Yesterday was our second day on exploring mythology, risk and safety. As we got to know what myth was more as a genre we were more sensitised to how myth works both in society but more importantly to be more sensitised to how myth is employed in safety. This was amplified by a semiotic … [Read more...] about The Meaning of Myth in Risk
Semiotics
Safety Cops and Safety’s Adoration of Power
I was sent a post yesterday with an apparent attempt at humour by a supposed safety professional. It was a pdf with the title of ‘Top of the Safety Cops’ and obviously trying to play some comparison to the idea of ‘top of the pops’. I won’t give this any value because any reinforcement of … [Read more...] about Safety Cops and Safety’s Adoration of Power
The Sacred and Profane, Rituals and Semiotics, A Lesson for Safety
Recently the Australian Army in Adelaide (First Armoured Regiment) conducted a ‘ceremony’ (parade) by marching from the Adelaide Barracks to St Peter’s Cathedral. The occasion? The relocation of the regiments ‘sacred’ flag from Darwin to Adelaide. You can see a news report here: … [Read more...] about The Sacred and Profane, Rituals and Semiotics, A Lesson for Safety
Day 6 SPoR in Europe
At the end of the first week we decided to take teach the participants how to undertake a semiotic walk . Without an understanding of the semiosphere one has little chance of understanding culture. The same applies for religion. So we decided on the semiotic walk we would combine both. A walk … [Read more...] about Day 6 SPoR in Europe
There is no Hierarchy of Controls
Whilst some models are helpful they are never accurate. Models are symbols/myths that convey a semiotic purpose but in themselves ought not to be considered absolute. This is why we find metaphors and symbols helpful, neither are scientific or accurate but serve as a guide that is interpreted. Such … [Read more...] about There is no Hierarchy of Controls
The Silver Bullet
The Safety Silver Bullet I found it! You can buy your official silver bullet HERE >>>> The idea of finding a silver bullet is that there is a perfect solution to a problem. It’s a simple idea that comes from binary absolute thinking. Such thinking is very common in safety and proposes … [Read more...] about The Silver Bullet
Bridging the Disciplines for Better Outcomes
One of the challenges of a closed knowledge culture is that such will not help us meet the needs of the future. Whether one understands intractable complexity as a ‘wicked problem’ or just complexity there is no doubt that the days of silos and closed disciplines are over. What we observe in the … [Read more...] about Bridging the Disciplines for Better Outcomes
The Sound of Safety
The Sound of Safety When people in safety see the word ‘sound’ they tend to think of noise hazards and hearing protection. Whilst these are important there are many other ways of thinking about ‘noise’ and ‘sound’ that are not associated with physical hazards and are much more dangerous. An … [Read more...] about The Sound of Safety