IO Concepts as Contributing Factors to Major Accidents and Enablers for Resilience-Based Major Accident Prevention

On the one hand, inadequacy of IO-concepts can, in combination with other factors, contribute to major accidents. On the other, work processes and technology within an IO-context contribute to prevent major accidents. This chapter shows how IO concepts can enable a resilience-based approach to major accident prevention by employing a case study of an onshore drilling center. Interviews indicate that drilling and well operations justify a resilience approach, as these operations are complex and dynamic. The case study shows how an onshore drilling support center facilitate adaptation to current and future situations at the sharp-end by providing decision-making support for the sharp-end by its ability to monitor what is going on, anticipate future developments, and look into past events and data. By use of the case study resilient capabilities and their required resources are identified. To ensure that inherent organizational resilience is managed and maintained adequately, there is a need to: 1) identify and refine inherent resilient capabilities and resources; and 2) develop methods and tools to manage resilience.