Highly reliable organizations use a portfolio of programs to maintain the continual improvement of system designs, procedures, and policies. This continuous improvement process allows the organization to
- RECOGNIZE OPERATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL VARIATION EARLY and
- TO DEVELOP CORRECTIVE ACTIONS TO BRING THE SYSTEM BACK TO STABILITY
The goal of this continuous improvement process is to:
- PREVENT errors,
- IDENTIFY error traps, and
- MITIGATE the consequences of errors at all levels of the organization
Highly reliable organizations must develop and sustain a “mindful infrastructure” that is:
- Preoccupied with failure,
- Reluctant to simplify interpretations,
- Sensitive to operations,
- Committed to resilience, and
- Looks to expertise, not rank, for informed decisions
