2026 Community of Human and Organizational Learning 32nd Annual Conference

If you only learn from accidents, you’re already too late.
 
Every day, people prevent harm by noticing something feels off, speaking up, or changing the plan at the last second. These moments—close calls—are rich with insight, yet they often vanish without a trace. Close Call Mining is the deliberate practice of finding and learning from those moments before luck runs out.
 
This talk challenges the belief that “nothing happened” means “nothing to learn.” You’ll learn how to surface close call stories that matter, support workers in recognizing early warning signs, and ask better questions that reveal risk while there’s still time to act.
 
Because the most powerful learning happens before someone gets hurt.

Introduction to Recurrence Scoring


Objective: To introduce a standardized, dynamic recurrence scoring system for action plans, designed to improve risk assessment and management. This system aims to provide a clear, quantifiable measure of residual risk based on the effectiveness of implemented corrective and preventative actions.


Key Concepts:
I.    Initial Recurrence Score: A baseline risk value tied to the significance of an issue.
a.    Definition: The initial recurrence score reflects the inherent risk level of an issue before any mitigating actions are taken. It is directly linked to the Significance Level (SL) assigned to an issue.
II.    Residual Recurrence Score: A quantifiable measure of remaining risk after the implementation of preventative actions. This score is dynamic and reflects the impact of actions over time.
a.    Applicability: The residual score applies only to issues where a cause analysis has been conducted and preventative actions are subsequently identified. Issues with only trend codes will not have a residual recurrence score.
III.    Preventative Actions: The focus of this scoring mechanism, aiming to prevent reoccurrence.
a.    Action Score Definition: The score assigned to an action should be a percentage of the initial recurrence score. For each action, the default score will be the lower end of its category's range. The Issue Owner will have a slider to adjust this action-specific score within the defined range for its category.


Conclusion
This recurrence scoring framework provides a robust and transparent method for assessing and managing recurring risks. By quantifying risk, allowing for expert modification, and visually representing progress, it will significantly enhance decision-making and accountability within action plan management.