• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

SafetyRisk.net

Humanising Safety and Embracing Real Risk

  • Home
    • About
      • Privacy Policy
      • Contact
  • FREE
    • Slogans
      • Researchers Reveal the Top 10 Most Effective Safety Slogans Of All Time
      • When Slogans Don’t Work
      • CLASSIC, FAMOUS and INFAMOUS SAFETY QUOTES
      • 500 OF THE BEST AND WORST WORKPLACE HEALTH and SAFETY SLOGANS 2023
      • CATCHY and FUNNY SAFETY SLOGANS FOR THE WORKPLACE
      • COVID-19 (Coronavirus, Omicron) Health and Safety Slogans and Quotes for the Workplace
      • Safety Acronyms
      • You know Where You Can Stick Your Safety Slogans
      • Sayings, Slogans, Aphorisms and the Discourse of Simple
      • Spanish Safety Slogans – Consignas de seguridad
      • Safety Slogans List
      • Road Safety Slogans 2023
      • How to write your own safety slogans
      • Why Are Safety Slogans Important
      • Safety Slogans Don’t Save Lives
      • 40 Free Safety Slogans For the Workplace
      • Safety Slogans for Work
    • FREE SAFETY eBOOKS
    • Free Hotel and Resort Risk Management Checklist
    • FREE DOWNLOADS
    • TOP 50
    • FREE RISK ASSESSMENT FORMS
    • Find a Safety Consultant
    • Free Safety Program Documents
    • Psychology Of Safety
    • Safety Ideas That Work
    • HEALTH and SAFETY MANUALS
    • FREE SAFE WORK METHOD STATEMENT RESOURCES
    • Whats New In Safety
    • FUN SAFETY STUFF
    • Health and Safety Training
    • SAFETY COURSES
    • Safety Training Needs Analysis and Matrix
    • Top 20 Safety Books
    • This Toaster Is Hot
    • Free Covid-19 Toolbox Talks
    • Download Page – Please Be Patient With Larger Files…….
    • SAFETY IMAGES, Photos, Unsafe Pictures and Funny Fails
    • How to Calculate TRIFR, LTIFR and Other Health and Safety Indicators
    • Download Safety Moments from Human Resources Secretariat
  • Social Psychology Of Risk
    • What is Psychological Health and Safety at Work?
    • Safety Psychology Terminology
    • Some Basics on Social Psychology & Risk
    • Understanding The Social Psychology of Risk – Prof Karl E. Weick
    • The Psychology of Leadership in Risk
    • Conducting a Psychology and Culture Safety Walk
    • The Psychology of Conversion – 20 Tips to get Started
    • Understanding The Social Psychology of Risk And Safety
    • Psychology and safety
    • The Psychology of Safety
    • Hot Toaster
    • TALKING RISK VIDEOS
    • WHAT IS SAFETY
    • THE HOT TOASTER
    • THE ZERO HARM DEBATE
    • SEMIOTICS
    • LEADERSHIP
  • Dr Long Posts
    • ALL POSTS
    • Learning Styles Matter
    • There is no Hierarchy of Controls
    • Scaffolding, Readiness and ZPD in Learning
    • What Can Safety Learn From Playschool?
    • Presentation Tips for Safety People
    • Dialogue Do’s and Don’ts
    • It’s Only a Symbol
    • Ten Cautions About Safety Checklists
    • Zero is Unethical
    • First Report on Zero Survey
    • There is No Objectivity, Deal With it!
  • THEMES
    • Risk Myths
    • Safety Myths
    • Safety Culture Silences
    • Safety Culture
    • Psychological Health and Safety
    • Zero Harm
    • Due Diligence
  • Free Learning
    • Introduction to SPoR – Free
    • FREE RISK and SAFETY EBOOKS
    • FREE ebook – Guidance for the beginning OHS professional
    • Free EBook – Effective Safety Management Systems
    • Free EBook – Lessons I Have Learnt
  • Psychosocial Safety
    • What is Psychosocial Safety
    • Psychological Safety
      • What is Psychological Health and Safety at Work?
      • Managing psychosocial hazards at work
      • Psychological Safety – has it become the next Maslow’s hammer?
      • What is Psychosocial Safety
      • Psychological Safety Slogans and Quotes
      • What is Psychological Safety?
      • Understanding Psychological Terminology
      • Psycho-Social and Socio-Psychological, What’s the Difference?
      • Build a Psychologically Safe Workplace by Taking Risks and Analysing Failures
      • It’s not weird – it’s a psychological safety initiative!
You are here: Home / 1% safer / Programming for Safety, the Performance Myth

Programming for Safety, the Performance Myth

April 4, 2022 by Dr Rob Long Leave a Comment

Programming for Safety, the Performance Myth

imageThe language of ‘performance’ in safety has over time, been decoupled from its real meaning. How humans ‘perform’ has been commandeered by behaviourism and scientism in safety by the meaningless pursuit of measurement. We see this typically in the nonsense of 1% safer and other sales marketing of zero ideology and from supposed ‘safety differently’. How amusing to see the language of ‘human factors’ when it is never about humans but about systems. You can bet when Safety states something it usually means the opposite.

We see the nonsense language of performance used all the time in safety when it trots out this meaningless language of complacency. Under the guise of zero ideology every injury becomes the subject of ‘poor performance’. This is how all error and so called ‘mistakes’ are demonized. And so when Safety makes complacency the enemy, it makes human fallibility the enemy.

All of this nonsense language of ‘performance’ ignores the real meaning of performance rooted in the semiotics of theatre and drama. Millennia before the performance management cult took hold in the 1970s there was an understanding that when we spoke of performance it was an artistic expression of meaning. The idea of performing goes back as far as cave drawings and the idea that we present communications to each other by performance. All of the Arts we use to communicate such as music, art, aesthetics, song, drama, theatre, poetics and literature are the media we use most to perform meaning to each other. All of these are subjective and non-measurable.

The first idea of shifting the meaning of performance from the arts to engineering happened during the 1920s with the invention of Taylorism and the quest for efficiency (Technique). The expression in meaning by this movement was simply for greater consumerism and materialism, both with no meaning. It wasn’t till the 1970s and 1980s that the mechanistic ideology of performance management really took hold (https://www.pavestep.com/post/history-of-performance-management ). This movement was ably helped by the myths of scientism and behaviourism, hence why the industry of safety is so attracted to this mythology. The result of course, has not been a better or meaningful existence for people but indeed, the creation of systems to brutalise people in the name of efficiency. The outcome of this ideology has led to more toxic workplaces, mental health issues in work and tokenistic well-being programs that achieve nothing.

Of course, it is under the grand delusions of performance that we get this crazy attribution that injury rates are a measure of safety. It is under the grand delusions of performance Safety gets this crazy idea that behaviours are a measurable indicator. It is under the naïve and ignorant ideology of zero that we get this fixation on numerics. This is all ably assisted by the nonsense of brain-centrism (https://safetyrisk.net/brain-centredness-and-occular-centredness-in-risk/; https://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/14060-research-analyzes-brain-centered-hazards; https://www.stratleader.net/neurosafety ) that asserts that the brain is a computer and that complacency is a brain problem. Astounding all this neurosafety stuff from sources with no expertise in neuroscience, neuropsychology or consciousness (https://www.safetydimensions.com.au/whats-the-neuroscience-behind-safe-behaviour/ ). The ignorance is breathtaking.

This is where Safety gets to promote utter nonsense about ‘fighting complacency’ (https://safestart.com/articles/fighting-complacency/; https://safestart.com/ ) with make-believe and meaningless slogans as if the human unconscious is addressed by more slogans and fiction. As someone once said to me: ‘Rob, this is not a safety model, it’s a business model’. And one thing is for sure, if you offer a silver bullet in this industry it will sell, sell, sell.

The language of ‘performance’ is the language of brutalism. Yet, everything that is critical for the well being of workers: trust, community, belonging, care, helping, collaboration, ethics, tolerance, understanding, acceptance, wisdom and purpose are NOT measurable. How fascinating this preoccupation with performance in safety never uses the language of care, helping, trust, faith and community. This is how organisations are set up for brutalism, by the language of ‘performance’. And this is always packaged under the rubric of what is good for the organization and system, NOT what is good for you. Even when the language of ‘learning’ is used it’s never about learning but about schooling. The marshalling of efficiency for the good of the organization, often neatly packaged as accountability, responsibility and ‘just culture’.

Just do a language audit of any of the safety groups promoting performance and look for critical language omitted regarding persons, ethics and community. It’s never there. The iconography that goes with these groups is also mechanistic of cogs in systems (https://lorhsems.com/wp-content/uploads/lor-australia-hub-sms-manual-23-5-16.pdf ), bits in brains (https://www.lancastersafety.com/behavior-based-safety-human-organizational-performance/) and parts in a whole (https://resources.vistair.com/articles/how-safety-performance-indicators-help-airlines-improve-their-safety-management-system ). You learn very quickly that in safety people serve systems and that a high performing system is good for safety, then just call it a ‘new view’ (https://www.safetyperformance.us/new-view-of-safety). Just have a look at this stuff that talks about ‘indicators of safety’ (https://arcsky.com/arc_blog/what-is-a-safety-performance-indicator-and-why-you-should-you-have-them/ ) and none of it mentions persons, ethics, community, helping or care. None of this stuff has a focus on persons (https://ehsdailyadvisor.blr.com/2015/08/tips-linking-safety-performance-business-value/ ) just more systems marketed as safety (https://peaksafetyperformance.com/ ).

None of this performance goop is ‘helpful’. None of this stuff is professional. None of it is educative. None of it makes any mention of ethics. None of it has a focus on listening. Just more traditional mechanistic safety brutalizing people in the name of performance. How professional.

  • Bio
  • Latest Posts
  • More about Rob
Dr Rob Long

Dr Rob Long

Expert in Social Psychology, Principal & Trainer at Human Dymensions
Dr Rob Long

Latest posts by Dr Rob Long (see all)

  • Not Just Another ‘Hazard’ - February 3, 2023
  • Work-Life and Risk, Feminine Perspectives - February 3, 2023
  • How to Be Oriented Towards Psychosocial and Mental Health in Safety - February 2, 2023
  • Free Download – Real Risk – New Book by Dr Robert Long - February 2, 2023
  • ISO 45003 and What it Cannot Do - February 1, 2023
Dr Rob Long
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.

Please share our posts

  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: 1% safer, Ethics, Robert Long Tagged With: 1% safer, complacency, fallibility, neuroscience, performance, safety differently, technique

Reader Interactions

Do you have any thoughts? Please share them below Cancel reply

Primary Sidebar

Search and Discover More on this Site

Never miss a post - Subscribe via Email

Enter your email address and join other discerning risk and safety people who receive notifications of new posts by email

Join 7,500 other subscribers

RECOMMENDED READING

viral post – iso 45003 and what it cannot do

Introduction to SPOR – FREE!!

Psychosocial Safety and Mental Health Series

Not Just Another ‘Hazard’

Psychosocial Safety, Is it possible to make it culturally normal?

How to Be Oriented Towards Psychosocial and Mental Health in Safety

ISO 45003 and What it Cannot Do

The KISS of Death in Safety

Behavioural Safety is NOT a Foundation for Tackling Psychosocial and Mental Health

The Worst Approach to Psychosocial Problems is an Attitude of ‘Fixing’

The Language of ‘Hazards’ and Psychosocial, Mental Health

Welcome to the Nightmare, Safety Creates its Own Minefield (as usual)

No Good Reason to Follow Reason

More Posts from this Category

NEW! Free Download

Please take our 2 minute zero survey

Recent Comments

  • Not Simply One other ‘Hazard’ - Personal Safety News on Not Just Another ‘Hazard’
  • Rob Long on Psychosocial Safety, Is it possible to make it culturally normal?
  • simon p cassin on Psychosocial Safety, Is it possible to make it culturally normal?
  • simon p cassin on Psychosocial Safety, Is it possible to make it culturally normal?
  • Rob long on How to Be Oriented Towards Psychosocial and Mental Health in Safety
  • Rob Long on Psychosocial Safety, Is it possible to make it culturally normal?
  • Rob Long on Psychosocial Safety, Is it possible to make it culturally normal?
  • Matt Thorne on Psychosocial Safety, Is it possible to make it culturally normal?
  • simon p cassin on Psychosocial Safety, Is it possible to make it culturally normal?
  • Hurak Learning on How to Be Oriented Towards Psychosocial and Mental Health in Safety
  • Rob Long on An Advanced Understanding of Culture – A Video
  • Paul Gentles on An Advanced Understanding of Culture – A Video
  • Brent Charlton on The KISS of Death in Safety
  • Rob Long on The KISS of Death in Safety
  • Brian Edwin Darlington on The KISS of Death in Safety
  • Brian on The Language of ‘Hazards’ and Psychosocial, Mental Health
  • Jaise on The Language of ‘Hazards’ and Psychosocial, Mental Health
  • Rob Long on Posture Myths and Holistic Ergonomics
  • Linda McKendry on Posture Myths and Holistic Ergonomics
  • Rob long on Welcome to the Nightmare, Safety Creates its Own Minefield (as usual)

FREE eBOOK DOWNLOADS

Footer

VIRAL POST – The Risk Matrix Myth

Top Posts & Pages. Sad that most are so dumb but this is what safety luves

  • 500 OF THE BEST AND WORST WORKPLACE HEALTH and SAFETY SLOGANS 2023
  • Free Safety Moments and Toolbox Talk Examples, Tips and Resources
  • Road Safety Slogans 2023
  • Proving Safety
  • CATCHY and FUNNY SAFETY SLOGANS FOR THE WORKPLACE
  • NATIONAL SAFETY DAY/WEEK IN INDIA 2023
  • Psychosocial Safety, Is it possible to make it culturally normal?
  • 15 Safety Precautions When Working With Electricity
  • Download Safety Moments from Human Resources Secretariat
  • Safety Acronyms

Recent Posts

  • Not Just Another ‘Hazard’
  • Work-Life and Risk, Feminine Perspectives
  • Psychosocial Safety, Is it possible to make it culturally normal?
  • How to Be Oriented Towards Psychosocial and Mental Health in Safety
  • Free Download – Real Risk – New Book by Dr Robert Long
  • Proving Safety
  • ISO 45003 and What it Cannot Do
  • Harming People in the Name of Good
  • An Advanced Understanding of Culture – A Video
  • Risk and Safety Maturity
  • The KISS of Death in Safety
  • SPoR, Metanoia and a Podcast on Change with Nippin Anand
  • Behavioural Safety is NOT a Foundation for Tackling Psychosocial and Mental Health
  • The Worst Approach to Psychosocial Problems is an Attitude of ‘Fixing’
  • SPoR Comes to Vienna June 2023
  • The Language of ‘Hazards’ and Psychosocial, Mental Health
  • Welcome to the Nightmare, Safety Creates its Own Minefield (as usual)
  • The Visionary Imagination – Louisa Lawson
  • Heaven ‘n Hell and the Safety Religion
  • Confirmity in Conformity
  • Numerology and Psychic Numbing
  • Thinking of Mortality
  • Safety is the Wrong Anchor
  • Foresight Blindness, Hindsight Bias and Risk
  • Getting the Balance Right in Tackling Risk
  • What is SPoR?
  • How Bias Inhibits Learning in Safety
  • Afraid to Let Go of What Doesn’t Work in Safety
  • When You Don’t Know What to do in Safety, Have Another Blitz!!!
  • Gloves and Glasses Compliance
  • A Case of Desensitisation – What Would You Do?
  • How to Leave the Safety Industry
  • The Mythic Symbology of Safety
  • Dark Waters, The True Story of DuPont and Zero
  • 400,000 Free Downloads
  • Am I stupid? I didn’t think of that…
  • Don’t Look Now Safety, Your Metaphor is Showing
  • Ratio Delusions and Heinrich’s Hoax
  • To Err is Human, You Better Believe It
  • Culture as a Wicked Problem, for Safety
  • Safety Leadership Training
  • Cultural Orientation in Risk
  • The Stanford Experiment and The Social Psychology of Risk
  • Objectivity, Audits and Attribution When Calculating Risk
  • Records of safety activities: evidence of safety or non-compliance?
  • Zero, The Seeking of Infinity
  • Safety Leadership Essentials
  • What Can Indiana Jones Tell Us About Culture
  • Safety as a Worldview
  • The Loathing of Limits

VIRAL POST!!! HOW TO QUIT THE SAFETY INDUSTRY

FEATURED POSTS

How to use signs, symbols and text effectively in communicating about risk

Learning Wisdom from the Collective Unconscious

Safety is NOT a Choice

Perth and London SPoR Workshops

The ‘Noise’ of Safety, Silence and Practicing of Mindfulness

Bridging the Disciplines for Better Outcomes

The Deficit Focus and Safety Balance

What Can ‘Safety’ Learn From a Rock?

Humanising Workplace Health and Safety Management

It’s Always About Paperwork

Behaviourist Neuroscience as Safety

In Praise of Balance in Risk and the Threat of Extremism

Adverse Events: Eliminate or Anticipate?

Can There Be Other Valid Worldviews Than Safety?

Organising to Manage Uncertainty in an Unpredictable World

I Just Don’t Know

Safety is an Art

It Takes Two to Tango–Reflections on Safe Behaviour

Tentative at Tooleybuc

Study Social Psychology of Risk Online in 2018

It’s not in the KPI or LTI but the MRI

The Great Safety is a Choice Delusion

Just Hangin’ Out…

Framing Risk Through Regulation

The Lexicon of Safety Gibberish

Anchoring, Framing and Priming Risk

The New Safety Saviour – Algorithms

How Effective Are Your Conversations About Risk?

A Great Comparison of Risk and Safety Schools of Thought

Why we make mistakes

Is Safety a Choice You Make?

Safety as a Patriarchal Activity

Social Psychology of Risk Workshop-Sydney

Don’t Make Safety a Habit

Foresight Blindness, Hindsight Bias and Risk

New Video Explains Cognitive Dissonance and Safety

Study The Psychology of Risk

Humanising Safety Free Virtual Conference

CLLR April 2017 Newsletter–Not Your Usual Safety Newsletter!!

Risk as a ‘Leap of Faith’

More Posts from this Category

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address and join other discerning risk and safety people who receive notifications of new posts by email

Join 7,500 other subscribers

How we pay for the high cost of running of this site – try it for free on your site

WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY?

What is Psychological Safety at Work?


WHAT IS PSYCHOSOCIAL SAFETY