In the world of occupational health and safety, the conversation has increasingly shifted towards systemic and sociological factors that influence decision-making. Frameworks like Safety II and Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) encourage us to view incidents through a broader lens—one that examines the social and organizational systems surrounding workers that influence decision making rather than focusing solely on individual mistakes. While this perspective has its merits, it often downplays an equally crucial factor: agency, or the individual’s ability to make their own decisions. To explore this, let’s start with a rather unexpected source of wisdom: Ricky from The Trailer Park Boys. […]