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ORION - Operational Risk: Implementing Open Norms

Orion is the fourth project in a series of EU-projects in which KTH has participated in developing sociotechnical theory and analysis methods. The research is conducted in close collaboration with industry and organisations with operational risk, such as aviation and health care. Our research has a multidisciplinary approach where analysis of work, safety and capability for managing risk and change is guided by sociotechnical principles.

Funded by: ERASMUS - EU
Time period: 2019-2021
Project members: KTH, Trinity College (Ireland), Ergonomica (Italy), KRATIS (Cyprus), airlines safety office (Sweden) and ground operations (Cyprus), health care emergency response (Italy and Ireland), fire and rescue services (Ireland).
Project contact persons:

Pernilla Ulfvengren
Pernilla Ulfvengren associate professor

Derek Ross, Project leader

Background:

The objective of the ORION project is to develop and support implementation capability and competence through designing and developing training materials to support and facilitate implementation and embedding of SMS in norms of practice and effective management of operational risk. The ORION training will foster soft socio-technical skills for leading and implementing SMS and managing operational risk. While all organisations that face any kind of operational risk are required to implement a safety management system, there is a great difference between fulfilling the formal requirements of a safety management system and having a system that is fully embedded in normal operational practice. Making this work in practice does not happen spontaneously but requires focused attention on the ‘soft’ side of managing people and fostering organisational culture.