Background The “New View” of occupational health and safety (Resilience Engineering, Human and Organization Performance, Safety Differently, Safety-II, etc.), has promised an updated approach to improve safety performance and outcomes. For over a decade it has been the “hot topic” with courses, conferences, and professional practice groups globally. However, safety outcomes remain unchanged.

Objective To determine if application of New View approaches have reduced the rate and severity of unwanted safety events.

Programme Description A literature review was conducted of related texts, case studies, and journal publications. Podcasts, videos, courses, and presentations by its main proponents were included. Reported implementation was assessed against evidence of outcomes.

Outcomes and Learning The New View has not lived up to its promise for several reasons. New View approaches assume, and even rebrand, “old” practices (learning teams). Many definitions, assertions, and arguments are circular and/or internally inconsistent (“safety,” systems are the problem and the solution?). The multiple contextual layers that influence how “safety happens” are vaguely understood, dismissed, or missed – peculiar since “context drives behaviour” is the central New View assertion. As a result, New View applications have failed to produce evidence any measurable improvements.

Implications Despite significant issues, the “New View” does contain important insights. One is a renewed focus on context in shaping behaviours and actions. Another is how to ensure responses to unwanted events align with effective corrective action and long-term organizational learning. These should be taken to heart by all safety practitioners within their continual improvement efforts.

Conclusion The New View has yet to demonstrate an advantage over the “old view.” To prove otherwise, future research will need to directly and rigorously compare implementation of New View approaches to implemented “old” practices, demonstrating if they can achieve better safety outcomes as promised.