(41af) History Repeating

The fundamental laws of physics and chemistry have not changed. They form the building blocks for the work we do as engineers. Because these laws have not changed, the hazards we face in our workplace have not changed. But the risks we face do change. As we progress through the energy transition we are seeing the hazards appear in different areas or under different circumstances. So how do we get better at identifying the hazards before they manifest into incidents? Especially when we are working with the hazards in new and different ways. This seems to be an ongoing struggle, as we often see history repeating.

This paper will discuss common pitfalls in hazard identification and suggest some ways to overcome these. Because without adequate hazard identification, we will not prevent incidents occurring.