The Safety and ‘New View’ Debate How Many Angels Can Dance on a Pinhead? Introduction Let me first acknowledge that I do not find any ranking of safety such as S1 or S2 helpful, so I try to avoid such language and will do my best to avoid it in this paper. Indeed, ranking language in safety is … [Read more...] about The Safety and ‘New View’ Debate
safety models
Essential Preparation for a Safety Job
Essential Preparation for a Safety Job Most of what makes up the WHS curriculum doesn’t prepare someone for undertaking the job of safety advisor. Training a parrot to recall legislation and regulation is pretty meaningless, when a lawyer will be called in when something goes wrong. When it comes … [Read more...] about Essential Preparation for a Safety Job
The Search for Meaning in Safety Models
There is a huge chasm between three things: the intent and design (assumed philosophy) of a model, the semiotic diffusion of the model and what humans make of the model. Models and symbols are not neutral nor objective. All models are semiotics and as such seek to explain the inexplicable. This is … [Read more...] about The Search for Meaning in Safety Models
Myth and Symbols in Safety
A myth is not a fairy tale or fiction but a false belief made true by ‘anchoring' to a symbol. Myths/symbols are not historically or scientifically true but are made true by the mythical proposition of the symbol. We saw this in the last blog about posture. Despite dozens of safety text books that … [Read more...] about Myth and Symbols in Safety
Learning, Leaning and Learning in Safety
Learning, Leaning and Learning in Safety Methodology (worldview/philosophy) drives method. Method reveals methodology. Methodology and method are NOT the same thing. It matters what methodology one assumes about learning because this determines the expected outcomes of a method. Yet, in risk and … [Read more...] about Learning, Leaning and Learning in Safety
What is Critical Thinking in Safety?
What is Critical Thinking in Safety? Everyone thinks but not all think critically…. There are countless books out there on supposed ‘critical thinking skills’ but many are not about critical thinking. Many of these books don’t even define critical thinking well. Let’s take for example Cottrell, … [Read more...] about What is Critical Thinking in Safety?
Culture Silences in Safety – Metaphor
Culture Silences in Safety - Metaphor Continuing the theme of Culture Silences in Safety (https://safetyrisk.net/category/safety-culture-silences/ ) our next cab off the rank is metaphor. Although a sub-set of linguistics and Poetics, metaphor deserves special mention when it comes to tackling the … [Read more...] about Culture Silences in Safety – Metaphor
What in the (Risk & Safety) World is Imagination?
"On a day like today, when there are very little clouds in the sky, and the grass is long, don't you think it would be a great day for some handstands in that long, long grass? Well, Jimmy did." (Toby CVB, 9 years old) Children don't lose sight of the ability to imagine possibilities. This … [Read more...] about What in the (Risk & Safety) World is Imagination?
No Safety in Numbers
No Safety in Numbers I was asked to present recently to a group in the USA on the fixation/psychosis of Safety with numbers. I started with the title of this blog making two points: that you are no safer in a crowd/group, dispelling the myth ‘there is always safety in numbers’ and then spoke on the … [Read more...] about No Safety in Numbers
Advancing Backwards in Safety
I had a call from a mate this week, the board of his company have been mesmerised by a presentation of the latest advances in safety. So I asked to see a copy of this presentation expecting some astounding research and scintillating stuff taking safety into the future. So what did I see? Bradley … [Read more...] about Advancing Backwards in Safety
