Daily life relies increasingly on the smooth operation of a class of industries in which accident probabilities are low, but any one accident can result in extensive human and ecological destruction. These industries include, for instance, oil and chemical processing, nuclear power production, waste management, and aviation and other transportation modes. Safe operation requires appropriate action and reaction when anomalies occur, when standardization does not provide the answer, and when gaps appear between the patterned responses of a closed system and the social and cultural dynamics of its use. Post-accident analyses reveal that to understand how to design a safe technology is not the same as understanding what is required to operate it safely. Other kinds of knowledge in addition to algorithms or mathematical analyses are needed for operators and managers to create and maintain safe conditions, such as sociological and cultural analyses of work systems, communication patterns, and organizational structures. Integrating 'hard' and 'soft' knowledge is particularly challenging in these industries. This project undertakes an examination and analysis of the semantics and rhetorics of the discourses of technical experts and of social and behavioral scientists in order to improve approaches to safe operations. Technical materials derive from the nuclear power industry, drawing on field notes, industry documents, interviews, workshop notes, and incident reports. Social science materials consist of accident investigation reports and studies of high hazard industries. The materials are analyzed for differences in their characterization of evidence and attitudes towards types of knowledge, presentation of claims and justifications, interpretation of various kinds of data, and the intersection of technical and everyday discourses. The study will propose criteria to improve mutual understanding. Technical experts and scholars will comment on interim results. Dissemination plans include articles and presentations at professional and industry meetings.
