The Science & Signals That Shape Safe Decisions
Aug 14, 2026WebinarThursday, August 13th, 2026 - 2:00 PM (ET)
Every safety outcome begins with a decision. But in high-risk operations, those decisions are rarely shaped by individual choice alone. They are influenced by workplace culture and conditions, competing priorities, team dynamics, cognitive load, leadership response, and the signals people are trained—or not trained—to see.
Leaders need to understand the human, organizational, and brain-centered factors that shape decision-making in the field.
This session opens with lessons from real-life stories in which psychological safety, social influence and the willingness to speak up played a critical role. DEKRA experts will explore how Human and Organizational Performance principles and brain-centered hazards help explain why people make the decisions they do—and how leaders can design stronger conditions for safer outcomes.
Key Learnings:
Leaders need to understand the human, organizational, and brain-centered factors that shape decision-making in the field.
This session opens with lessons from real-life stories in which psychological safety, social influence and the willingness to speak up played a critical role. DEKRA experts will explore how Human and Organizational Performance principles and brain-centered hazards help explain why people make the decisions they do—and how leaders can design stronger conditions for safer outcomes.
Key Learnings:
- Understand how human performance, workplace conditions, and brain-centered hazards influence frontline decisions.
- Explore how psychological safety, social dynamics, and leadership response affect risk recognition and reporting.
- Learn how HOP principles can help organizations move beyond blame and uncover system influences.
- Identify practical actions to strengthen near-miss reporting, leader engagement, learning, and prevention.
DEKRA Presenters:
- Josh Williams, PhD, Principal Consultant
Josh Williams specializes in the application of behavioral science and organizational psychology to improve safety culture and prevent incidents. His experience includes partnering with companies in the aerospace, nuclear, construction, utilities, oil and gas, and biotech industries. - Dan McGonegle, Vice President
Dan McGonegle is a dynamic leader with a passion for helping organizations achieve “never-before-seen performance.” He has more than 20 years of executive business development experience, which enables him to work with an integrated view of organizations- a skill required for breakthrough performance. - Elizabeth Prazeres, Principal Consultant
Elizabeth Prazeres is an organizational effectiveness and change management expert. She is one of the practice leaders of the DEKRA Organizational Assessment practice and actively supports the implementation of assessment methodology across all sectors. - Tamara Jalving, Vice President
Tamara Jalving is a passionate leader, specializing in developing individuals
and teams while fostering a culture of engagement and driving organizational improvement. Her leadership experience encompasses various disciplines including safety, human resources, and manufacturing operations.