DisasterCast Safety Podcast: Recent Episodes
Drew Rae
In this episode we discuss the Mt Erebus disaster. What could cause pilots to fly a perfectly working plane intoRead more »
This episode is about underwater tunnel floods, or, more precisely, the lack of such accidents. Are tunnels really that safe?Read more »
After both technical and production difficulties, DisasterCast is returning on a regular schedule. This episode discusses the Longford Gas PlantRead more »
This episode discusses interlocks in general, and also the application of interlocks to train safety. Britain’s worst rail disaster, Quintinshill,Read more »
This episode dives into the background of the Columbia Space Shuttle Disaster. It also discusses the aftermath of a USRead more »
Ron returns to ask the question “Which causes more accidents: unsafe conditions, or unsafe behaviors?” Once he’s finished unpacking theRead more »
This episode describes the USS Iowa explosion, the subsequent investigation, and the dangers of hindsight analysis. The post Episode 51Read more »
This is the third episode of Ron Gantt’s “Two Cents Worth of Safety”. Ron discusses the use of safety slogans,Read more »
This episode takes a new look at the really big safety question – “Why do accidents happen?” We discuss howRead more »
This is the second “Two Cents Worth of Safety” by Ron Gantt. Regular DisasterCast has been slightly delayed, and willRead more »
This is the first episode of “Two Cents Worth of Safety”, which will interleave with the regular DisasterCast episodes. InRead more »
This is an episode about large piles falling over. We start with the physics of sandcastles, and move quickly toRead more »
The NTSB has released a report examining common organisational factors in five accidents on Metro North Railroad in and aroundRead more »
After a brief hiatus, DisasterCast returns with Episode 47. In this episode we ask what it means for something toRead more »
This episode returns to the language of safety. As an illustration the 2013 incident involving a lithium-ion battery fire onRead more »
Episode 45 of DisasterCast tries something a little different. This episode has three different stories of exactly the same accidentRead more »
This episode is about single points of failure, common cause failures, and the Hinsdale Central Office Fire. The post EpisodeRead more »
In this episode I discuss some of the people who’ve helped shape my own thinking on safety research. The secondRead more »
This episode covers an Iranian military transported downed by lightning, the Milford Haven Texaco Refinery explosion, and the dangers ofRead more »
One of the weird things about safety is that we spend so much effort on safety analysis during design, despiteRead more »
Sean Ellis visits DisasterCast this episode to provide a detailed discussion of TWA 800 and the associated conspiracy theories aboutRead more »
DisasterCast has covered some pretty weird topics. We’ve dealt with pilot defenestration, spontaneous human combustion, and exploding death stars. IRead more »
This episode was recorded in the Safety Science Innovation Lab, and comes filled with thoughts about how we tell storiesRead more »
When I claim that the chance of my front-lawn rocket exploding is “ten to the minus six”, just what doesRead more »
This episode features the BP Texas City Refinery explosion of 2005. Unlike most accidents featured on the show, it isRead more »
What is independence? Why does it matter for safety? Why can’t we have perfect independence, and why wouldn’t we wantRead more »
This episode is about a clash of principles I call the “Question of Final Authority”. The question is: In aRead more »
This episode discusses measurement of safety and the Imperial Sugar disaster. Measurement is the foundation of both research and businessRead more »
In the 1970s and 1980s there was a series of accidents which triggered a really intensive examination of organisational safety.Read more »
This episode is about attempts to make things safer that actually make things worse. The episode focusses on the workRead more »
We’re up to 30 episodes of DisasterCast, and we still haven’t talked about the Titanic. Why start now? This episodeRead more »
Safety engineering and management is full of compromises. We compromise between short term and long term risk. We compromise betweenRead more »
This episode is all about level crossing safety. Level crossings are a simple situation, repeated throughout the world, that illustrateRead more »
In this episode we talk about Stuxnet, and the relationship between safety and security more generally. Stuxnet demonstrated that aRead more »
If you’ve ever wondered why safety is considered a systems discipline rather than simply a specialisation of chemical, civil, mechanicalRead more »
The Feynman Gap is the gulf between engineering understanding of risk, and management understanding of risk. The concept is namedRead more »
DisasterCast is on hiatus until January 28. In the meantime, here are three segments from previous episodes. This episode coversRead more »
This episode discusses a few aspects of preflight briefings on passenger aircraft. In particular, we look into accidents and evidenceRead more »
This episode addresses seven questions about bicycles and safety: How dangerous is cycling compared to walking or riding in aRead more »
What do electric cars, steel capped boots, and balloons bursting in crowded lecture theatres have in common? Not much, exceptRead more »
There is a fine line between confidence and stupidity. In the 1970s the London Ambulance Service tried to implement aRead more »
Have you ever noticed that very few people get hurt during the design of a system. From precarious assemble-at-home microlightRead more »
This episode is about military fratricide accidents, also known as friendly fire, blue-on-blue, and the reason why your allies areRead more »
In 1999, at a place called Glenbrook, just outside of Sydney, Australia, two trains collided killing seven people. In 2003,Read more »
Honesty and humility about uncertainty are an important part of safety. At one end of the spectrum is false certaintyRead more »
Sociologist John Downer talks about his recent paper, “Disowning Fukushima: Managing the Credibility of Nuclear Reliability Assessment in the WakeRead more »
This episode of DisasterCast covers the Three Mile Island nuclear accident, and “Normal Accidents”, one possible explanation for why disastersRead more »
This episode discusses the Therac-25 accidents, and includes an interview with software safety researcher Richard Hawkins. Despite the widespread useRead more »
Piper Alpha Overview On the 25th Anniversary of the destruction of the Piper Alpha oil platform, everyone is discussing theRead more »
This episode examines British Midlands Flight BD92 (Kegworth). In the Kegworth accident, the Boeing 737 experienced an engine failure, butRead more »
Value of a Statistical Life, the Ford Pinto, and Safety Cases. In this episode I examine the ethics and practicalitiesRead more »
This episode examines the Apollo 13 accident, and ways in which movies such as Die Hard influence safety in realRead more »
DisasterCast Episode 8: Buncefield, Disaster Incubation Theory, and Practical Hazard Management This episode looks at the Buncefield Incident of 2005,Read more »
DisasterCast Episode 7 – USS Thresher, Hazard Identification, and Star Wars In this episode we discuss the worst ever submarineRead more »
DisasterCast Episode 6 – The Science of Noncompliance. The Clapham Junction rail accident, noncompliance, and elevator safety. The post EpisodeRead more »
DisasterCast Episode 5, featuring Claire Benson (@pyroclaire). Episode covers the 1987 Kings Cross Underground fire, research into fire prevention, andRead more »
DisasterCast Episode 4 – Chernobyl, Safety Culture, and Zero Harm. Was Chernobyl a result of technical failings, or Soviet SafetyRead more »
DisasterCast Episode 3 – Coal mine disasters, risk acceptance, and personal electronic devices on aircraft. When did system safety engineeringRead more »
DisasterCast Episode 2 – Blame the Operator Performance shaping factors, BA 5390, Replacing humans. When an accident happens, humans areRead more »
DisasterCast is a podcast about system safety and risk management. Each episode contains three segments, one of which is aRead more »