Page 28 - OHS, October 2021

SAFETY CULTURE
Normalization of Deviations in Performance
Normalization of deviance is a phenomenon by which individuals, groups or
organizations come to accept a lower standard of performance until that lower
standard becomes the “norm” for them.
TBY PETER FURST
o some extent, many organizations, if not all, suffer from some form of performance deviation. This can manifest itself in any goal or standard against which organizations may measure themselves. Such failures are usually
due to organizational systems shortcomings or human action. Generally, in aviation prior to World War II, most accidents were
24 Occupational Health & Safety | OCTOBER 2021
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attributable to mechanical (system) failure.
During WWII manufacturing, technology and design
improved such that more accidents became attributable to pilot (human) error than to mechanical failure. To counter this, human factors were incorporated into airplane design, and standard operating procedures were developed for crews, garnering some
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