Investor Presentaiton
Distancing through differencing
An accident provides an opportunity to learn, not only for the organizations.
involved in the accident, but also for the other organizations within and outside.
the industry concerned. After an accident a 'learning window' opens where it is
possible to ask questions that are usually not asked during non- accident times.
However, learning after an accident is far from easy. One must not focus on just
trying to learn the 'obvious', but must also capture more subtle, important
lessons as they emerge over time.
Learning after an accident is subject to barriers. One of these barriers is a
mechanism called 'distancing through differencing', exemplified by the
statement "this can't happen here". Such a response is likely to occur
particularly in organizations that are distant enough from the ones directly
involved in the accident; for example, operators and regulators in other
countries. One example of this is the missed opportunity to address the
operating experience gained from the 1999 flooding event at the Le Blayais
NPP in France.
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