Assessment of resilience engineering factors based on system properties in a process industry

Abstract

The complexity of modern sociotechnical systems has resulted in new challenges in the safety areas, making traditional approaches no longer sufficient. Therefore, resilience engineering (RE) is a recognizable alternative to traditional approaches in safety management. Our literature review, however, showed that most studies have focused on a set of certain indicators for assessing RE, and other indicators have been left undeveloped. This study aims to represent a new view for assessing RE factors in a process industry using a wide range of indicators, i.e., buffering capacity, margin, tolerance, cross-scale interactions, learning culture, flexibility, anticipation, attention, and response. Related data were collected using semi-structured interviews with multiple-choice questions from 24 experienced operators and eight managers, analysis of documents, team work, as well as friendly and informal conversations. The data were analyzed based on the principal component analysis approach. The results led to determination of poor indicators and units in the industry. This is the first study in assessing RE factors using new indicators that demonstrate the nature of the risk and its complexity in the sociotechnical systems. It can, therefore, be employed as an appropriate method for assessing RE factors.

Appendix: Question themes used in the interview

Indicator	Question theme
Buffering capacity	1.1 Adaptation
	1.2 Sense-making
	1.3 Training Program
	1.4 Competency
	1.5 Management of change (MOC)
	1.6 Self-reporting
	1.7 Self-efficacy
	1.8 Continuous system monitoring
	1.9 Resources
	1.10 Feedback of critical safety systems
	1.11 Uncertainty in failure assessment
	1.12 The difference between work as performed and as imaged
	1.13 Redundancy
	1.14 Work demand and workload
	1.15 Safety equipment
	1.16 Failure to recognize vulnerable and brittle areas of the system
	1.17 Preventive maintenances
	1.18 Conflict of goals
	1.19 Poor interference between man and machine
	1.20 Stress resulted from the work
	1.21 Job unsatisfied
	1.22 Sacrifice decision making
	1.23 Situation awareness
	1.24 Learning and experience
	1.25 Management and documentation of margins
	1.26 Centralized management
	1.27 The priority of production over safety
Flexibility	2.1 Emergency response plan
	2.2 Ability to control the unexpected incidents
	2.3 Improvisation
	2.4 Work conditions
	2.5 Ergonomics problems in design
	2.6 Uncertain safety boundaries
	2.7. Communication problems
	2.8 Limitations of resources
	2.9 Expert employees with authority
	2.10 Complexity and uncertainty in system
	2.11 Motivation
	2.12 MOC
	2.13 Capacity for recovery
	2.14 Penetrable boundaries
	2.15 Team work
	2.16 Feedback system
	2.17 Innovation
	2.18 Training program and competency
	2.19 Supervisory systems
	2.20 Management of work flow
	2.21 Ignorance of safety issues
Margin	3.1 Determination of margins
	3.2 Construction of margins
	3.3 Perception of margins
	3.4 Training of margins
	3.5 Violation of margins
	3.6 Uncertainty in margins
	3.7 Degradation during time
Tolerance	4.1 Knowledge and experience
	4.2 Worn-out equipment
	4.3 Explicit margins
	4.4 Financial problems
	4.5 Uncertainty in procedures
	4.6 Stress at work
	4.7 Safety equipment and alarms
	4.8 Defense in depth
Cross-scale interactions	5.1 Collaboration between staff
	5.2 Cross-sectoral collaboration
	5.3 Intersectoral collaboration
	5.4 Individual competence
	5.5 Communication systems
Learning	6.1 Investigation of incidents and accidents
	6.2 Analysis of incidents
	6.3 Analysis of near misses, errors, and deviations
	6.4 Documentation and availability of documentation
	6.5 Implementation of a practical training program
	6.6 Information dissemination
	6.7 Experience feedback from accidents
	6.8 Blame culture in accident investigation
	6.9 Fear of disclosure of information
	6.10 Bias in accident investigation
	6.11 Involvement of nonexpert in training system
	6.12 Self-reporting of failures
	6.13 Motivation of learning among the employees
Attention	7.1 Process disturbances
	7.2 Intentionally bypassing safety devices and procedures
	7.3 Early warnings
	7.4 Changes and modifies in the system
	7.5 Focuses on safety issues
	7.6 Reported incidents and barrier efficiency
	7.7 Violations of procedures and rules
	7.8 Unexpected risks
	7.9 Tasks given to individuals
Response	8.1 Type of work and competence of individuals
	8.2 Logical Thinking
	8.3 Leadership and management
	8.4 Teamwork
	8.5 Availability of facilities
	8.6 Failure to anticipate a problem before it has arrived
	8.7 Failing to preserve a problem that has actually arrived
	8.8 Explicit of description responsibilities
	8.9 Improvisation during emergency response
	8.10 Appropriate responses to the problem and ensure its effectiveness
Anticipation	9.1 Ability to anticipate the types of threats (regular, irregular and unexampled)
	9.2 Use your own experience and others
	9.3 Ability to identify vulnerabilities and actually of the system
	9.4. Ability to identify successes and failures of the system
	9.5 Identify potential obstacles in the path of system performance