Webinar What Really Improves Safety?

What Really Improves Safety?

Most organisations invest significant time and resources in safety. They strengthen compliance, introduce leadership programmes and invest in training. Yet recurring incidents, operational variability and human error remain part of daily reality. After decades of investment, one question remains: which approaches genuinely improve safety, and which simply create the feeling of control?

In this keynote, internationally recognised safety expert and cognitive psychologist Professor Jop Groeneweg explores what more than a century of safety science has taught us about improving safety in complex organisations. Rather than introducing another management trend, he focuses on the principles that have consistently proven their value across high-risk industries.

Drawing on research and real-world examples, Jop takes the audience through the practices that help organisations strengthen operational control, improve decision making and build safety into everyday work. His keynote offers a practical perspective on why some organisations continue to improve while others struggle to achieve lasting change.

Where Safety Science Meets Practice

Professor Jop Groeneweg and Sarah Van den Bossche discuss how safety science can be translated into daily practice. Drawing on decades of research and Sarah’s experience in HSE, QHSE process improvement and digital implementation projects, they explore how organisations can turn safety principles into effective and sustainable ways of working.

The discussion focuses on the connection between people, processes and technology. How can organisations ensure that safety measures work in practice, not only on paper? How can digital tools support better insight, follow-up and operational control? And how can AI contribute in a responsible way, while human judgement and approval remain essential?

Together, Jop and Sarah connect scientific insight with practical experience and offer a clear perspective on how organisations can strengthen their QHSE management and achieve lasting improvements.

About Prof. Dr. Jop Groeneweg

Jop Groeneweg graduated cum laude in cognitive psychology in 1985 at Leiden University on the concept of ‘impossible accidents at sea’. His PhD research was aimed at identifying the systemic factors that contribute to incidents. Since 2017 he is Director of the Centre for Safety in healthcare at the TUD. He is also a human factor specialist at Leiden University and TNO, member of the Gezondheidsraad and board member of the Tripod Foundation. The focus of his research is on quantifying and modelling the factors contributing to a Just culture in organiations (e.g. creating psychological safe teams) and its relation with the organisational learning capabilities and the prevention of incidents. In 2019 he received the yearly Society of Petroleum Engineers North Sea Regional Health, Safety, Security, Environment, and Social Responsibility Award and was nominated for the 2020 Global award.

About Sarah

Sarah Van den Bossche is Professional Services Manager at Bizzmine. She brings nearly ten years of experience in HSE, QHSE process improvement, risk analysis, compliance and the digitalisation of safety and quality processes. With a background in industrial engineering and prevention advice, Sarah leads complex implementation projects and helps organisations translate operational needs into efficient digital workflows. Her work connects strategy, people and technology, with a strong focus on adoption, continuous improvement and sustainable process governance.

What You'll Learn
Who Should Attend

What you will learn

In this lively interview, Jop Groeneweg and Sarah Van den Bossche answer questions such as:

Which safety measures have the strongest evidence behind them, and why compliance alone does not prevent recurring incidents.
How the hierarchy of controls helps you choose measures that reduce risk at its source.
Why implementation, trust and routine use determine whether safety measures work in daily practice.
How digital tools can improve visibility, follow-up and operational control.
How to use AI without giving up critical thinking, human judgement or accountability.