Using case studies as a way of analysing previous incidents and identifying lessons learned which can be shared with others, is an important part of improving safety performance

Reflecting on past events is recognised as an effective way of learning from experience in order to positively influence future behaviours.

Reflection is not just about reading an accident report or watching a case study video. It’s about examining the content and reviewing the sequence of events. It’s about analysing why it happened and “what it means to me” (Energy Institute), then relating the identified learning points to an individual’s personal situation and considering whether things can be done differently.

Encouraging reflective learning is a key element of BSafe. Each month we will be issuing a new BSafe Incident Case Study on this page. These will be based on a real accident or claim, appropriately anonymised , with a summary of the key lessons learned.

We believe the true power of reflective learning lies in considering and discussing an incident with colleagues, which generates a richer and more valuable dialogue. In order to encourage this, we will also provide dedicated training materials for each BSafe Incident Case Study. This will include presentation material and a reflective learning form which can be used as training materials as Members or their crew see fit. For example, these could be used to support onboard safety meetings, crew seminars, or just for individual reflection.

Finally, a Britannia commentary will be provided for each incident which explores the key issues in more detail to help develop the reflective learning. This will include some suggestions for possible controls that could have helped mitigate the risk by using our interpretation of a Hierarchy of Risk Controls (based on ISO 45001 and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)).

Links to our monthly BSafe Incident Case Studies are provided below. In addition, we have also included some other previously published Britannia case studies. Although these don’t include the reflective training material provided with the full BSafe Incident Case Studies, they do still offer some valuable insights for consideration.