into the proper category for risk assessment. The paper sets out why current approaches to managing the risk to operations posed by driving do not always produce the results desired. The paper then links this to the cultural level of the organisations Methods, Procedures, Process The paper considers the dimensionality of the risk spaces in which land transport operations operate. This includes barrier placement knowledge from SPE 197793 and uses the Detect-Decide-Act (DDA) concepts from the CCPS (Bow Ties in Risk Management: A Concept Book for Process Safety) the paper then examines where the loci of control are for the different dimensions. The paper then examines the organizational controls at the managerial levelii(L2) (Hudson, 2020). These results are compared to different high-risk operations to examine the difference in organizational control in the outcomes of those operations. Results, Observations, Conclusions In general, driving is seen to be an exceptional category in the hazards to which organisations are exposed. Depending on the operation type, driving can be the largest source of unmitigated riskiii (Hudson, 2010). The paper shows that the driving risk space is not only physically highly dimensional, but also that almost every single barrier to failure is procedural. Thus, the risk space can be considered to be complex. When compared to other operations with complex riskspace such as fixed wing operations or offshore helicopter operations, it becomes clear that organisations do not control the various risk dimensions to the same degree in driving operations. For example, the main external risk a pilot has to manage is weather, as the interactions with other aircraft are managed by air traffic control. However, a driver manages not only weather, but also navigation, road conditions, and most importantly other traffic. This means that the risk management controls required need to be of sufficient sophistication that organisations are able to: The paper contrasts these needs with the typical programs used to manage driving. The paper shows that proper management of dimensions within the span of control of the organisation can help improve the outcomes for organisations. Please explain how this paper will present novel (new) or additive information to the existing body of literature that can be of benefit to a practicing engineer. By placing driving in the correct risk space category (complex), the paper provides insight and understanding into why driving programs will or will not provide the outcomes desired. The paper shows what organisations should consider managing, as well as why current efforts are not delivering.