A method to identify investigative blind spots (MIBS): Addressing blunt-end factors of ultra-safe organizations’ investigation-work-as-done

Ultra-safe organizations, such as Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs), have extensive safety management organizations and generally excellent records with very few serious incidents accidents. This development has been supported by increasingly advanced effective methods. However, recent research uncovered how the application of even incident investigation methods is subject to same pressures reality everyday work, similar other safety-critical work tasks. They may therefore also “incidents”, where all issues are not examined desired thoroughness, recommendations formulated or implemented effectiveness. be driven different factors. For instance, economic pressure on ANSPs arguably high in Europe’s competitive aviation market. speaks for an efficient pragmatic method investigating organizational factors affecting work. The foundation a existed prior research, form lists risk investigative In this paper, we present Method identifying Investigative Blind Spots (MIBS). We describe, compare, assess its application, at Swedish ANSP. Incident investigators were involved series semi-structured workshops identify possible “blind spots” their own practices (investigation-work-as-done), i.e. that impede otherwise affect various phases process (investigation-work-as-imagined). resulted description associated set discussion cards ultra-safe can use address blunt-end investigation-work-as-done.