This one will bring the house down

Systemic failure can hit companies of any size. Resulting catastrophic losses can take many forms: safety, commercial and reputational. This paper examines the roles of leadership and supervision in creating a safe working culture and avoiding disaster. It emphasises that commercial and safety failures usually share common underlying causes. Furthermore, it contends that the management systems and culture in many – perhaps in most – firms do not adequately protect the company, its employees, its customers or the public from potential catastrophe.