October is apparently ‘safety month’, a great idea to generate tokenism compared to other months. This year I see the ‘SafeTea chat’ initiative. Sounds like a great idea for open conversations and trusting-listening, hmmm, not likely. Even the expression ‘WHS discussions’ is use but? None of this … [Read more...] about Have You Had a Drink of SafeTea?
Psychosocial Safety
If You Can’t Manage Fallibility, You’ll Never Tackle Psychosocial Health
As long as Safety is founded in the nonsense of injury rate counting and zero, it will never ever be able to tackle the challenges of psychosocial health. The fundamental problem for Safety is, it doesn’t know what to do with fallibility, mortality, vulnerability, corporeal being and … [Read more...] about If You Can’t Manage Fallibility, You’ll Never Tackle Psychosocial Health
Embodiment, Myth and Psychosocial Risk
Well, what an amazing lot of fun and learning in SPoR over the past 4 days. We finished our fourth day yesterday bringing myth and embodiment together in tackling the realities of psychosocial risk.We started surveying the current approaches to psychosocial risk that are dis-embodied, looking at the … [Read more...] about Embodiment, Myth and Psychosocial Risk
7 Golden Rules that are NOT Golden
The more you look into the so called ‘7 golden rules of zero’, the more you realise just how much zero toxifies the process of tackling risk. Have a look at the checklist with so called ‘golden rule’ two and have a look at the language. What is noticed first is that all of this is just … [Read more...] about 7 Golden Rules that are NOT Golden
Why Zero Vision Can Never Tackle Mental Health
The foundation of zero is intolerance. Zero is absolute and dominates the safety industry. It is the most mentioned language in the upcoming Zero Congress to be held in November in Sydney. Indeed, it is described by the Congress as the ‘common denominator’ of safety … [Read more...] about Why Zero Vision Can Never Tackle Mental Health
If Psychosocial Health Matters, Stop Hot Desking
An Aspiration for Nothing or If Psychosocial Health Matters, Stop Hot Desking There’s no point in having an aspiration or wish for a safe workplace if it’s just ‘pie in the sky’. There is no point in wishing for nothing, that’s what Zero does … [Read more...] about If Psychosocial Health Matters, Stop Hot Desking
Effective Strategies in Mental Health at Work
The strategy of triumphalism or learning from the suffering of others doesn’t work in helping people with mental health issues. Yet, this populist strategy is what Safety does most often (https://safetyrisk.net/playing-with-mental-health-in-safety-is-dangerous/). Yes, let’s parade out someone who … [Read more...] about Effective Strategies in Mental Health at Work
CLLR Newsletter July 2023
Theme - Psychosocial Well-Being and Safety Despite any interest shown by the safety industry for psychosocial care and mental health, there is simply nothing in the safety curriculum, accreditations or associations that helps prepare people in the safety industry for anything associated with … [Read more...] about CLLR Newsletter July 2023
Playing With Mental Health in Safety is Dangerous
In the long tradition of valuing incompetence in Safety, we have this kind of stuff (Macmahon names "The Hulk" as mental health ambassador) () parading about as if it is of some value. I know let’s study culture and ask a chemical engineer!!! Of course, incompetence on culture (what we do … [Read more...] about Playing With Mental Health in Safety is Dangerous
STOP ‘BREAKING’ PEOPLE! The notion of Psychological Safety
Last year I was supporting David at work. He came to me and asked to have a confidential conversation. It was any ordinary day but for David it was a day that his world imploded. He sat with me sobbing in despair and feeling hopeless and ‘broken’. David was not new to the realm of mental health. … [Read more...] about STOP ‘BREAKING’ PEOPLE! The notion of Psychological Safety