Citation

Mize JF. Process Saf. Progr. 2019; 38(2): e12014.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/prs.12014

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Humans develop processes to structure their activities to set and reach goals. Wherever a process exists, there will be always deviations from that process. Skipped steps, workarounds, shortcuts, improvements, and innovations can be incorporated over time, gradually resulting in new practices that are accepted as the norm. Small changes that seem insignificant can easily be overlooked and therefore not managed. To the extent that individuals, teams, and organizations tolerate nonconformance, normalization of deviation can be established. The cumulative effect of these deviations may be unmitigated hazards that can lead to a catastrophic process safety event. A CCPS project subcommittee (Project 269) was established to develop a text to address the initial and long-term effects of normalization of deviations. The finished book, Recognizing and Responding to Normalization of Deviance, will be published in early 2018. This article will provide examples of the depth and breadth of normalization of deviation throughout processes, procedures, and organizations, and will illustrate techniques to address its potential impact. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog 38: e12014, 2019

Language: en

Keywords

conduct of operations; near misses; normalization of deviation (deviance); operational discipline; process safety; safety culture