How is the Quest for Safety Like the Task of Sisyphus?

Posted July 14th, 2010

Do you know the myth of Sisyphus?  He was condemned to push a boulder up a hill. When he reached the top, the boulder would roll back down.  Then Sisyphus would run down the hill and push the boulder up again.This went on hour after hour, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year for eternity.

This ordinary task done well time after time is similar to the quest for operational excellence or the building of a robust safety culture.  Think about it.  Most companies know what is necessary to achieve an accident free workplace.  Yet we still have accidents.  Pipeline companies know what is necessary to prevent spills, leaks, and operating incidents.  Yet these events still occur.

It is not difficult to feel Sisyphus’s pain, but we should admire his tenacity.  We, and companies, are not condemned to always do the ordinary tasks correctly over and over again.  In complex, sociotechnical systems, individuals and groups are caught up in ongoing battles between financial targets and safety goals.  Which wins the battle?  Watch the news, read the results of organizational accidents that affect the public.  The winner is plain.  Safety is a non-event. The absence of safety is a public event.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 14th, 2010 at 11:01 am and is filed under Observations, Operational Excellence.