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Rhetoric and Reality in Safety

March 23, 2019 by Dr Rob Long 7 Comments

Rhetoric and Reality in SafetyOnce upon a time the word ‘rhetoric’ was equated with philosophy and the art of persuasion. It has now degenerated into meaning little more than eloquence with words or linguistic style. It has lost its meaning of being about genuine thinking and purpose. More so, these days rhetoric often refers to the development of ‘spin’ and ‘word smithing’ to support … [Continue reading...] about Rhetoric and Reality in Safety

Dr Long Joins Federation University

March 16, 2019 by Dave Collins 4 Comments

Dr Long Joins Federation UniversityDr Long is pleased to announce he is joining Federation University and will be working initially in the Masters in Applied Science (OHS) at VIOSH. (https://study.federation.edu.au/#/course/DEH9)Whilst Dr Long continues to run programs through the Centre for Leadership and Learning in Risk (https://cllr.com.au/), his work with the University now brings all the … [Continue reading...] about Dr Long Joins Federation University

The Mystery of the Emotions

March 14, 2019 by Dr Rob Long 5 Comments

The Mystery of the EmotionsOne of the puzzles of human ‘being’ is the uncontrollability of the emotions. The idea that the brain can just ‘will’ or ‘turn on or off’ the emotions is one of the delusions of the behaviourist/cognitivist construct. Why is it that some people have less fear than others? Why are some people less risk averse than others? Why do some people get uncontrollably angry? Why … [Continue reading...] about The Mystery of the Emotions

The Paradox of “Lifesaving Rules”

March 13, 2019 by Dave Collins 10 Comments

The Paradox of “Lifesaving Rules”Guest Post by Danny FayAs part of my assignment in Unit 5 of the Diploma in Social Psychology of Risk, I am evaluating the paradox of “Lifesaving Rules” against the five principles of collective mindfulness as developed by Professor Karl Weick.Collective mindfulness is an acceptance of equivocality; understanding that all possible outcomes cannot be known and … [Continue reading...] about The Paradox of “Lifesaving Rules”

A patronising disposition of unaccountable power

March 9, 2019 by Bernard Corden 4 Comments

A patronising disposition of unaccountable powerAn educated, healthy and confident nation is harder to governTony Benn 1In November 2017, the former executive director of SafeWork South Australia, Marie Boland was appointed by Safe Work Australia to review the model work health and safety laws. The subsequent report was released in February 2019 and concludes the model laws are operating … [Continue reading...] about A patronising disposition of unaccountable power

Behaviourist Neuroscience as Safety

March 8, 2019 by Dr Rob Long 10 Comments

Behaviourist Neuroscience as SafetyIt’s fascinating and entertaining to watch Safety manipulate the discipline of neuroscience to suit its own behaviourist worldview. Even more fascinating to watch Safety, with no expertise in neuroscience, bend this discipline to behaviourist outcomes then claim that it has moved on from behaviourism. Then further to claim that neuroscience understands the … [Continue reading...] about Behaviourist Neuroscience as Safety

The Social Construction of Mental Health

March 4, 2019 by Dr Rob Long 4 Comments

The Social Construction of Mental HealthAs Safety starts to move into an interest in mental health it brings with it its baggage of individualism, cognitvism and behaviourism. It is through this worldview that it understands such things as: illness, suffering and harm, resilience, psychological injury, suicide and mental health. As we observe how the industry constructs its view of mental health … [Continue reading...] about The Social Construction of Mental Health

Embodiment, Risk and Safety

February 25, 2019 by Dr Rob Long 5 Comments

Embodiment, Risk and SafetyOne of the greatest impediments to an envisioned understanding of risk and safety is how these industries define the human person and culture. The idea that the fallible human is divided between a body and a brain completely distorts all strategy in risk and safety.The problem of consciousness and of knowing in risk can never be properly tackled as long as the human … [Continue reading...] about Embodiment, Risk and Safety

The Mechanistic Worldview and the Dehumanisation of Risk

February 23, 2019 by Dr Rob Long 4 Comments

The Mechanistic Worldview and the Dehumanisation of RiskIt should be no great surprise to anyone that a huge number of trade-offs have been made by accepting the mechanistic worldview of risk. The narrative in risk over recent history has shifted away from humanising people to that of dehumanising them.The champions of dehumanisation have been many: the regulator, the legal profession, risk … [Continue reading...] about The Mechanistic Worldview and the Dehumanisation of Risk