Amongst the many myths of Safety one is that ‘safety starts with me’. This is individualist language that doesn’t help people manage risk. This myth combines with other myths such as ‘safety is a choice you make’ and ‘all accidents are preventable’. None of this language helps anyone and should be … [Read more...] about Dumb Safety Slogans and Myths
Robert Long
A Tale of Two Worlds in Safety
Whenever we conduct the MiProfile survey (https://www.humandymensions.com/services-and-programs/miprofile/), one of many critical criteria in analysis is the presence of ‘double speak’. I designed the survey 20 years ago and it has a comparative database of over 40,000. The survey is designed with … [Read more...] about A Tale of Two Worlds in Safety
No End of Heaven nor Scientific Age for Safety
I read Dekker’s theology on End of Heaven some years ago with its loaded biblical references and theological exegesis and wondered what is this fixation with science in safety? What is this attraction to the discourse and myth of the scientific method? … [Read more...] about No End of Heaven nor Scientific Age for Safety
The Seduction of Measurement in Risk and Safety
The Seduction of Measurement in Risk and Safety Rather than measure what we value, we tend to value what we can measure Many safety mottos and mantras for organisations are sent to me and I recently saw one for a mantra and motto of ‘safety beyond measure’. The strange thing about the … [Read more...] about The Seduction of Measurement in Risk and Safety
What’s Faith Got To Do With Safety
What’s Faith Got To Do With Safety Guest Post by Dr Rob Long from www.humandymensions.com Risk is all about uncertainty, and uncertainty is one of the things that characterises what it is to be human. There is little in human living that is certainly predictable, there is little that is … [Read more...] about What’s Faith Got To Do With Safety
Punking Safety, When It’s Not.
In the long history of Safety desperation struggling to be relevant, we have this: ‘Punk Rock Safety’ In the long tradition of Safety with a slogan looking for a methodology and method, we observe the continued search by the S2 myth, for metaphors to attack Safety with no alternative. There is no … [Read more...] about Punking Safety, When It’s Not.
SPoR International Convention 13-17 May 2024 – Canberra
It’s still not too late to register for this engaging, educative and innovative event. If you want to learn about SPoR and what people from across the globe and Australia are doing in SPoR then, this event is for you. The event will be particularly helpful for people looking for innovative … [Read more...] about SPoR International Convention 13-17 May 2024 – Canberra
Three Cheers for the Safety Saviours
It doesn’t seem to matter, if it’s a mine collapse Safety is all of a sudden, a mining expert. If it’s a firestorm Safety is suddenly a fire expert. And, when a ship hits a bridge, Safety is a seafarer, first engineer, Captain and messiah of all. No wonder Safety believes it ‘saves lives’. I know … [Read more...] about Three Cheers for the Safety Saviours
Shame and Blame as Social Semiosis
Popular discourse on shame and blame tend to place emphasis on the individual. Shame often emerges out of blame but this most often occurs in a social context. If someone does know about an action or event anchored to you, then I guess any sense of shame is only private or historical. Blame and … [Read more...] about Shame and Blame as Social Semiosis
The Metaphysics of Safety
The language of salvation (soteriology) is metaphysical language. Any talk about ‘saving lives’ is metaphysical language. The question has to be asked: saved from what? And, saved to what? The language of salvation already deems that it knows best about your future. ‘Believe in X and thou shalt … [Read more...] about The Metaphysics of Safety