TLDR: Complex systems (e.g., healthcare, transport) are inherently hazardous and protected by multiple layers of defenses against failure. Catastrophic failure requires multiple small failures to align, with latent issues always present. Human operators adapt to maintain safety, but assessments post-accident are often biased and incorrectly attribute failures to single causes. Safety is a dynamic characteristic of systems, shaped by human activities and experience with failure. Adaptations by practitioners are critical, but changing technologies can introduce new failure pathways.
How Complex Systems Fail
