How do organizational structures impact operational safety? Part 2 - Designing structures that strengthen safety
Date
2020
Authors
Monteiro, Gilsa
Hopkins, Andrew
Melo, Paulo Fernando Frutuoso e
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Elsevier
Abstract
Part 1, the companion paper to this paper, discusses how decentralization undermines operational safety. A case
study is presented, and three real situations experienced by an oil and gas company are described, revealing how
the decentralized structure contributed to the negative outcomes observed in each case. The examples demonstrate
the need for an operational safety structure with a higher degree of centralization and a greater
independence from business pressures. In this second paper (Part 2), a design strategy is then proposed to
strengthen this safety function. In the suggested structure, a more centralized and independent control of risks is
achieved, without losing the ability to quickly identify and effectively address the safety issues at the asset level.
A balance between functional centralization and physical decentralization is adopted, with dedicated operational
safety experts physically located at the operational units, but answerable to high-level specialists positioned
along an independent functional line that goes all the way to the top of the organization. This second
paper also discusses why companies resist to the idea of adopting a more centralized control of risks and perform
structural changes only after the occurrence of a major accident. Some typical arguments that are used in the
corporate world to justify a decentralized safety function are discussed and called into question. Finally, the
interfaces between operational and personal safety are recognized to suggest an integrated design.
Description
Keywords
Organizational structure, Culture, Operational safety, Decentralization, Centralization, Major accidents
Citation
Collections
Source
Safety Science
Type
Journal article
Book Title
Entity type
Access Statement
License Rights
DOI
10.1016/j.ssci.2019.104534
Restricted until
2037-12-31