15/12/2022
Réglé-géré
Managed vs rule-based safety: a high-level academic seminar
Running from December 12 to 14, the FonCSI’s international academic seminar focused on the relationship between ‘rule-based safety’ and ‘managed safety’, in the context of the strategic analysis that the Foundation has been conducting since the beginning of 2022 on the topic.
Eight, internationally renowned experts were invited to participate, and exchange views with the scientific working group piloting the strategic analysis.
Beginning in March 2022, the FonCSI has been conducting a strategic analysis on the topic of the relationship between ‘rule-based safety’ and ‘managed safety’ in collaboration with several of its sponsors: EDF, TotalEnergies, EPSF, IRSN, DSAC-DGAC, Engie-GRTgaz, UIC, SNCF and Eurovia.
New ways of thinking about rule-based and managed safety
The strategic analysis scientific group began by reviewing the current literature on the subject, in order to formulate new avenues of research into rule-based and managed safety; the group then identified which international experts could contribute to this new debate. The following eight experts were invited to present their views at a dedicated academic seminar, which was held at the Abbaye de Royaumont (Val d’Oise) and ran from December 12 to 14:
- Paul Almond, University of Leicester Law School (United Kingdom)
- Moshe Farjoun, Schulich School of Business - York University (Canada)
- Gudela Grote, ETH Zürich (Switzerland)
- Ruthanne Huising, EM Lyon (France)
- Jean-Christophe Le Coze, Ineris (France)
- Ranga Ramanujam, Owen Graduate School of Management - Vanderbilt University (USA)
- Kristine Størkersen, Sintef (Norway)
- David Woods, Ohio State University (USA)
Over the course of the two-and-a-half-day seminar, the invited experts and industrial members of the strategic analysis group exchanged ideas on new issues related to ‘rule-based safety’ and ‘managed safety’: what should the relationship between them look like at all of the hierarchical levels of the organization, and not just the workstation? How do safety authorities perceive these two types of safety? What about the legal system? The general public? etc. The debates were both rich and rewarding.
The beginnings of an academic publication
The numerous inputs and debates that emerged during this academic seminar have laid the groundwork for a joint scientific book that will be published in English in about ten months’ time. At the end of the seminar, each expert was invited to spend some time thinking about the discussions that had just taken place, and work on the development of material that could be included as a chapter in a future open access FonCSI book, published in the SpringerBriefs in Safety Management collection.
But that’s not all! At the same time, the scientific group will analyze the contributions from experts, and compare this material with industrial practices. Finally, a half-day seminar will be organized for the Foundation’s sponsors. This seminar will highlight the lessons learned from the analysis, and a summary will be published (in French) in the Foundation’s collection: “Cahiers de la sécurité industrielle” (Industrial Safety Notebooks).
To be continued!
