SH292: Learning or Blaming: The Choice the Diving Industry Needs to Make. Part 3 of 3.

This final blog explores what the research means and how the diving community can realistically improve learning and safety. It argues that the problem is not broken individuals but a system that quietly encourages blame and silence, making it hard for divers to share honest stories about mistakes and near-misses. Fear—of legal action, criticism, or damage to reputation—plays a big role, even when that fear is not based on real outcomes. The result is weak feedback loops, where lessons from real experiences never reach the people who design training or shape the culture. The blog suggests shifting focus from the idea of a formal “just culture” to a more practical “culture of justness,” where fairness, understanding, and learning are encouraged at a local level by respected leaders. It also highlights how sharing more context reduces blame and improves learning, but notes that most divers are never taught how to do this. While there is no single fix, the way forward includes clearer language, better-designed reporting systems, role modelling by instructors and experienced divers, and introducing honest discussions about incidents into training. Ultimately, meaningful change will come from gradually shifting behaviours and norms, so that sharing real experiences becomes normal, supported, and valued across the diving community.

Original blog: https://www.thehumandiver.com/post/msc-part-3-the-outcomes

Links: Part 1: https://www.thehumandiver.com/post/msc-part-1-the-problem-space

Part 2: https://www.thehumandiver.com/post/msc-part-2-the-data-and-results

The full thesis, Storytelling to Learn: What Happens Underwater, Stays Underwater, was submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the MSc in Human Factors and System Safety at Lund University, 2024. Gareth Lock is the founder of The Human Diver

References:

Dekker, S. (2009). Just culture: Who gets to draw the line? Cognition, Technology & Work, 11(3), 177–185. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10111-008-0110-7

EC. (2014). Regulation (EU) No 376/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 3 April 2014. European Commission.

Exley, S. (1986). Basic cave diving: A blueprint for survival. National Speleological Society – Cave Diving Section. https://nsscds.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Blueprint-for-Survival.pdf

Heffernan, M. (2011). Wilful blindness: Why we ignore the obvious. Simon and Schuster.

Hoffman, B. G. (2012). American icon: Alan Mulally and the fight to save Ford Motor Company. Crown.

Rasmussen, J. (1997). Risk management in a dynamic society: A modelling problem. Safety Science, 27(2–3), 183–213.

Tags: THD-English| THD-Learning, Incidents & Just Culture