Deciphering Safety Code
Deciphering Safety Code
Unfortunately, language in safety is rarely defined so in order to help decipher meaning, the following codes should to be applied:
- Lean means obese
- Learning means indoctrination
- Just culture means policing
- Human factors means systems
- Procedures means paperwork
- Regulation means paperwork
- Professional means amateur
- Participation means excision
- Motivation means policing
- Debate means telling
- Culture means behaviours
- Conference means marketing
- Due diligence means mechanics
- Risk means hazard
- Perception means looking
- Zero means bullying
- Choice means determinism
- Tolerance means intolerance
- Different means the same
- Safety means injury rates
- Behaviours means objects
- Communication means telling
- Observation means surveillance
- Teams means individualism
- Subjective means objective
- Ethics means morals
- Systems mean systems
Have we missed any? Please leave your suggestions in the comments below:
Prof. Robert Long
Expert in Social Psychology, Principal & Trainer at Human Dymensions
Latest posts by Prof. Robert Long (see all)
- Bearing Burdens and Socio-Psychological Safety - July 14, 2026
- We Don’t Want Workers to Think Consciously at Work - July 5, 2026
- Stop Saying ‘Complacency’, Its Meaningless - July 5, 2026
- More Safety Beliefs by Semiotics - July 5, 2026
- You Practice What You Believe and You Believe What You Practice - July 2, 2026
PhD., MEd., MOH., BEd., BTh., Dip T., Dip Min., Cert IV TAA, MRMIA
Rob is the founder of Human Dymensions and has extensive experience, qualifications and expertise across a range of sectors including government, education, corporate, industry and community sectors over 30 years. Rob has worked at all levels of the education and training sector including serving on various post graduate executive, post graduate supervision, post graduate course design and implementation programs.
Inspections means finding fault.
Safety management system means the head getting away from the tail
Consultation means patronising
Mental health means a commodity
Mental Health means organisational problem
A job for the hierarchy of hazard control
Simplify means add
Yes!
Systems review also means “add”.
Absolutely Wynand. Nearly every inquiry I have read results in more paperwork, its all they know how to do.
Investigation means blame