ABSTRACT
The first view is known as the Old View, or The Bad Apple Theory. The second is about a contrasting view, known as the New View. The old view, or the Bad Apple Theory, sees systems as basically safe and people as the major source of trouble. A choice between the Bad Apple Theory in one of its many versions, or the New View of human error. This chapter discusses promises and problems of more advanced technology and automation. The Bad Apple Theory suggests that failure is an aberration, a temporary hiccup in an otherwise smoothly performing, safe operation. Another reason for the persistence of the Bad AppleTheory is that practitioners in safety-critical domains typically assume great personal responsibility for the outcomes of their actions. But the other side of taking this responsibility is the assumption that they have the authority, the power, to match it; to live up to it.
