Eduardo Blanco
Eduardo Blanco
Group HSSE Director
Spie batignolles
How to sell “complexity” theories to managers who crave “control”
Sciences (whether physics or chemistry, biology or geology, economics or psychology) made us progress from superstition to enlightenment by finding the basic inner “laws” that govern our world. Method and measurement allowed us to figure recurrent patterns and control our physical, natural and social environments. To some extent at least.
Classical linear models served us well but found their limits. Further advancement calls for new paradigms. Complexity theory has brought new understanding to the behaviour of sophisticated systems that defy yesteryear’s logic. Scientific literature is now full of references to emergent phenomena that can’t be predicted, let alone controlled, using our previous thinking and tools.
Safety science has also embraced this “new vision”. But the business world hasn’t. How can such theories be transposed to occupational health and safety management, how can we embed these concepts into OHS management, if the organizations (including many safety professionals) and their leadership do not understand them?
Risk identification and assessment, rules and supervision, awareness and training, communication and participation, monitoring and continuous improvement… let’s review some of the many areas that need us to translate new ideas into management jargon.
Eduardo Blanco-Muñoz is an active HSE practitioner, professor and author. He’s been working in the environmental and occupational health & safety function since the early 2000s, starting on the field, in the chemical industry as QHSE manager of an “upper tier” Seveso site (AkzoNobel Chemicals). After that he’s held management then executive positions in several major multinational corporations in a variety of industries including medical devices (Essilor International), energy (Alstom Power), aerospace (LISI Aerospace) and logistics & transportation (GEODIS). Today Eduardo is the Group HSSE Director at Spie batignolles (construction & civil engineering).
In parallel with his professional activities, Eduardo has taught Behavioural Safety & Safety culture at University Sorbonne Paris Nord, and is Affiliated Professor in the French National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts, where he teaches OHS Management. He has contributed with a series of reference articles to the collection Techniques de l’Ingénieur and has recently published his first book “Human Factors and Safety Culture” (published in 2024 in French, English edition in press by Taylor & Francis). Eduardo holds a master’s degree in environmental sciences, a second one in environmental engineering and a third one in risks management engineering. He’s a Certified Machinery Safety Expert® and has obtained executive education certificates from EDHEC and Harvard Business School.