One of the assumptions of the popular TV show Mythbusters (https://iview.abc.net.au/show/mythbusters) is that myths are falsehoods, this is not so. The idea of the show is to use the so-called ‘tools of science and engineering’ to ‘bust’ false beliefs. The purpose of the TV show is entertainment so … [Read more...] about You Can’t ‘Bust’ Myths
There is No Such Thing as an HRO
The idea of a static organisation as a High Reliability Organisation (HRO) is a dream-myth that Safety wants to believe but it is NOT what LaPorte, Rochlin, and Roberts or Weick ever intended. I think LaPorte, Rochlin, and Roberts and Weick would be horrified to see what safety has done to their … [Read more...] about There is No Such Thing as an HRO
Understanding the SPoR Worldview
When the English first landed in Australia, they defined this new world as ‘terra nullius’ (without humans). They saw the dark-skinned animals as ‘animals’ because they had no written text and a verbal language that was not understood. Of course, they were wrong. First nations peoples had a complex … [Read more...] about Understanding the SPoR Worldview
How to Escape the Safety=Zero Cult
There is little doubt that Safety=Zero is a cult (https://safetyrisk.net/the-cult-ure-of-zero/). As I looked at the documentary Escaping Utopia (documenting the Gloryvale cult in NZ (https://iview.abc.net.au/show/escaping-utopia) I saw such similarities in the Indoctrination of … [Read more...] about How to Escape the Safety=Zero Cult
In 2022 The world economic forum predicted this
By Frank Garrett How has traditional safety changed the educational syllabus to address these skills? In May 2025 we will bring The Social Psychology of Risk to Houston with two sessions to introduce a vast range of topics including Psychosocial Risks; Culture; Semiotics; Diversity, Equity and … [Read more...] about In 2022 The world economic forum predicted this
Making Sure There is No ‘Cultural Shift’ in Safety
In the latest instalment of Safety stating what is by what isn’t, we have this from NZ Worksafe (https://www.worksafe.govt.nz/about-us/news-and-media/ecostore-commits-323k-to-cultural-shift-in-safety/). When you read this article it becomes obvious, that this has nothing to do with … [Read more...] about Making Sure There is No ‘Cultural Shift’ in Safety
How to Make Ensure That People Don’t Speak Up
It is probably about time that we will see another ‘speak up’ campaign from one of the safety regulators. However, no marketing campaign can tackle the problem of under reporting. And, if risk, near-miss and accidents are not reported, there is no opportunity for learning. Here are some tips to … [Read more...] about How to Make Ensure That People Don’t Speak Up
It’s Not a Secret, We Just Don’t Talk About It
Another VERY interesting article by Dr Robert Long about choosing your words, slogans and messages with great care. I was only reading last night about the “elephant in the room” idiom!. If you liked this article then you should read the whole series: CLICK HERE. I highly recommend you check out … [Read more...] about It’s Not a Secret, We Just Don’t Talk About It
Myth, Objectivity and the Subjectivity of Language in Safety
We all speak language unconsciously. This is because language is embodied from birth. We don’t need to think about what to say and process thought/language like a computer. We speak what we want to say most often without thinking. The words come out as we think and most often, we hear what we think, … [Read more...] about Myth, Objectivity and the Subjectivity of Language in Safety
There’s Nothing Better than a Blitz
There’s Nothing Better than a Blitz What a strange industry is safety, every time something goes wrong or an event occurs the assumption is that people have forgotten, are stupid or aren’t vigilant enough (or all three). Then the solution is to have a ‘blitz’. When I hear the word ‘blitz’ I think … [Read more...] about There’s Nothing Better than a Blitz