HOP Incident Learning: Turning a Stair Fall into a Learning Opportunity
- Steve Smith
- 12 minutes ago
- 5 min read
Applying Principles to Learn from, and Respond to an Incident
By Steve Smith, Experiential Consulting (with gratitude to Clay Van Orden)
At IMPACT! CHOLearning 2026 in Denver, there was a potentially significant incident that occurred. This incident became an opportunity for HOP incident learning, demonstrating how Human and Organizational Performance principles can turn an unexpected event into meaningful system improvement. No, I’m not talking about the simultaneous medical incidents that occurred to audience members during Ken Latino’s general session about his own medical incident(s). The one I’m highlighting here is one that quietly occurred to me, with only one observer…
A Real Example of HOP Incident Learning
Day two started as one of those normal days, meeting with friends, new and old. I was descending from the third floor (breakout rooms) down to the second floor (main conference area), walking with a new friend, Clay Van Orden. The stairs were divided into two sections, with a short landing in the middle. We had gone down the first set of stairs, and were chatting about what we were learning from the conference as we approached the second set of stairs. Abruptly, I was airborne and tumbling head first down the second set of stairs, with my briefcase in hand. It was a long, painful fall that knocked the wind out of me leaving a deep bruise on my right shin and a twisted ankle on that same side, but otherwise unharmed.
Watch the video below to learn more about what happened, and how we processed it
Learning, not Blaming
As the video describes, my first human response to my fall was embarrassment and wondering “who saw that?” But with Clay’s kind support and a little time to process what happened, it quickly became clear to us that this was an opportunity to apply HOP principles -- to learn, instead of blame. Piling blame and shame onto my fall didn’t make it better for me, or anyone else. Rather, we asked what we could learn, and how might that possibly help the next person?
So when Clay and I encountered each other the following day, we both quickly decided to make the video above. One of the key things that Clay pointed out was the way in which the pattern of the transition from level floor to the first step down visually changed between the first set of steps and the second set. The video clearly shows this difference in pattern. The error trap, engineered right into the steps, can trick someone into thinking they’re not quite to the steps yet when in fact, they are.
The first set of steps has a pattern between the carpet and the first step that visually sends you a signal that a transition is coming before you get to the first step down. You can see this in the video. This helps you recognize the steps and respond accordingly.
At the second set of stairs - the stairs I actually fell down -- the pattern completely shifts, and there is no clear visual indicator that you are stepping down onto the first stair. The marble floor extends all the way to the edge of the first step, which may pose not only a visual error trap, but a physical one as well between the slippery marble floor and the first step.
By applying HOP Principles to the story, Clay and I realized that by taking a bad step I fell right into this error trap. The story shouldn’t end there. Blaming this fall on human error would be like blaming the fall on gravity -- of course, gravity was a part of the story, but isn’t there more we can learn?
So what happened next?
As discussed in the video, Clay had the presence of mind and the sense of proactive safety leadership to notify the hotel representative about the incident. In doing so, he came to learn that four other people had fallen down the same staircase. By meeting with the representative and explaining the error trap concepts above, he was able to help her develop a plan to try to mechanically improve that transition to make it less slippery and more visually obvious to people in the future. They discussed various solutions such as placing some non-skid traction tape along the marble flooring in order to visually signal the upcoming transition.
What HOP Principles apply here?
1 - People Make Mistakes. Obviously, I did make a mistake. But if I don’t understand that mistakes are normal, and perhaps arise from the workplace/environment itself, the story might end there. Principle #1 reminds me to look beyond the human error to explore other sources of learning.
2 - Blame Fixes Nothing. Rather than blaming myself for the incident, we took the opportunity to examine the workplace environment and to try to fix the deeper cause of the incident. Blame is different from accountability. Blame looks back and assumes a person is at fault. Accountability looks forward and asks, how can we keep this from happening to someone else?
3 - Learning and Improving is Vital. The way we approached this simple event certainly created learning not just for us, but for the hotel management and perhaps all who read this article.
4 - Context Drives Behavior. In this case, the context of the pattern change between the two staircases drove my behavior and contributed to me not recognizing the second staircase until I had fallen down it. Another way that context drove behavior was that Clay took a very kind and supportive approach with me from the moment the painful fall occurred, which allowed me to shift from hurt to curious, and on to learning and improving.
5 - How We Respond Matters. Rather than asking me why I didn’t use the handrail, or wondering why I was so careless, Clay’s approach created genuine learning and healing from the painful fall. My experience may enhance safety for others, as a result. Also, the hotel staff responded with genuine care and commitment to improving the staircase for the future, another example of how leadership responds making a difference.
Summary and Takeaways
I wish I hadn’t fallen down the stairs, obviously. It was painful, and I feel lucky that I didn’t get hurt worse than I did. But contrary to the truisms, we actually can’t prevent every incident, because fallible humans are always a part of the equation.
So by applying HOP Principles, we can convert incidents into opportunities, convert blame into learning, and use humility and curiosity to make a safer work environment for the future. While my leg was still sore a week later, it feels good to know that Clay and I together created specific learning and the potential for workplace improvement for others in the future.
This experience reinforced that HOP incident learning transforms everyday incidents into opportunities for operational learning, stronger safety leadership, and continuous improvement. My hope is that this story inspires others to apply the same mindset in their own work and daily lives.
About the author: Steve Smith is a risk management consultant who works with outdoor & experiential education programs on their safety strategies. He is the author of two books on risk management for outdoor & experiential education programs, and the host of the “Were We Lucky or Were We Good?” Podcast.
Disclosure of AI Use: This blog was developed with the assistance of artificial intelligence tools.
Tool(s) used: ChatGPT (OpenAI), Grammarly
Purpose(s): SEO/GEO & Grammar
Human review/editing: All content was reviewed and finalized by CHOLearning staff prior to publication.
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