By Simon Renatus The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy. (Camus, 1955, p. 78) Contemporary Safety presents an unresolvable paradox: it promises predictability, control, and coherence, yet operates within environments defined by … [Read more...] about The Absurdity of Safety. Camus and the Search for Meaning in a Reductionist System
Search Results for: STEM
Who Said We Don’t Need Systems?
What a strange sense of logic to fixate on the absence of something (injury) as a demonstration of the presence of something else (safety). Such a proposition misunderstands the dynamic of risk and being human. Who Said We Don’t Need Systems? I find it interesting that when some people read what … [Read more...] about Who Said We Don’t Need Systems?
Quantum Systems and Operationalising SPoR
I was asked as a result of the last blog and Newsletter how Quantum Mechanics (https://safetyrisk.net/what-does-quantum-tell-safety/) affects risk and safety and, how to ‘operationalise’ a method accordingly. At the heart of Quantum is uncertainty, paradox and ambiguity … [Read more...] about Quantum Systems and Operationalising SPoR
Zero and Systemic Shame
One of the profound by-products of zero ideology. ( https://www.humandymensions.com/product/zero-the-great-safety-delusion/) in safety is ‘systemic shame’. Price (2024) explains systemic shame as: ‘Like so many other people, I suffer from Systemic Shame, the powerful self-loathing belief that says … [Read more...] about Zero and Systemic Shame
The Safety Belief System
Beliefs in Safety are assumed not discussed. Beliefs like zero are projected but not up for question under the assumption that zero is the only acceptable target (https://www.icmm.com/en-gb/stories/2022/zero-harm-only-acceptable-target). No-one questions the assumptions behind such statements or … [Read more...] about The Safety Belief System
Understanding Systems and Ecologies in Risk
Understanding Systems and Ecologies in Risk It was Karl Weick (1979) who defined organizing as: ‘consensually validated grammar for reducing equivocality by means of sensible interlocking behaviours’. This is such a comprehensive definition of how humans organize. If we think of organizing as … [Read more...] about Understanding Systems and Ecologies in Risk
Making Sense of Safety Management Systems
Making Sense of Safety Management Systems Guest Post by George Stavrou - SH&E Manager. This was an assignment submitted as part of his studies at The Centre For Leadership, Learning and Risk My car has started showing signs of ageing, signalling upcoming costly repairs. In other words, it’s … [Read more...] about Making Sense of Safety Management Systems
The Futility of the Centralised Safety Management System?
Whenever I run the MiProfile diagnostic (https://www.humandymensions.com/services-and-programs/miprofile/) in organizations it always turns out that over 60% of people state that they do not understand the Safety Management System (SMS). With data from over 300 organizations and 60,000 participants … [Read more...] about The Futility of the Centralised Safety Management System?
Helping Organisations in Maturing their Safety Systems
Advancing New Frontiers in OHS Maturing Safety Systems This document provides an overview of a safety systems maturity approach to developing the safety journey in organisations. All organisations develop in life cycles and progressions. The developmental life of an organisation can be compared to … [Read more...] about Helping Organisations in Maturing their Safety Systems
Balancing Tight and Loose Coupled Systems
Balancing Tight and Loose Coupled Systems My last two articles on art and helping, generated feedback and questions that are worthy of further explanation. Amongst the feedback was that I ‘systems bash’ when I write about risk and safety. Firstly, while I can understand how people may feel that I … [Read more...] about Balancing Tight and Loose Coupled Systems