Exploring bias in incident investigations: An empirical examination using construction case studies.

INTRODUCTION: Incident investigation is a foundational tool of safety management. Determining the causal factors of any incident underpins organizational learning and subsequent positive change to processes and practices. Research of incident investigation has largely focused on what information to collect, how to analyze it, and how to optimize resultant conclusions and organizational learning. However, much less attention has been paid to the process of information collection, and specifically that of subjective information obtained through interviews. Yet, as all humans are biased and can't help being so, the information collection process is inevitably vulnerable to bias. METHOD: Simulated investigation interviews with 34 experienced investigators were conducted within the construction industry. RESULTS: Common biases were revealed including confirmation bias, anchoring bias, and fundamental attribution error. Analysis was also able to unpack when and how these biases most often emerged in the interview process, and the potential consequences for organizational learning. CONCLUSIONS: Being biased to a certain degree will remain inevitable for any individual, and therefore, efforts to mitigate the effects of biases is necessary. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Increased awareness and insights can support the development of processes and training for investigators to mitigate its effects and thus enhance learning from incidents in the field prevent reoccurrence.

Formal evaluation of construction safety performance metrics and a case for a balanced approach.

INTRODUCTION: Measuring safety performance is crucial to making informed decisions that improve construction safety management. Traditional approaches to construction safety performance measurement primarily focus on injury and fatality rates, but researchers have recently proposed and tested alternative metrics such as safety leading indicators and safety climate assessments. Although researchers tend to extol the benefits of alternative metrics, they are studied in isolation and the potential weaknesses are rarely discussed, leaving a critical gap in knowledge. METHOD: To address this limitation, this study aimed to evaluate existing safety performance against a set of pre-determined criteria and explore how multiple metrics may be used together to optimize strengths and offset weaknesses. For a well-rounded evaluation, the study included three evidence-based assessment criteria (i.e., the extent to which the metric is predictive, objective, and valid) and three subjective criteria (i.e., the extent to which each metric is clear, functional, and important). The evidence-based criteria were evaluated using a structured review of existing empirical evidence in literature, while the subjective criteria were evaluated using expert opinion solicited through the Delphi method. RESULTS: The results revealed that no construction safety performance measurement metric is strong in all evaluation criteria, but many weaknesses may be addressed through research and development. It was also demonstrated that combining multiple complementary metrics may result in a more complete evaluation of the safety systems because multiple metrics offset respective strengths and weaknesses. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The study provides a holistic understanding of construction safety measurement that may guide safety professionals in their selection of metrics and assist researchers who seek more reliable dependent variables for intervention testing and safety performance trending.

City-Scale Agent-Based Simulators for the Study of Non-pharmaceutical Interventions in the Context of the COVID-19 Epidemic: IISc-TIFR COVID-19 City-Scale Simulation Team.

We highlight the usefulness of city-scale agent-based simulators in studying various non-pharmaceutical interventions to manage an evolving pandemic. We ground our studies in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and demonstrate the power of the simulator via several exploratory case studies in two metropolises, Bengaluru and Mumbai. Such tools may in time become a common-place item in the tool kit of the administrative authorities of large cities.