Safety-1, Safety-2, Safety-3 The idea that there are two safeties endorses a binary mindset that supposes that the second safety is radically different from the first. The general idea is that Safety-1 is a system that focuses only on what goes wrong, Safety-2 is a system that focuses on what goes … [Read more...] about Safety-1, Safety-2, Safety-3
Semiotics
An Awesome Safety Motivator or Pure Evil?
An Awesome Safety Motivator or Pure Evil? Safety Officers around the world have latched onto this piece of prose (below) for use in tool box talks and safety flyers, one describing it as “An awesome motivator to use when the crew needs a good pick me up”. The current manifestation of this, … [Read more...] about An Awesome Safety Motivator or Pure Evil?
How Semiotics Affects The Return To Work Process
How Semiotics Affects The Return To Work Process A brilliant essay submitted as part of his study for the Graduate Diploma in the Psychology of Risk – by Hayden Collins – http://riskintelligent.com.au/ The Essay Question: What is the semiotics of the return to work industry? DOWNLOAD THE ESSAY: … [Read more...] about How Semiotics Affects The Return To Work Process
Stop the Train I Want to Get Off
Stop the Train I Want to Get Off I accepted a job this week to research amongst other things; suicide, near miss and other events in rail (good luck Dumb Ways to Die). I am working with a provider who has all the National data on the subject. As with any research project one must start with … [Read more...] about Stop the Train I Want to Get Off
An Introduction to Semiotics and Risk
An Introduction to Semiotics and Risk This video gives a brief introduction to semiotics and the unconscious in communication and decision making about risk. The video gives a visual and verbal overview of signs, signifiers, signified and significance, the foundation of semiotics. Through a study … [Read more...] about An Introduction to Semiotics and Risk
Semiotics and the Unconscious Messages We Send
Semiotics and the Unconscious Messages We Send I’ve just returned from another mind blowing few days with Dr Rob Long, Craig Ashhurst and a great group of cohorts, as part of my studies for the Graduate Certificate in the Psychology of Risk. This unit was: “Communicating and Consulting About … [Read more...] about Semiotics and the Unconscious Messages We Send
Multimodality and Safety
One of the benefits of studying (and practicing) Social Semiotics is understanding the foundations of communication, learning and messaging. One would think that such knowledge and study would matter to Safety, apparently not. The language of ‘Social Semiotics’ was first introduced by Halliday … [Read more...] about Multimodality and Safety
Keep Discovering
Keep Discovering This is the motto and tag line for Borealis, a creative European company that specializes in polyolefins and base chemicals (http://www.borealisgroup.com/). One of the things I love about Borealis is their semiotics. Let’s start with their main brand ‘keep discovering’. What a … [Read more...] about Keep Discovering
Making Safety a Laughing Stock Again
Just when you thought Safety couldn’t get more delusional and more out of touch with reality, we get this: Of course, this from the safety world that has no idea of semiotics, that supposes a punching fist on a brick wall is about care or a stiletto is the symbol for women and safety. Don’t … [Read more...] about Making Safety a Laughing Stock Again
Why Do We Ignore Warning Signs-Sometimes With Tragic Results?
Why Do We Ignore Safety and Warning Signs - Sometimes With Tragic Results? We have all seen and had a chuckle at “Caution This Sign Has Sharp Edges” with the very fine print: “also, the bridge is out ahead”. We have devoted a whole page to stupid and pointless signs, the semiotics of which imply … [Read more...] about Why Do We Ignore Warning Signs-Sometimes With Tragic Results?