Show notes
In this episode of the Women in Safety Podcast, Alanna Ball and Amy Morris take a closer look at incident investigations and the bigger system issues that often sit behind safety events. Rather than defaulting to worker blame or behaviour-based explanations, they explore what happens when controls are poorly designed, hard to apply, or simply do not hold up in real working conditions.The conversation highlights why incident investigations need to go beyond surface-level findings and ask better questions about how work is actually done. Alanna and Amy discuss the importance of classifying incidents properly, understanding the difference between workable and unworkable controls, and looking at the wider organisational conditions that shape risk and decision-making.Episode HighlightsWhy correct incident classification matters when deciding where effort and resources should goHow many incidents involve controls that are difficult or unrealistic to apply in real-world conditionsThe difference between easy, difficult, and unworkable controls, and why that matters in preventionCommon examples of control failure, including broken equipment, impractical PPE, and the workarounds people create to get the job doneHow poor system design and organisational culture can weaken even well-intended controlsWhy investigation methods need to ask better questions, not just produce quick conclusionsHow strict rule enforcement can sometimes drive unsafe workarounds instead of safer workThe role of wider system weaknesses, beyond individual behaviour, in shaping incident outcomesPractical ways to build more resilient controls through stronger design and organisational learningWhy storytelling matters in incident reporting and helps reveal the full picture behind an eventThis episode is a strong reminder that incidents rarely make sense when viewed through blame alone. Alanna and Amy encourage safety professionals to look more closely at the systems, controls, and organisational conditions surrounding an event, rather than stopping at what the worker did or did not do. When investigations focus on the full story, including the pressures, design flaws, and control gaps involved, they become far more useful for learning and prevention. For anyone working in health and safety, this conversation is a call to strengthen investigations, improve control design, and build systems that work in practice, not just on paper.Connect with Amy:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyleahmorris Stay connected with Women in SafetyWebsitewww.womeninsafety.netVisit the website for upcoming events, programs, and community updates, and subscribe to the newsletter to stay informed throughout the year.Instagramwww.instagram.com/womeninsafetyFollow along for conversations, community highlights, and insights from women across the health and safety profession.Become an Empowered Memberwww.womeninsafety.net/empoweredmembersExplore Empowered Membership to access deeper learning opportunities, exclusive events, and meaningful connection within the Women in Safety community.