Perfectionism in Safety and the Denial of Humanity Article by Dr Rob Long in response to Safety Under Construction What a bizarre claim that someone can guarantee no accidents, no mistakes, no harm and that ‘100% zero harm is the irrefutable future coming towards the construction industry like a … [Read more...] about Perfectionism in Safety and the Denial of Humanity
fear
FEAR AND CONTROL – Dialogue in a technological society
I have a teenage son who is showing signs of a typical teenage boy of grunts and ‘dunno’ replies to everything. It’s challenging as a parent and even more so for someone who tackles the art of listening and conversation in training almost everyday! I sit down and despair just as other parents do … [Read more...] about FEAR AND CONTROL – Dialogue in a technological society
The Psychic Effect of Safety
The Psychic Effect of Safety and What to Do About It One of the flow on effects of the politics of Safety is unconscious fear. I met a host of officials in safety associations recently and was overcome with the anxiety of some as we shook hands and exchanged pleasantries. I was due to stand up and give … [Read more...] about The Psychic Effect of Safety
The Fear of Power and the Power of Fear
The Fear of Power and the Power of Fear One of the clear messages in the Netflix series House of Cards is the Fear of Power and the Power of Fear. The House of Cards series exemplifies what happens when one makes power the frame for exchange. The idea that coercion, compliance, power and fear are a … [Read more...] about The Fear of Power and the Power of Fear
Fear of Being-in-the-World
Fear of Being-in-the-World One of the valuable contributions of the philosophy of phenomenology is the concept of Dasein. Dasein is German for ‘being-in-the-world’ articulated by Martin Heidegger . Heidegger is a controversial philosopher because of his complicity with the Nazi party during WW2. … [Read more...] about Fear of Being-in-the-World
Shock and Fear in Safety
Shock and Fear in Safety There is a naïve belief in the safety industry that shocking people and the dynamics of fear are effective. We see this in the many ‘horror’ photos and clips in the sector as well as the countless injured people who are trotted out with the message ‘don’t be like me’. Even … [Read more...] about Shock and Fear in Safety
The Fear of Learning in Risk
The Fear of Learning in Risk There is no learning without risk and no risk without learning. I find it interesting when Safety gets on the learning bandwagon that confuses learning with cognitive knowing and training with education. There is no component of the WHS curriculum that deals with the … [Read more...] about The Fear of Learning in Risk
Coronavirus and the Dunny Paper Effect
The recent run on toilet paper by Australians in fear and panic of the coronavirus serves as a wonderful semiotic for understanding human decision making. We could call this the ‘Dunny paper Effect’. You can see here shoppers rushing for toilet paper stocks in Woolworths: … [Read more...] about Coronavirus and the Dunny Paper Effect
Short-sighted Safety
Short-sighted Safety There is nothing more debilitating to human ‘being’ than hyper-fear, hyper-risk aversion and hyper-safety. Hyper-fear and hyper-risk aversion is the outcome of blind safety and ignorance. I was contacted by a person who is a parent at a school that had just banned children in … [Read more...] about Short-sighted Safety
Promoting Dumb, Anxiety and Harm in the Name of Good
Promoting Dumb, Anxiety and Harm in the Name of Good The by-products of not being educated in the challenges of ethics and ideology in safety training are many (https://safetyrisk.net/isnt-it-time-we-reformed-the-whs-curriculum/). The first by-product is the development of policy by naivety and … [Read more...] about Promoting Dumb, Anxiety and Harm in the Name of Good