--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The question that drives safety work in a…" description: "\"“The question that drives safety work in a just culture is not who is responsible for failure, rather, it asks what is responsible for things going wro..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8d/sidney-dekker-35794_doing-things_the-question-that-drives-safety-work-in_2830232.jpg" --- # The question that drives safety work in a just culture is… ![“The question that drives safety work in a just culture is not who is responsible for failure, rather, it asks what is responsible for things going wrong. What is the set of engineered and organized circumstances that is responsible for putting people in a position where they end up doing things…” quote by Sidney Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8d/sidney-dekker-35794_doing-things_the-question-that-drives-safety-work-in_2830232.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8d/sidney-dekker-35794_doing-things_the-question-that-drives-safety-work-in_2830232.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8d/sidney-dekker-35794_doing-things_the-question-that-drives-safety-work-in_2830232.jpg) > ““The question that drives safety work in a just culture is not who is responsible for failure, rather, it asks what is responsible for things going wrong. What is the set of engineered and organized circumstances that is responsible for putting people in a position where they end up doing things that go wrong?”” [Sidney Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-dekker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Safety should examine systemic causes of errors rather than assigning blame to individuals. **In simple terms:** Look at systems, not just people, when things go wrong. Key Takeaway Design safer systems, not just punish. Themes safety systems responsibility Mood analytical pragmatic Type professional educational When to use this quote - industrial accidents - healthcare errors - software failures - team performance Key Concepts human factors organizational design Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance system design with individual responsibility? - What tools help identify hidden systemic factors? A Different Perspective Systemic focus can overlook personal accountability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Circumstances Responsible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/circumstances-responsible-335920/) [Culture Responsible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture-responsible-3651636/) [Doing things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-things/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Failure Asks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure-asks-3651637/) [Responsible Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsible-failure-425423/) [Safety Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/safety-work-3651635/) ## Related quotes > [We are responsible for actions performed in response to circumstances for which we are not responsible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-massie/we-are-responsible-for-actions-performed-in-response-to-circumstances/) [Allan Massie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-massie/) > [We are not responsible for the circumstances we are in, but we are responsible for the way we allow those circumstances to affect us;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/we-are-not-responsible-for-the-circumstances-we-are-in-but-we-are/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [Never give up! So many people can be responsible for your Success, but only you are responsible for your failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-give-up-so-many-people-can-be-responsible-for-your-success-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [People often represent the weakest link in the security chain and are chronically responsible for the failure of security systems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/people-often-represent-the-weakest-link-in-the-security-chain-and-are/) [Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/) > [If you consider someone else responsible for your failure, you need to give credit of your success too to someone and believe your dependancy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/if-you-consider-someone-else-responsible-for-your-failure-you-need-to/) [Senoraroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senoraroy/) > [Many People Can Be Responsible For Your Success, But Only You Are Responsible For Your Failure...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/many-people-can-be-responsible-for-your-success-but-only-you-are/) [SWAMI VIVEKANANDA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [There can be so many people responsible for your success, but only you are responsible for your failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/there-can-be-so-many-people-responsible-for-your-success-but-only-you/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [I'm closer to being happy. I'm doing things that make me happy. In football I loved to practice and I loved to play, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-williams/i-m-closer-to-being-happy-i-m-doing-things-that-make-me-happy-in/) [Ricky Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-williams/) > [There are those that say, if you do the uncomfortable thing long enough, it will become comfortable. But we are really not encouragers of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/there-are-those-that-say-if-you-do-the-uncomfortable-thing-long/) [Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/) > [Life is all about doing things you like and being surrounded by people you like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-cassandra/life-is-all-about-doing-things-you-like-and-being-surrounded-by/) [Regina Cassandra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-cassandra/) > [Either you let your life slip away by not doing the things you want to do, or you get up & do them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-von-oech/either-you-let-your-life-slip-away-by-not-doing-the-things-you-want/) [Roger von Oech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-von-oech/) > [As opposed to getting into arguments about, well, these folks have been treated fairly so now we're going to be doing things that, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-opposed-to-getting-into-arguments-about-well-these-folks-have-been/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [“Standards are just the most accepted ways of doing things. They're usually unquestioned, not challenged, not the most efficient, and not the best way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-otton/standards-are-just-the-most-accepted-ways-of-doing-things-they-re/) [Rick Otton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-otton/) > [Doing the right things is more important than doing things right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ko-wen-je/doing-the-right-things-is-more-important-than-doing-things-right/) [Ko Wen-je](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ko-wen-je/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) ## More by Sidney Dekker > [“forward-looking accountability.”2 Accountability that is backward-looking (often the kind in trials or lawsuits) tries to find a scapegoat, to blame and shame an individual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-dekker/forward-looking-accountability-2-accountability-that-is-backward/) [Sidney Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-dekker/) > [“Accidents are no longer accidents at all. They are failures of risk management.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-dekker/accidents-are-no-longer-accidents-at-all-they-are-failures-of-risk/) [Sidney Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-dekker/) > [“It has to do with being open, with a willingness to share information about safety problems without the fear of being nailed for them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-dekker/it-has-to-do-with-being-open-with-a-willingness-to-share-information/) [Sidney Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-dekker/) > [“The main question for a just culture is not about matching consequences with outcome. It is this: Did the assessments and actions of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-dekker/the-main-question-for-a-just-culture-is-not-about-matching/) [Sidney Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-dekker/) > [“There is almost no human action or decision that cannot be made to look flawed and less sensible in the misleading light of hindsight.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-dekker/there-is-almost-no-human-action-or-decision-that-cannot-be-made-to/) [Sidney Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-dekker/) > [“Unjust responses to failure are almost never the result of bad performance. They are the result of bad relationships.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-dekker/unjust-responses-to-failure-are-almost-never-the-result-of-bad/) [Sidney Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-dekker/) > [“A just culture accepts nobody’s account as “true” or “right” and others wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-dekker/a-just-culture-accepts-nobody-s-account-as-true-or-right-and-others/) [Sidney Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-dekker/) > [“Arriving at the edge of chaos is a logical endpoint for drift. At the edge of chaos, systems have tuned themselves to the point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-dekker/arriving-at-the-edge-of-chaos-is-a-logical-endpoint-for-drift-at-the/) [Sidney Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-dekker/) > [“If professionals consider one thing “unjust,” it is often this: Split-second operational decisions that get evaluated, turned over, examined, picked apart, and analyzed for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-dekker/if-professionals-consider-one-thing-unjust-it-is-often-this-split/) [Sidney Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-dekker/) > [“If we adjudicate an operator’s understanding of an unfolding situation against our own truth, which includes knowledge of hindsight, we may learn little of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-dekker/if-we-adjudicate-an-operator-s-understanding-of-an-unfolding/) [Sidney Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-dekker/) > [“In complex systems, after all, it is very hard to foresee or predict the consequences of presumed causes. So it is not the consequences…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-dekker/in-complex-systems-after-all-it-is-very-hard-to-foresee-or-predict/) [Sidney Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-dekker/) > [“Creating a climate in which disclosure is possible and acceptable is the organization’s responsibility.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-dekker/creating-a-climate-in-which-disclosure-is-possible-and-acceptable-is/) [Sidney Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-dekker/) [Explore all 13 Sidney Dekker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-dekker/) ## More Doing things quotes > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [Doing the right things is more important than doing things right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ko-wen-je/doing-the-right-things-is-more-important-than-doing-things-right/) [Ko Wen-je](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ko-wen-je/) > [“Standards are just the most accepted ways of doing things. They're usually unquestioned, not challenged, not the most efficient, and not the best way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-otton/standards-are-just-the-most-accepted-ways-of-doing-things-they-re/) [Rick Otton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-otton/) > [As opposed to getting into arguments about, well, these folks have been treated fairly so now we're going to be doing things that, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-opposed-to-getting-into-arguments-about-well-these-folks-have-been/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Either you let your life slip away by not doing the things you want to do, or you get up & do them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-von-oech/either-you-let-your-life-slip-away-by-not-doing-the-things-you-want/) [Roger von Oech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-von-oech/) > [Life is all about doing things you like and being surrounded by people you like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-cassandra/life-is-all-about-doing-things-you-like-and-being-surrounded-by/) [Regina Cassandra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-cassandra/) > [There are those that say, if you do the uncomfortable thing long enough, it will become comfortable. But we are really not encouragers of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/there-are-those-that-say-if-you-do-the-uncomfortable-thing-long/) [Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/) > [I'm closer to being happy. I'm doing things that make me happy. In football I loved to practice and I loved to play, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-williams/i-m-closer-to-being-happy-i-m-doing-things-that-make-me-happy-in/) [Ricky Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-williams/) > [“If you aren't in love, Willow Vaughn, then my name isn't Miriam Brigham." Willow started out of her daydreaming and glanced up from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-mcpherren/if-you-aren-t-in-love-willow-vaughn-then-my-name-isn-t-miriam-brigham/) [Charlotte McPherren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-mcpherren/) > [The story being told in 'Star Wars' is a classic one. Every few hundred years, the story is retold because we have a tendency…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lucas/the-story-being-told-in-star-wars-is-a-classic-one-every-few-hundred/) [George Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lucas/) > [When you study history and look at every civilization that has grown up and died off, they all leave one remnant: a major sports…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-study-history-and-look-at-every-civilization-that-has-grown/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Well I think that what we're seeing now is that the people feel like they, the people in Congress don't have their consent to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingraham/well-i-think-that-what-we-re-seeing-now-is-that-the-people-feel-like/) [Laura Ingraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingraham/) > [It's sad that women characters have lost so much ground in popular movies. Didn't 'Thelma and Louise' prove that women want to see women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-quivers/it-s-sad-that-women-characters-have-lost-so-much-ground-in-popular/) [Robin Quivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-quivers/) > [I spent a lot of my life schlepping around New York with people not doing things for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-gibson/i-spent-a-lot-of-my-life-schlepping-around-new-york-with-people-not/) [Debbie Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-gibson/) > [This is your life do wat you love, and do it often. if you don't like something, change it. if you don't like your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amiea/this-is-your-life-do-wat-you-love-and-do-it-often-if-you-don-t-like/) [Amiea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amiea/) [Browse all 1,822 Doing things quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-things/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The question that drives safety work in a just culture is not who is responsible for failure, rather, it asks what is responsible for things going wrong. 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