It was recently reported that Tik Tok is a new sources of death.
Misinformation and disinformation survive and thrive in the absence of critical thinking, skills in deconstruction, fear of negativity and a culture of compliance. The same culture that dominates safety culture.
In this age of The Cult of the Amateur it seems hits on podcasts and social media define credibility for many. We saw this with claims that the dumb ways to die jingle was ‘successful’ (https://safetyrisk.net/dumb-ways-to-discourse-a-failed-approach-in-safety/ ).
When a comedian with no qualifications or expertise can get millions of followers and spread mindless conspiracy, you know somehow our education system has failed.
There are a host of publications that demonstrate the dangers of misinformation. Such is the gullibility of belief by many. When a country elects a compulsive liar and convicted felon as president, there is little wonder that ignorance has now been made a virtue.
In the risk and safety world the same danger of misinformation, mythology and disinformation thrives. There is nothing more dangerous for safety that Safety telling Safety how to do safety. Particularly, when expertise is needed in moral philosophy, ethics and cultural anthropology.
A good place to start in understanding the power of all of this phenomenon is: Forgas and Baumeister (2019) The Social Psychology of Gullibility, Fake News, Conspiracy Theories and Irrational Beliefs.
This helps explain why people are conned by slogans and propaganda being peddled by sources with no expertise in what they are marketing. We see this in safety neuroscience, HOP slogans and brain-safety marketing. Moreso, just look at all the mythology of swiss-cheese, curves, dominoes, pyramids and matrices and the safety sector is full of beliefs with no connection to anything that resembles science, even when the word science is used. When you can be in a so-called ‘Safety Science Innovation Lab’ and claim that zero is a moral goal (with no expertise in moral philosophy), you know it has nothing to do with Science.
After all, have a look at Heinrich who called his book on accident prevention ‘A Scientific Approach’ that has nothing in it that is scientific. Heinrich was an insurance salesman making a buck out of dreamed up ratios and domino models. Yet, you will find plenty of Heinrich misinformation in many safety texts. Heinrich’s work published in 1931 is nothing more than a great con. But, it’s a con that Safety wants to believe. You can only believe in Heinrich as an act of faith.
The same goes for the attraction of safety to propagandic slogans that are neither true nor ‘principles’. When the source in safety has no expertise in what they are talking about, safety buys up concocted goop, not because it is true or supported by evidence, but because it affirms long held bias. This bias comes from years of indoctrination by an industry that is yet to discover the meaning of ethics, develop a meaningful curriculum but that loves to use the word ‘professional’.
When an industry anchors compliance to rules and makes criticism anti-safety, a hotbed has been made for misinformation and for disinformation to thrive. Negative criticism is not ‘bad’ and has nothing to do with being anti-safety. Indeed, critical thinking is essential for learning and education.
If you are interested in a critical approach to tackling risk then why not sign up for the first free course offered in SPoR for 2025? You can find out more here: https://safetyrisk.net/free-first-module-for-2025-embodiment-and-risk/
Current registrations are at 36 with a cut off at 50. Email here: admin@cllr.com.au to register
Dr Rob Long
Latest posts by Dr Rob Long (see all)
- Critical Thinking Needed More Than Ever in Safety - January 21, 2025
- Selling Safety and the Safety of Selling Safety Culture - January 19, 2025
- Hearing Voices - January 18, 2025
- You Can’t ‘Bust’ Myths - January 18, 2025
- There is No Such Thing as an HRO - January 18, 2025
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