Calculators, Matrices and Mumbo Jumbo Risk Assessment There is no more critical question the safety industry needs to ask than, ‘what is the trajectory?’ Or, ‘Where is this taking us?’ Unfortunately, the safety industry doesn’t ask this question, especially with regard to the social and … [Read more...] about Calculators, Matrices and Mumbo Jumbo Risk Assessment
Robert Long
What Can Safety Learn from Barbie
What Can Safety Learn from Barbie We learn today that after many years Barbie is getting a ‘make over’. The iconic doll of the ‘perfect’ female form is about to become ordinary, diverse and not perfect. This is the end of a 56 year tradition that has had more harmful by-products than any other … [Read more...] about What Can Safety Learn from Barbie
Why Would You Talk That Way?
Why Would You Talk That Way? Postman’s classic book ‘Crazy talk, Stupid Talk’ (1976) discusses the power of semantic environments. That is, the context in which we talk. For example, the words ‘sorry I have sinned’ may make sense in a confessional but don’t make much sense in a court room. … [Read more...] about Why Would You Talk That Way?
Making Sense of Semiotics and Safety
Making Sense of Semiotics and Safety Semiotics is about symbol (sign, significance, signified and signifyer) as language and text as symbol and, the discourse (power-trajectory) of both (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semiotics ). Semiotic influence is tertiary and non-conscious. Semiotics is … [Read more...] about Making Sense of Semiotics and Safety
Adversarialism and the Politicisation of Safety
Adversarialism and the Politicisation of Safety One of the by-products of binary thinking is adversarialism that is, the framing of being by oppositionalism. Adversarialism shapes its sense of being by what it is not. It doesn’t know what it believes but rather what it doesn’t believe. It defines … [Read more...] about Adversarialism and the Politicisation of Safety
Say Something that Makes Sense
This is definitely one for Safety People who like to think! Say Something that Makes Sense When Francis Fukuyama was asked what he thought was the most dangerous idea in the world he responded, ‘transhumanism’. Transhumanism is the quest to liberate humans from their biological constraints (eg. … [Read more...] about Say Something that Makes Sense
The 10 Behaviours of the Safety Sociopath
The 10 Behaviours of the Safety Sociopath A follow-on from: https://safetyrisk.net/safety-as-persona/ The following list may help identify a safety sociopath. The safety sociopath: Frames their identity against 'the other', they only identify themselves by what they don't believe … [Read more...] about The 10 Behaviours of the Safety Sociopath
It’s a Risky Christmas
It’s a Risky Christmas - A Xmas Safety Poem without the word Safety In it: “So what is the rush to complete stuff before the end of the year about... here is a little poem that puts the highlight on the dangers of rushing to complete at Christmas time; it is about safety without mentioning safety” … [Read more...] about It’s a Risky Christmas
It’s a Great Goal, it Just Doesn’t Work
It's a Great Goal, it Just Doesn't Work Everyday a man walks down the street of a small country town in South Australia and waves his arms about squawking like a parrot, he has been doing this for several years. One day a visiting policeman sees him and asks him what he is doing. 'It's easy' he … [Read more...] about It’s a Great Goal, it Just Doesn’t Work
The Risk Aversion Delusion
The Risk Aversion Delusion We learn yet again from the latest research that risk aversion is life and learning denying (see ABC NEWS). Research by Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine specialist, Professor Ibrahim demonstrates that risk aversion robs people of dignity and independence. Risk … [Read more...] about The Risk Aversion Delusion