Defining the principles and practices of safety management in complex systems

Teemu Reiman, Elina Pietikäinen, Jouko Heikkilä

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter or book article › Professional

Abstract

The way safety is managed in an organisation depends heavily on the beliefs and assumptions managers have concerning organisational behaviour and safety. The classical safety management paradigm typically views organisations as machine-like entities and emphasises procedural adherence, strict quality control, clear distribution of liabilities, and supervision of workers as the means to manage safety. Accidents and incidents are typically seen as caused by harmful variance in human activity, i.e., human or organisational errors. In modern complex organisations, such centralised control strategies are not enough to manage safety. Contrary to the traditional view, safety can be seen not only as the absence of something negative, but also as the presence of something positive.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationResearch highlights in safety and security
Place of PublicationEspoo
PublisherVTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
Pages68-69
ISBN (Electronic)978-951-38-8130-6
ISBN (Print)978-951-38-8129-0
Publication statusPublished - 2013
MoE publication typeNot Eligible

Publication series

SeriesVTT Research Highlights
Number10
ISSN2242-1173

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Large scale systems
Quality control
Accidents
Managers

Cite this

Reiman, T., Pietikäinen, E., & Heikkilä, J. (2013). Defining the principles and practices of safety management in complex systems. In Research highlights in safety and security (pp. 68-69). Espoo: VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. VTT Research Highlights, No. 10
Reiman, Teemu ; Pietikäinen, Elina ; Heikkilä, Jouko. / Defining the principles and practices of safety management in complex systems. Research highlights in safety and security. Espoo : VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, 2013. pp. 68-69 (VTT Research Highlights; No. 10).
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Reiman, T, Pietikäinen, E & Heikkilä, J 2013, Defining the principles and practices of safety management in complex systems. in Research highlights in safety and security. VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Espoo, VTT Research Highlights, no. 10, pp. 68-69.

Defining the principles and practices of safety management in complex systems. / Reiman, Teemu; Pietikäinen, Elina; Heikkilä, Jouko.

Research highlights in safety and security. Espoo : VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, 2013. p. 68-69 (VTT Research Highlights; No. 10).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter or book article › Professional

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Reiman T, Pietikäinen E, Heikkilä J. Defining the principles and practices of safety management in complex systems. In Research highlights in safety and security. Espoo: VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. 2013. p. 68-69. (VTT Research Highlights; No. 10).

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