A - Z Glossary Terms:
Attention Activators
A tool, technique, or prompt designed to quickly capture and focus workers’ attention on critical safety information or tasks.
Bias
The preconceptions or predispositions that individuals bring to their understanding and decision-making processes.
Example: Hindsight Bias.
Blame
Assigning fault, which can prevent learning and improvement by shutting down curiosity and creating fear and defensiveness.
Context
The specific conditions and circumstances surrounding an event or situation, including both the physical environment and the less tangible factors that influence how work is done and decisions are made.
Disciplinary action
Measures imposed on individuals who violate established rules or expectations. (From a HOP perspective, disciplinary action should be applied fairly and proportionately, taking into account underlying system factors that might influence behavior.)
Discipline
See: Disciplinary action
Error
An unintended action often leading to an unintended result.
Fundamental Attribution Error
A bias where we think others act a certain way because of their character or personality (a person problem), not their situation (a system problem).
HOP (Human and Organizational Performance)
An operating philosophy that focuses on understanding how humans interact with their work environment and systems.
Learning Team
A facilitated conversation with those who perform the work to understand how the work actually gets done. The goal is to learn first, then define the problems, and lastly to come up with ways to make things better. It is based on elevating the voice of the worker.
Near miss
A potential perfect storm where a worker adapted and changed before the negative outcome came about, or an element of luck reduced the severity of the outcome.
Operational challenge
The difficulties encountered during the execution of operational tasks or processes
Operational fidelity
The degree to which a rule or procedure is practical, makes sense for the end user, and aligns with how work is actually done (Blue Line); the rules and procedures make sense in a day to day operation
Operational learning
The process of acquiring, adapting, and applying knowledge and insights gained from operational experiences to improve performance, enhance safety, and optimize processes by learning from both successes and failures, and continuously refining practices based on real-world experience and feedback
Operator
Individuals who executes work on specific processes or machines.
Person problem
An issue that follows the person around, regardless of team or department; if the person is replaced the problem goes away.
Production pressure
The drive to meet output targets and deadlines sometimes leading to compromises in safety and often showing system brittleness.
Reliability
The consistent performance of a system over time, recognizing that while machines can maintain steady outputs, human operators often exhibit variability—especially during repetitive tasks—which can lead to errors and requires systems designed to accommodate these inherent limitations.
Solution sets
Collections of viable remedial actions or strategies designed to address operational challenges, improve system performance, and enhance safety by offering multiple options that can be tailored to specific conditions and constraints.
System problem
An inherent flaw or weakness in organizational structures, processes, or technology that creates conditions for error and adverse outcomes, emphasizing that issues are rooted in the system rather than in individual performance.
System weakness
An inherent vulnerability or flaw in an industrial process, design, or infrastructure that can compromise performance and safety.
Traffic flow
The organized movement of personnel, forklifts, and materials throughout the facility.
Attention Activators
A tool, technique, or prompt designed to quickly capture and focus workers’ attention on critical safety information or tasks.
Bias
The preconceptions or predispositions that individuals bring to their understanding and decision-making processes.
Example: Hindsight Bias.
Blame
Assigning fault, which can prevent learning and improvement by shutting down curiosity and creating fear and defensiveness.
Context
The specific conditions and circumstances surrounding an event or situation, including both the physical environment and the less tangible factors that influence how work is done and decisions are made.
Disciplinary action
Measures imposed on individuals who violate established rules or expectations. (From a HOP perspective, disciplinary action should be applied fairly and proportionately, taking into account underlying system factors that might influence behavior.)
Discipline
See: Disciplinary action
Error
An unintended action often leading to an unintended result.
Fundamental Attribution Error
A bias where we think others act a certain way because of their character or personality (a person problem), not their situation (a system problem).
HOP (Human and Organizational Performance)
An operating philosophy that focuses on understanding how humans interact with their work environment and systems.
Learning Team
A facilitated conversation with those who perform the work to understand how the work actually gets done. The goal is to learn first, then define the problems, and lastly to come up with ways to make things better. It is based on elevating the voice of the worker.
Near miss
A potential perfect storm where a worker adapted and changed before the negative outcome came about, or an element of luck reduced the severity of the outcome.
Operational challenge
The difficulties encountered during the execution of operational tasks or processes
Operational fidelity
The degree to which a rule or procedure is practical, makes sense for the end user, and aligns with how work is actually done (Blue Line); the rules and procedures make sense in a day to day operation
Operational learning
The process of acquiring, adapting, and applying knowledge and insights gained from operational experiences to improve performance, enhance safety, and optimize processes by learning from both successes and failures, and continuously refining practices based on real-world experience and feedback
Operator
Individuals who executes work on specific processes or machines.
Person problem
An issue that follows the person around, regardless of team or department; if the person is replaced the problem goes away.
Production pressure
The drive to meet output targets and deadlines sometimes leading to compromises in safety and often showing system brittleness.
Reliability
The consistent performance of a system over time, recognizing that while machines can maintain steady outputs, human operators often exhibit variability—especially during repetitive tasks—which can lead to errors and requires systems designed to accommodate these inherent limitations.
Solution sets
Collections of viable remedial actions or strategies designed to address operational challenges, improve system performance, and enhance safety by offering multiple options that can be tailored to specific conditions and constraints.
System problem
An inherent flaw or weakness in organizational structures, processes, or technology that creates conditions for error and adverse outcomes, emphasizing that issues are rooted in the system rather than in individual performance.
System weakness
An inherent vulnerability or flaw in an industrial process, design, or infrastructure that can compromise performance and safety.
Traffic flow
The organized movement of personnel, forklifts, and materials throughout the facility.