ASSP Boston Chapter Technical Meeting

Topics and Speakers

Neil Swidey, author of Trapped Under the Sea, and Boston Globe Journalists will speak about writing   and the revelations discovered as he researched the project mistakes that led to the death of two   professional divers in the completion of the federal-required Boston Harbor Clean-Up Project and the   commissioning of the 10-mile undersea outflow pipe tunnel.  Trapped Under the Sea reminds us that   behind every bridge, tower, and tunnel—behind the infrastructure that makes modern life possible—  lies unsung bravery and extraordinary sacrifice. His article Accidents Tend to Happen Late in a Project, Harvard Business Review, tackles the lessons learned from research for his ‘Trapped’ book.  Neil will elaborate on his findings and reinforce that safety professionals and project management should retain those lessons in mind.

Larry Hettinger, PhD, Principal Research Scientist, Center for Behavioral Sciences, formerly of the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety will present “A Systems Approach to Safety”. 

Traditional approaches to workplace safety have limited effectiveness because they typically restrict their focus to workers’ behavior. Compounding the issue, even well-intentioned organizations often confuse regulatory compliance with safety and in so doing create a false sense of security, particularly at upper levels of management. Expanding the scope of occupational safety analysis to identify the influences of broader societal, organizational and technical influences provides a much deeper, actionable approach toward significant, sustainable improvements.  Our approach, the result of a years-long, international research program, is now being implemented in several industry and government sectors.

In this talk, Larry will use examples and scenarios from Neil’s book and talk to illustrate how a systems perspective can help illuminate important organizational and technical influences on the accident that resulted in the professional divers’ deaths and how it can help mitigate the risk of similar, future accidents.

Agenda

5:00 pm – 5:30 pm – Registration and networking. Cash Bar
5:30 pm – 6:00 pm – Dinner
6:00 pm – 7:30 pm – Neil Swidey
7:35 pm – 9:05 pm Larry Hettinger
9:05 pm – 9:35 pm Wrap-Up and Q&A, networking.

0.3 CEUs have been Applied for! You Must bring your Member # with you to receive credit!!!

We need to have a head count so please register by March 16, 2019 if you are going to attend!!!  There will be an additional $5 late fee for those who register after March 16.