Fascinating risk perception article from the BBC. Would be very interesting to read some original material on this if anyone has some links? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-35432071

..like RayRapp, was also a topic for discussion in my MSc and highlighted how commercial drivers and contracts pushed safety out of the way. There was a very interesting video shown to us all which is probably located on Youtube somewhere, focusing solely on the 'Groupthink' aspect of the disaster. If I come across it i'l post the link. Appreciate the article heads up!

The major problem with NASA was that there was:-  Too much management and not enough leadership I think we can all relate to that... Andy

Xavier123 One of the best books on the Challenger subject is by Diane Vaughan's “The Challenger Launch Decision”. I have only just got through the 422 pages. (575 with appendices, notes, index etc). but this book is referenced so often by other safety authors (Dekker, Perrow, Chiles) that I felt driven to acquire it. She uses the term ‘normalisation of deviance’ to describe the cultural climate. The most significant aspect of this acclaimed reference, is that the author is NOT a safety or engineering specialist. She is a sociologist. She wanted to understand – as the title suggests – the decision-making processes leading to the launch. Risk assessment, and subsequent management, is about decision making. And not usually decision making by H&S specialists, but by a wide range of other people, influenced by their standing in the organisation as much as anything else, and the cultural norms, including leadership. Edward Tufte is also a relevant read; he critiques the ‘bullet-point culture’ of 'dumbed-down' communication within NASA, (and others) which distorts and skews scientific and risk data. So, topic areas of great significance to risk decisions are: sociology, psychology, and effective communication design. How much of the NEBOSH syllabus do these topics take up?

There is a set of very good videos on the same subject by Stephen Carver--as usual in his unique style! Stephen Carver - NASA Case Study-part 1 Stephen Carver - NASA Case Study- Part 2 Stephen Carver - NASA Case Study-Part 3 Stephen Carver - NASA Case Study-Part 4

I listened to Stirling Moss speak to a reporter about how the edge has gone from modern motor racing compaired to his day thus making it less exciting and the reporter talked about the deaths in the sport thereafter SM noted that he and other drivers had just come out of a war so a few deaths in a sport did not amount to too much noting what they had come through Thus risk perception is a very complicated thing e.g. once U have been in a fire fight i.e. bullets flying all around you; your preception becomes different to another persons risk perception who has never been in such a situation additionally a persons nature has a lot to do with things so I suggest that everybody studies the subject in detail from as many sources as possible noting, in my personal opinion, that as a whole this country is becoming much to risk averse and that is not what H&S is about

Jay Brilliant stuff from Steven Carver links - thanks for that. Recommend to all.

The credit for my posting should primarily go to the IOSH Thames Valley Branch. Its executive committee had organised the invite to Stephen Carver on 16th January 2006 ( it is in my CPD record) for this topic and a couple of others. I cannot recall the name of the Branch Programme person.My view is that there can be and indeed are excellent speakers at Branch meetings.