ABSTRACT
Winning time' is of course just one of the temptations behind why we have unsafe acts. James Reason, considered by many people to be one of the founding fathers of safety culture, suggests that unsafe acts are caused by a variety of factors, though he helpfully groups these into either violations or errors. Errors are unintentional actions, or 'mistakes' that occur inadvertently and without the deliberate thought involved in violations. Knowledge-based errors typically result from a lack of information or training. Rule-based errors occur due to a gap or weakness in the system or rules governing a process or activity. Slips are temporary, fleeting failings which occur during the completion of a task or activity. This model allows one to see that their need to consider both sides of the coin, looking at both intentional violations and unintentional errors.
