Earlier this year, the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP) published Report 810, providing industry guidance on integrating Human Performance into organisational systems and decision-making.
Human Performance is the study of how people interact with their work environment, systems, and processes. More importantly, it represents a fundamental shift in how organisations understand safety, operational excellence, and organisational learning.
Rather than focusing solely on human error as the cause of incidents, Human Performance encourages us to examine the systems, conditions, and organisational factors that shape behaviour. The result is stronger risk management, better learning, and more resilient operations.
At the heart of Human Performance are five principles that help leaders and organisations adopt this relatively modern approach to safety.
1. Error Is Normal
Human beings make mistakes. Error is an inevitable part of being human, regardless of experience, competence, or intent.
Because errors cannot be eliminated entirely, organisations must design systems that anticipate them, minimise their consequences, and enable recovery when things do not go as planned. The objective is not perfection, but resilience.
2. Blame Fixes Nothing
When people fear blame, they are less likely to report concerns, share mistakes, or raise risks. This limits learning and prevents meaningful improvement.
Human Performance promotes understanding rather than judgement. Investigations should focus on the conditions and systemic factors that influenced decisions and actions, not simply on identifying who made a mistake.
3. Context Drives Behaviour
People make decisions within the realities of their working environment. Procedures, equipment, workload, time pressures, resources, leadership, and organisational culture all influence behaviour.
Understanding the context in which work is performed provides valuable insight into why people act as they do and helps organisations design safer, more effective ways of working.
4. Learning Is Vital
Continuous improvement depends on continuous learning.
Organisations often learn from failures, but Human Performance encourages learning from everyday work as well. By understanding how successful outcomes are achieved, organisations can identify strengths, reinforce good practices, and improve system performance before incidents occur.
5. How Leaders Respond Matters
Leadership behaviour plays a critical role in shaping organisational culture.
The way leaders respond to both success and failure influences how people perceive error, accountability, learning, and trust. Thoughtful, consistent, and constructive responses create an environment where people feel safe to speak up, share concerns, and contribute to improvement.
Moving From Compliance to Learning
Human Performance is not about lowering standards or removing accountability. It is about recognising that operational outcomes are shaped by both people and the systems in which they work.
By embracing these five principles, organisations can strengthen learning, improve risk management, and build a culture that values curiosity, resilience, and continuous improvement.
In an increasingly complex operating environment, understanding how work is actually performed may be one of the most powerful tools available for enhancing both safety and operational performance.
Recommended Reading
- IOGP Report 810: Human Performance
- Todd Conklin, The 5 Principles of Human Performance
- Sidney Dekker, Just Culture: Balancing Safety and Accountability
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