The Weekly Reflektion 32/2026
We don’t have enough money to do what we want to do, and we don’t have enough time to work on the things we should. We need to prioritize. Sometimes however, the very restrictions that require us to make choices guides us to convenience and not effectiveness. We fall into the trap of doing something instead of doing the right thing.
Do you prioritise convenience over effectiveness?
One of the greatest challenges in the petroleum industry is recognising when convenience starts to replace effectiveness. Decisions are rarely made with the intention of reducing safety. Unfortunately, there is often a gradual drift towards solutions that are easier, faster, cheaper or more practical, even when they are not the most effective means of controlling risk. Over time, this drift can become normalised until the convenient option is accepted as the standard.
During the Victorian era, watercress was widely recognised as a highly nutritious food. It grew naturally in clean, flowing water and was inexpensive, earning it the nickname “the poor man’s bread.” However, as agriculture and food distribution evolved, lettuce became the dominant leafy vegetable. Lettuce was easier to cultivate on a large scale, survived transport better, had a longer shelf life and presented a more uniform appearance in shops. Convenience, rather than nutritional value, drove the change.
Modern nutritional research has largely vindicated Victorians’ appreciation of watercress. Watercress is exceptionally rich in vitamins A, C and K, provides folate, calcium and iron, and contains high levels of antioxidants such as beta-carotene and lutein. It also contains glucosinolates, compounds that have been associated with anti-inflammatory effects and a reduced risk of certain cancers. Gram for gram, watercress is consistently ranked among the most nutrient-dense vegetables available. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s ranks watercress as number one in their powerhouse vegetable list.
The petroleum industry faces similar dilemmas. Safety processes, inspections, audits and risk assessments are sometimes shaped more by what is easy to perform than by what most effectively identifies hazards. It is tempting to measure what is readily available rather than what truly matters. Organisations may collect extensive data because it is convenient to obtain, while neglecting indicators that provide a deeper understanding of deteriorating barriers or emerging risks.
This tendency can also influence maintenance strategies, training programs and operational assurance. Standardised checklists, electronic dashboards and performance metrics are valuable tools, but only if they reflect the realities of operational risk. If these tools become ends in themselves, they may create a reassuring appearance of control while overlooking the conditions that determine safety performance.
The distinction between convenience and effectiveness becomes especially important in major accident prevention. For example, catastrophic events are rarely caused by the absence of procedures; they are more often linked to a gradual erosion of the effectiveness of those procedures. Organisations become efficient at completing tasks rather than ensuring that the tasks achieve their intended purpose.
The story of watercress reminds us that the easiest solution is not always the best one. Society largely abandoned a highly nutritious food because another option was simpler to produce, distribute and sell. Decades later, scientific evidence confirmed that much had been lost in that transition.
Safety leaders should therefore consider if they are choosing anapproach because it is the most effective way to reduce risk, or because it is the most convenient. On reflection this may reveal opportunities to strengthen safety before convenience quietly becomes accepted as good practice. Safety depends not on doing what is easiest, but on consistently doing what works.