[Elecraft] Packing Peanuts

[Dauer, Edward]

Perhaps.  But since at least as early as 1990 when James Reason published his work on systems approaches to error prevention, numerous industries have adopted the view that trying to make people perfect and blaming them when they are not just doesn’t work.  The fields in which I have spent some time – aviation and healthcare in particular – have seen very favorable error reduction when the focus moved to improving the systems within which people work as much as, or more than, improving the people.  Shaming and blaming almost always backfires.  

So, to bring this to the topic here, if there’s a good substitute for electrostatically risky styro packing materials, and if the economics aren’t adverse, that part of the Elecraft shipping system could be improved.  The popular phrase may be “idiot-proofing,” but we have seen it work with highly intelligent and highly educated pilots and medical personnel, among others.  It is safest to assume that “stupid fault” just means statistically predictable human behavior.  Blaming makes us feel better, but empirically it tends not to move the error needle very much.

Ted, KN1CBR

    
    
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    Message: 14
    Date: Sun, 18 Jun 2017 10:02:29 +0100
    From: "G4GNX" <g4gnx at g4gnx.com>
    To: "'Elecraft Reflector'" <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
    Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Packing Peanuts
    Message-ID: <AEBBFD902FF142229C8D09625DA53F4A at G4GNXLaptop>
    Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="UTF-8";
    	reply-type=original
    
    If people follow the Elecraft instructions to the letter, the static charge 
    will be dissipated through the wrist strap.
    
    If they don't follow the instructions, it's their own stupid fault!
    
    73,
    
    Alan. G4GNX