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What is it?

What is it?

What is it?

(OP)
Recently I've been hearing a term very often "Normalization of Deviations". Please shed some light on it.
Thanks

RE: What is it?

How about some context please.

RE: What is it?

(OP)
This term has been linked with safety/incidents around our site. Regular occurances where people failed to follow procedures, codes or regulations (nearly 80% incidents were related to deviation from procedures). Is it a general trend across process industries?

RE: What is it?

Deviations could refer to the manner in which the head will roll to one side, or deviates back and forth from the upright position, when falling asleep at work. To NOD off is an english expression for falling asleep and may well be an acronymn for Normalization Of Deviations, a 'Management speak' term for attaining deep sleep during meetings when all such back and forth motion of the head ceases. Just a guess.

corus

RE: What is it?

I think it means to simply reduce the number of deviations, to a somewhat normal level of "none".

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Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943.
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RE: What is it?

In very general terms, "to normalize" something provides a means to compare apples to apples.

That is to say, arrange a bunch of data in terms of a common variable or set of variables to allow meaningful comparison.

RE: What is it?

I suspect it relates to the Normal distribution, referred to in statistics, and the standard deviation of the distribution about the mean value.

corus

RE: What is it?

khan101

I think your 2nd post hit it. That same term was used in regards to NASA and the loss of the 2nd shuttle. Foam was observed before coming off the tanks, no reason to think it damaged the shuttle...

IMO, it means people get used to deviations (they become 'normal' events) and thus potential safety issues crop up.

For instance, say your car develops a slight shudder one spring day, but it only happens at highway speeds and when you are turning left on curves. No big deal you think, car is driving fine, it becomes just an annoyance. Then the weather warms up, spring turns to the heat of summer. You're driving home, here comes that left turn and the expected 'normal' shudder, but that shudder gets suddenly worse and your tire tread totally delaminates, you lose control, go into oncoming traffic and head on into a semi, and BOOM, your DOA.

Should have looked into that shudder a while ago, eh?

Wheels within wheels / In a spiral array
A pattern so grand / And complex
Time after time / We lose sight of the way
Our causes can't see / Their effects.

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