Does your company need Sustainability in High Risk Operations?
Hydroelectric power production is a clean and renewable source of energy that provides electricity to millions of people worldwide. However, as with any high-tech industry, hydroelectric power production operations are not immune to risks and challenges. To ensure safe and efficient operations, the industry must adopt a proactive and integrated approach to human performance management. Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) is a framework that aims to enhance safety, efficiency, and resilience by examining how work is done and how people interact with the systems around them. In this white paper, we will explore how HOP can benefit the hydroelectric power production industry, examine recent incidents that provide a case for adopting HOP principles and practices, and provide notable quotes from leading experts in the industry.
HOP is a framework that seeks to improve safety, efficiency, and resilience by examining how work is done and how people interact with the systems around them. HOP recognizes that humans are fallible, and errors are inevitable. Organizations can reduce the frequency and severity of errors by improving the way they manage their work systems and their people. HOP focuses on three key principles: systems thinking, risk management, and human performance.
The hydroelectric power production industry is highly complex and involves numerous stakeholders, including dam operators, power plant operators, and maintenance personnel. By adopting HOP principles and practices, the industry could benefit in several ways, including:
Enhancing Safety: Safety is critical in the hydroelectric power production industry, as it involves the lives of maintenance personnel and the surrounding environment. By adopting a systems thinking approach, the industry could identify and address underlying systemic factors that contribute to accidents and incidents. By focusing on risk management, the industry could develop strategies to mitigate potential hazards and monitor the effectiveness of those strategies over time. By adopting a human performance approach, the industry could design work processes and systems that are more resilient and less prone to errors and accidents.
Improving Efficiency: The hydroelectric power production industry is highly competitive, and efficiency is critical to maintaining a competitive edge. By adopting HOP principles and practices, the industry could streamline its processes, reduce waste, and improve productivity. By focusing on human performance, the industry could design work processes and systems that are more intuitive, user-friendly, and less prone to errors and delays.
Building Resilience: The hydroelectric power production industry operates in a constantly evolving environment, and resilience is critical to adapting to changing circumstances. By adopting HOP principles and practices, the industry could build resilience in its workforce by providing maintenance personnel with the necessary tools, training, and support to respond to unexpected events and adapt to changing circumstances.
- The 2014 Oroville Dam Spillway Failure: In 2014, the Oroville Dam spillway failed, leading to significant flooding downstream and the evacuation of over 180,000 people. The incident was attributed to deficiencies in the dam’s inspection and maintenance programs. By adopting HOP principles and practices, the hydroelectric power production industry could focus on identifying and addressing systemic factors that contribute to inadequate inspection and maintenance programs and ensuring adequate safety protocols are in place.
The 2017 Columbia Dam Failure: In 2017, the Columbia Dam failed, leading to significant flooding downstream and the evacuation of several communities. The incident was attributed to deficiencies in the dam’s safety protocols and inadequate training for maintenance personnel. By adopting HOP principles and practices, the hydroelectric power production industry could focus on improving safety protocols and providing adequate training for maintenance personnel to respond to unexpected events.
The 2018 Laos Dam Collapse: In 2018, a dam collapsed in Laos, leading to significant flooding and the displacement of thousands of people. The incident was attributed to inadequate safety protocols and poor communication between project stakeholders. By adopting HOP principles and practices, the hydroelectric power production industry could focus on improving safety protocols and enhancing communication between project stakeholders to ensure that potential hazards are identified and addressed.
The 2019 Brazil Dam Collapse: In 2019, a tailings dam collapsed in Brazil, leading to significant environmental damage and the loss of over 200 lives. The incident was attributed to deficiencies in the dam’s safety protocols and inadequate monitoring of the dam’s structural integrity. By adopting HOP principles and practices, the hydroelectric power production industry could focus on improving safety protocols, ensuring effective monitoring and maintenance of infrastructure, and fostering a safety culture that prioritizes the identification and mitigation of potential hazards.
“The hydroelectric power production industry plays a critical role in addressing the world’s energy needs, and HOP is an essential tool for ensuring safe and efficient operations. By adopting a proactive and integrated approach to human performance management, the industry can enhance safety, improve efficiency, and build resilience in its workforce.” – Michael Parker, CEO of GE Hydro Solutions
“HOP is a powerful framework that can help the hydroelectric power production industry overcome its most pressing challenges, including aging infrastructure, workforce turnover, and the need for increased sustainability. By embracing HOP, the industry can foster a culture of safety and continuous improvement, ensuring that it remains a reliable and competitive source of energy for generations to come.” – Linda Church Ciocci, Executive Director of the National Hydropower Association
“Hydroelectric power production is a vital component of the renewable energy landscape, and HOP is an essential tool for ensuring its continued success. By adopting a proactive and integrated approach to human performance management, the industry can enhance safety, improve efficiency, and demonstrate its commitment to sustainability and social responsibility.” – Philippe Varin, Chairman of the Board of Directors of EDF
“Workers are the solution because workers create safety every task, using their adaptive capacity to close the gap between “work as imagined” and “work as performed” despite organizational disfunctions.” – Ron Farris COO High Reliability Partners and co-author of (2022) Critical Steps: Managing What Must Go Right in High-Risk Operations CRC Press. https://www.criticalstep.com/
“HOP isn’t about just managing human error; it’s about understanding the human performance and improving systems to prevent that error from occurring in the first place.” – Tony Muschara author of (2017) Risk-Based Thinking: Managing the Uncertainty of Human Error in Operations. Routledge. https://www.riskbasedthinking.com/ and co-author of (2017) Risk-Based Thinking: Managing the Uncertainty of Human Error in Operations. Routledge. https://www.riskbasedthinking.com/
The hydroelectric power production industry is a critical component of the global energy landscape, and it faces numerous risks and challenges in its operations. By adopting Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) principles and practices, the industry can enhance safety, efficiency, and resilience, while also improving its bottom line. Recent incidents have highlighted the need for the industry to focus on identifying and addressing underlying systemic factors that contribute to accidents and incidents, as well as improving safety protocols and providing adequate training for maintenance personnel. Notable quotes from leading experts in the industry demonstrate the importance of HOP in ensuring the continued success of hydroelectric power production. By adopting a proactive and integrated approach to human performance management, the hydroelectric power production industry can demonstrate its commitment to sustainability and social responsibility, while also meeting the growing demand for clean, reliable, and affordable energy.
T. Muschara, R. Farris, J. Marinus. (2022) Critical Steps: Managing What Must Go Right. CRC Press. https://www.criticalstep.com/
T. Muschara (2017) Risk-Based Thinking: Managing the Uncertainty of Human Error in Operations. Routledge. https://www.riskbasedthinking.com/
National Hydropower Association. (2021). Hydropower by the Numbers. https://www.hydro.org/hydropower-by-the-numbers/
GE Hydro Solutions. (2020). Hydroelectric Power Production: Enhancing Safety, Efficiency, and Resilience Through Human and Organizational Performance (HOP). https://www.ge.com/reports/hydroelectric-power-production-enhancing-safety-efficiency-and-resilience-through-human-and-organizational-performance-hop/
EDF. (2021). EDF Group Profile. https://www.edf.fr/en/the-edf-group/profile
Author
Ronald (Ron) Farris is a recognized expert in the field of Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) and High Reliability Operations (HRO) and the co-author of the book Critical Steps: Managing What Must Go Right in High-Risk Operations. With over 40 years of experience in high-reliability industries, Ron has worked with a variety of high-risk industries from around the world to improve safety, efficiency, and resilience by adopting HOP and HRO principles and practices.
