The purpose of human performance improvement (HPI) tools is to guide and control human behaviour in operational settings in order to reduce the risk of errors inherent to operational activities and the conditions under which they are carried out. These tools are increasingly common in high-risk industries, but their systematisation raises several questions. This paper addresses the policies driving the implementation of these practices, their theoretical foundations, and the assumptions upon which these are based. It also reviews strategies used in the rollout and implementation of these practices. Our analysis reveals several potential weaknesses as well as a shift in the way HPI tools are promoted and deployed.