No Place for Military Metaphors in Safety
One day Safety may discover that language, metaphor and semiotics are critical for communication and messaging.
The latest nonsense from Safety confirms that it has no idea what safety is about.
We’ve seen this before from other traditional safety sources such as so called ‘safety differently’ that ran the discourse of the ‘lean green safety machine’ (https://safetydifferently.com/lean-green-safety-machine-part-1/) in a 2 part series on traditional safety. (I’m yet to see anything that is ‘different’ from the S2, SD, RE, NV, HOP fad).
There is no connection between anything military and anything safety.
Using language like ‘elite’ and ‘force’ have no place in safety discourse.
It’s like putting a punching fist on a brick wall and trying to spin some goop that the image has nothing to do with violence.
The ignorance of Safety and its inability to learn about language and semiotics is breathtaking.
The job of Safety is to get alongside, listen and advise NOT to promote itself with guns, khaki and ‘military standards’.
The last place one should go for training in safety is, anywhere that uses military metaphors and semiotics.
The last place to seek help for mental health is anyone using the language of ‘elite force’.
People with mental health concerns need expert support, understanding, compassion, empathy and professionalism, not some marketing about ‘passion’ and military veterans.
When people are in the depths of mental health and psychosocial stress, the last thing they want to hear is goop about ‘military standards’.
- In Australia, if you want to find where mental health and suicide is the least effective or supported, it’s the miliary (https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/the-mental-health-epidemic-threatening-australias-security/).
- The royal commission shows (https://defenceveteransuicide.royalcommission.gov.au/news-and-media/media-releases/tragedy-veteran-suicide-how-australia-has-failed-its-finest-address-commissioner-nick-kaldas-apm-chair-national-press-club) that you don’t go to the military for help, care and the development of resilience.
- The first thing I think of when I hear the language of ‘military standards’ is the absolute failure of the military to care for their own people (https://www.aihw.gov.au/about-us/our-case-studies/mental-health-and-defence).
- The governor-general will soon receive the final report of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veterans Suicide. Grieving families are hoping it will lead to lasting change.Read the full story
I have written about this before (https://safetyrisk.net/safety-doesnt-need-military-language/; https://safetyrisk.net/military-metaphors-in-safety/) which clearly demonstrates the ignorance of Safety about messaging. All it shows is that Safety doesn’t know what to do. When you have no methodology or methods I guess a few slogans and military metaphors will do.
If you want to be different in safety beyond the 3 favourites of: hazards, substitution and engineering then you won’t find any ‘difference’ in military metaphors and symbols.
If you want to understand how to develop skills in helping, caring and listening then perhaps you could start with the free introductory course in SPoR (https://vimeo.com/showcase/4233556). This is a positive, practical and constructive approach to helping people tackle risk.
- In SPoR we don’t anchor to any of this silly Safety stuff that just alienates people.
- In SPoR, we help people develop messaging and methods that work (https://www.humandymensions.com/product/it-works-a-new-approach-to-risk-and-safety-book-for-free-download/).
- In SPoR, we help people understand what is required to build resilience (https://www.humandymensions.com/product/everyday-social-resilience-being-in-risk/).
And all of this help is provided free.
Prof. Robert Long
Latest posts by Prof. Robert Long (see all)
- Zero in 100 Days, I’m 1% Safer - September 13, 2026
- Affordances and Risk - September 13, 2026
- Embouchure, Affordance and Learning in Risk - September 8, 2026
- Following-Leading in Risk, Supplement. Free Download - September 7, 2026
- Safety Culture and the Culture of Safety - September 6, 2026
We used to love following orders from arrogant and incompetent officers to the letter when we knew that things were going to end badly, after all we were just dumb grunts who knew no better 🙂 Reminds me so much of safety………..
The military, like it or not, are trained to primarily do 2 things 1) break things and 2) kill people. “Safety” in the context of the military has a different meaning in context and scope than working on a construction site or working as a delivery driver.
Hi Rob, noticed this P.A.T.R.O.L yesterday as well. Not only crazy to refer to military but also struck on the hierarchy of controls. Elite and Force so similar to titles like Safety Officer, Safety Inspector and Safety Marshall, which all have such a trade-off. Some people will never learn!!!! “When we see these officers coming lets get out of her”
Having served Brian, you would know.
yes we would always hide, take a different route or pretend we never saw them just to avoid having to salute and respect someone who we didnt respect at all – so much like safety…………