Safety at the Sharp-End: A Case Study in the Gas Sector

Abstract

International audience

Not only have risks become fundamentally unique and unpredictable, they also cannot all be anticipated when work is planned. Some risks can only be managed when they occur, by those who are facing them on the ground when they occur, most often field operators. These workers must have the capacity to identify, analyse and make decisions in order to avoid a deterioration of the situation. However, such capabilities are generally expected of managers, rather than field operators. Our working hypothesis therefore relates to this "managerialisation" of technical staff, and what it actually means in terms of professionalism and the relationship of both field workers and their supervisors to their work. This paper examines the tensions that underlie this managerialisation. It summarises the results of an initial phase of exploratory research and presents the theoretical and methodological approaches that will be implemented in subsequent work.