ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book aims to encourage interested readers to think of the proceduralization of safety with a renewed perspective. It deals with the effects of over-proceduralization that lead members of personnel to wait for a rule to be written up before deciding to proceed on any matter. The book deals with 'Contrasting Approaches to Safety Rules', posed by the ever-growing body of procedures. It explains why proceduralization of safety management can become a barrier to rational thinking, taking the example of different interpretations of safety regulation in air traffic management. The book proposes an acknowledgement of the role of abductive thinking in safety management that would lead to revisit the content and status of so-called procedures from prescriptions to guidelines for action. It examines why regulators should stay away from safety culture and stick to rules instead.
