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Post #13 – Human Organizational Performance – Injuries: New Hires vs Experienced Personnel

Why Experienced Personnel Get Hurt — And What HOP Teaches Us About It In marine construction, we often think of new hires as our highest-risk group. And statistically, that’s true: new personnel account for a disproportionate number of injuries. But as many safety managers know, some of the most serious incidents involve our most seasoned, highly capable workers. During a Job Safety Analysis (JSA) workshop years ago, an instructor broke the workforce into two simple groups: new hires and experienced personnel . Both groups get hurt — but the reasons are different. Understanding those differences is key to preventing incidents, improving learning, and designing work that helps people be successful. And this is exactly where Human & Organizational Performance (HOP) gives us better language and better tools. How New Hires Get Hurt New hires tend to get injured in two primary ways: 1. A mistake or momentary loss of focus They’re still learning the work, the environment, and the rhyth...
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Post #12 - Using E-Colors to Manage Error Traps

On the worksite especially construction, where environments are dynamic and often unpredictable, the human element plays a huge role in success and safety. That’s why understanding E-Colors — a simple framework for recognizing personality tendencies — can be such a powerful tool in managing error traps before they lead to incidents. What Are E-Colors? E-Colors is a personality system that identifies four dominant behavioral styles , each represented by a color: 🟥 Red (Doer) – Action-oriented, decisive, and thrives on getting things done. 🟨 Yellow (Socializer) – Energetic, people-focused, and great at motivating others. 🟩 Green (Thinker) – Analytical, detail-driven, and focused on accuracy. 🟦 Blue (Relator) – Supportive, steady, and focused on relationships and teamwork. Each person is a mix of these colors, with one or two usually dominant. Recognizing your own tendencies — and those of your crew — can help you predict how people might react under pressure , comm...
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Post #11 - Human Organizational Performance - Trigger Points and why they are important.

In Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) , one of the most powerful concepts we can use to improve safety and reliability is the idea of trigger points . A trigger point is a predefined condition, observation, or threshold that signals the need to stop, re-evaluate, or adjust an activity before continuing. Think of it as a built-in “pause button” that keeps small problems from turning into big incidents. Real-World Examples in Marine Construction Lift Operation on a Barge A crew is preparing to lift a section of pipe from a supply boat onto the barge deck with a crane. The lift plan has several trigger points written into it: • Wind speed above 25 knots — lifting stops until conditions improve. • Load taglines not manned — the lift pauses until crews are in position. • Unclear hand signals between the rigger and operator — the lift halts until communication                is reestablished.      During the job, the wi...
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Post #10 – Human Organizational Performance - Identifying and Eliminating Error Traps

Human Organizational Performance – Identifying and Eliminating Error Traps The First Principle: People Make Mistakes One of the foundational principles of Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) is simple yet powerful: people make mistakes. This isn’t a sign of incompetence—it’s a fact of human nature. Even the most experienced operator can miss a step, misread a gauge, or make a judgment call that doesn’t pan out. Mistakes are predictable, and when we accept that they will happen, we can focus on designing systems and environments that make them less likely—or less harmful. What is an Error Trap? An error trap is any condition, situation, or design feature that increases the likelihood of human error. Think of them as hidden “tripwires” in a task, process, or work environment. Error traps can arise from:           Time Pressure – Deadlines that push crews to rush work.           Task Complexity – Steps that are overly com...
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Post #9 – Human Organizational Performance and Eliminating Serious Incident and Fatalities (SIF)

Post #9 – Human Organizational Performance and Eliminating Serious Incidents and Fatalities (SIF) In high-risk industries like marine or land-based construction, we’ve made impressive strides in reducing minor injuries over the past few decades. However, serious injuries and fatalities (SIFs) often remain stubbornly resistant to traditional safety strategies.  While we may celebrate fewer recordables or first-aid cases, we can’t ignore the fact that people are still losing their lives or suffering life-altering harm. Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) offers a better way forward—one that reframes how we understand risk, error, and control in complex work environments. What is a SIF? A Serious Injury or Fatality (SIF) is any workplace event that results in, or could reasonably result in, a life-altering injury or loss of life . These include fatalities, amputations, spinal injuries, permanent disability, or any event where the outcome could easily have been fatal or catastro...
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Post #8 Applying Human Organizational Performance in Task-Based Systems

  What is a Task-Based System? Task-based systems are structured work processes that break down a job into defined steps, roles, tools, and sequences to safely and efficiently complete a specific task. These systems are commonly documented in procedures, SOPs, job hazard analyses (JHAs), or work packages. While task-based systems provide valuable structure, they must be flexible enough to adapt to real-world conditions—weather, changing crew composition, unexpected equipment issues—which is where HOP principles come into play. In land-based and marine construction, the majority of our daily work is structured around task-based. These systems are designed for repeatability, safety, and quality. Yet, even with detailed SOPs, job safety analyses (JSA), and trained personnel, we still have near misses, incidents, and deviations from the plan. This is where Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) provides valuable insights. The Nature of Task-Based Systems Task-based systems are ofte...
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Post #7 - A Hop-Based Learning Review Format for Incidents

  Learning Review Format  – Human & Organizational Performance-Based Incident Review In high-risk environments like construction, incidents are rarely the result of a single bad decision. More often, they reveal how our systems, assumptions, and pressures interact with real-world work. This Learning Review format is grounded in Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) principles. It’s not about fault-finding—it’s about understanding how the event made sense to the people closest to it and using that understanding to improve the systems that support them. This review helps us: Learn from normal work, not just error Identify system weaknesses, not just human ones Drive improvements that are practical, respectful, and resilient Let’s focus less on “who failed” and more on “what can we learn.” So, let's begin   1. Incident Overview Date / Time / Location Project / Vessel / Department Type of Event Injury Near Miss Property Damage Environme...
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