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The term “normalization of deviance” was coined by sociologist Diane Vaughan in her analysis of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. She described how small, incremental deviations from safety standards were rationalized and accepted over time, leading to catastrophic failure.
In occupational safety and health, serious incidents rarely come from a single reckless act. More often, they appear from normalization of deviance — the gradual acceptance of unsafe practices as “normal” work.
It starts small.
Shortcuts to save time.
A control is bypassed because “nothing ever happens.”
A near miss is ignored because production is priority.
When no immediate harm occurs, the deviation feels justified. The task is completed, deadlines are met, and the risk fades from attention. Over time, these small departures from safe systems of work become routine — not because they are safe, but because they are familiar.
This is how organisations drift away from their own safety standards without realising it.
In high-risk environments this drift poses a hazard. Hazards do not change simply because people become comfortable with them. Energy, gravity, machinery, chemicals, and human fatigue remain dangerous.
Normalization of deviation is not a worker failure, it is a system and leadership issue.
When supervisors overlook shortcuts, when procedures are unrealistic, or when production pressure outweighs safety conversations, the system teaches people that deviations are acceptable. Over time, risk becomes invisible.
Preventing this drift requires more than rules and audits. It requires:
- Clear, practical procedures that match real work
- Leadership presence that notices and challenges unsafe norms
- Psychological safety so workers can speak up about shortcuts and near misses
- Building and reinforcing a positive Osh culture
Strong safety performance is not about zero mistakes.
It is about catching minor deviations early before they become serious incidents.
In occupational safety and health, what we tolerate today becomes tomorrow’s standard. The question leaders must ask is simple:
Are we managing risk — or slowly normalizing it?
