The Truth Prevails
In these days of 'fake news' and ‘post truth’ it is important to remember that in the domain of safety the facts do matter.
Over the Easter and Bank Holiday breaks I spent some time by a pool with my thoughts. It led to too much mindless scrolling through arguments on Twitter and also brought back a recollection. I have combined both as the basis of this post.
The facts DO matter
Increasingly these days I find myself open mouthed in despair at the state of debate around the crucially important, era-defining issues of our time. Discussions on topics as important as climate change, human rights, social justice and even war and national self determination seem to have descended into a ‘post truth’ shouting match. This seems to be a factor on all sides of the political divide: a post-modernist sludge of relativism and authoritarian claims of ‘fake news’ both seem to crowd out meaningful debate, with all views asserted as being equally valid regardless of whether or not they are based on facts or proportionality.
As an engineer I was schooled in the views of the Age of Enlightenment: the pursuit of knowledge obtained by means of reason and the evidence of the senses. The axioms of reality and of our belief systems are real and solid. We can’t just ignore them if we find them to be inconvenient. And we certainly shouldn’t tell bare faced lies. But we now live in a world where prime ministers are ‘ambushed by cake’ and state that ‘no rules were broken’ and where presidents unleash vicious wars under the guise of ‘special military operations.’
Thinking about all of this I was reminded of why I was drawn to the domain of engineering - and safety engineering in particular - in the first place. One formative incident stands out in my mind.
Trusting your gut
In an early career role I was asked to present a regular project update at a board meeting. In a nutshell the consensus had formed across the company that the project would be finished within three months. This was convenient as our budget was blown and the product we were developing (an engineered safety system) needed to get onto the market as quickly as possible in order to start to recoup our investment in its development.
In my last dash to pull together my update for the Board I pondered the timeline that had been asserted. My analysis showed me clearly that my gut instinct was right - we had no chance of being ready in three months. We had not planned our testing and assurance activities, and we still needed a breakthough in one aspect of the design. I had raised these issues before but perhaps not forcefully enough. I didn’t want to continue to be complicit in what I was now confident was a false view. So, I took a deep breath and prepared the update based on what I believed to be the truth.
The two minute silence
The meeting began with proclamations to all present that the project was on track. Feeling unease at what was unfolding I glanced down at the contradictory position on the notes I had scratched onto the paper in front of me and I knew there was no going back.
My turn came and I stood from my seat to address the people around the table (as was the custom in those days before laptops and projectors dominated meetings). The sea of benevolent faces in front of me gradually turned sour as my words tumbled out. Finally I delivered my opinion, “So, in summary I don’t think we have any chance of being ready within three months - I would estimate that it will be at least nine months.”
At precisely this moment the company’s Managing Director wordlessly raised a finger and gestured at his watch. I remembered the time and date: it was 11am on the 11th November and it was time for the armistice silence.
The next two minutes seemed to last an eternity. Looking hesitantly at those seated around me, a range of expressions were reflected back. I saw everything from confusion to anger and benevolent superiority as all were forced to contemplate the ugly facts I had just put in front of them.
The truth prevails
Contrary to my worst fears, when the meeting Chair was finally able to speak she did so with recognition, concern and support. Noone could now ignore the challenge, and we were able to have the discussion we needed to rather than proceeding unproductively with an incomplete view. All left the meeting satisfied that we were now focussed on the right issues to bring the timelines in and knew the task ahead. Nevertheless it was still another two years before the product was ready. But that experience stayed with me as I saw the power of truthfully speaking my mind - I got a taste for it.
Seek the truth
So what does this have to do with Transport Safety? Well as this blog has discussed many times the world of safety risk is one that is ripe with uncertainty. It is difficult to speak with confidence when you are reasoning about rare, catastropic future events. But nevertheless there are red lines that can’t be crossed. And when you find them they resonate in your gut if you’re really looking for them.
One thing my time as a safety engineer has taught me is that if compromises are made unwisely, the unforgiving hand of fate will root them out with calm, patient resolve. We see this clearly in every accident investigation report. The trick is to be eternally vigilant, and seriously look for them in advance of the accident. This doesn’t of course mean being dogmatic or an enemy of change or progress. The truth is subtle and hard to bottle: It is an objective, not a destination. As Vaclav Havel may have said:
Follow those who who seek the truth. Run from those who have found it.
For what it’s worth, here’s my advice. When you feel that twinge of doubt - or you’re unsure whether to speak up - have the confidence to do it. If you’re not right someone will tell you why and you’ll learn something important. But if you’re right you will find that your words sing and that they will land with recognition to those who hear them. And incrementally, marginally, the world will be a better, safer place. It is a privilege when working in the world of safety that this is your raison d’etre. It’s your superpower.
The next issue
Please do feed back your thoughts in the comments, on linkedin or on Twitter. Posts are biweekly (give or take a few days). To make sure you don’t miss any of them please subscribe below:
I’m very keen to build the network to engage on these important topics, so if you know anyone who is interested in the safety of modern technology please do share a link with them. If you’re already a regular subscriber and enjoy the posts, please try and think of someone new each time you read one:
Thanks for reading
All views are my own (and I really do try to keep an open mind). If you’re interested in any advice, guidance or collaboration on any of the topics raised please feel free to drop me an e-mail on george.bearfield@ntlworld.com: My particular area of professional and research interest is practical risk and assurance of new technology. I’m always keen to engage on interesting projects in this area.
The photo used for social media is “Speak the truth, even if your voice shakes” --Maggie Kuhn. Cringle Park, Levenshulme, Manchester" by dullhunk and is marked with CC BY 2.0. To view the terms of use, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/?ref=openverse