Navigating operating procedures in everyday work in a petrochemical facility: A comparative analysis of WAI and WAD

Abstract

This study proposes a novel coding framework to quantify and categorize the differences between Work-As-Imagined (WAI) and Work-As-Done (WAD) based on the Safety-II perspective. While the Safety-I approach focuses on controlling deviations from Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) as the solution to prevent incidents, this framework aims to describe and code workers’ adaptive behavior while executing their tasks. The proposed framework checks three attributes for each step; “Skip,” “Order,” and “Action” to help decide if WAI aligns with WAD. The framework was tested by applying it to an actual work environment in a petrochemical facility. Initial findings successfully demonstrated the ability of the framework to describe the differences between WAI and WAD.

Investigating a new classification to describe the differences between Work-As-Imagined and Work-As-Done

“…The data were collected by attaching portable video recorders to the worker's hard hats (Refer Figure 1) while they performed their tasks. Further information about the tasks studied and the data collection method can be found in Ashraf et al, 2021. A coding framework developed by Ashraf et al, (2021) was used to compare actual behavior (WAD), including any deviations or variations, and the steps described in the Figure 1: Video recorder arrangement procedure (WAI). Identification of gaps was based on three attributes of performing a task, which is as follows:…”

“…The Safety-II approach would posit that, rather than focusing only on strict adherence to procedures, organizations need to recognize that performance variability is inevitable and necessary for a system to remain functional (Hollnagel, 2012). Nevertheless, there is very little empirical research to document WAI-WAD differences in oil and gas and petrochemical industries (Ashraf et al, 2021).…”