Safe Work Australia Continues to Perpetuate Safety Mythology In December 2014 Safe Work Australia published Work Health and Safety Perceptions: Construction Industry. Despite the intentions of the report yet again Safe Work Australia continues to perpetuate safety mythology just as it does by … [Read more...] about Safe Work Australia Continues to Perpetuate Safety Mythology
Safety Culture
Safety Under Stress
Stress is a part of living, the pressure of being a fallible being in a complex world is stressful, but is stress bad? In what ways are humans stressed and how does this affect the discerning of risk and safety? There are four kinds of stress and each affects humans socially, psychologically, … [Read more...] about Safety Under Stress
Safety=Zero Culture
Zero has been the open religious mantra for safety for 7 years. The evidence for this cult is beyond debate (https://safetyrisk.net/if-you-want-to-know-about-culture-dont-start-with-safety/). The evidence for its support is overwhelming (https://safetyrisk.net/the-sponsors-of-zero-are/) especially … [Read more...] about Safety=Zero Culture
The 5 B’s of Safety Conversion
When one looks at the safety industry and safety orthodoxy in general it seems to conform to five basic approaches to the psychology of conversion. Psychology of conversion? Yes, most people in safety are as much in the evangelical conversion business as Hillsong. Mostly, the conversion desired is … [Read more...] about The 5 B’s of Safety Conversion
The Rage for Safety Utopia
This is the title of the stirring book by Ronal Conway published in 1992 but I have added the word safety to the title. Conway argues that obsession and compulsion for Utopia is a problem. The idea of Utopia was proposed by the Plato and the word means “no place”. The idea of utopia was later … [Read more...] about The Rage for Safety Utopia
Error Trajectories and Risk
In 1650 heathen cultures were regarded at best as examples of human error, whilst at worst they were devices of Satan, devised to keep damned souls securely in his net. In either case it was thought that the duty of Christians was to either save them or destroy them. (Thomas Brooks Precious Remedies … [Read more...] about Error Trajectories and Risk
Prepositions for Risk and Safety Leadership
Why not do some observing this week and see what are the most popular words spoken and written in your organisation. The way we prime and frame organizational discourse shapes the culture and focus on safety. When I am first introduced to an organisation I like to explore their cultural artifacts … [Read more...] about Prepositions for Risk and Safety Leadership
Safety Culture Sinks Ships
These amazing photos of the Costa Concordia are a stark reminder that poor safety culture sinks ships. The picture of the large rock jammed in the hull has captured the moment when the psychological and cultural factors of this event came together. Incidents and accidents are rarely about failed … [Read more...] about Safety Culture Sinks Ships
Symbols Have Power
One of the most overlooked yet important factors in safety culture influence is the power of symbols. The psychological significance of symbols and the embodiment of values in symbols are often neglected when organisations think about safety culture. Many organisations have next to no emphasis on … [Read more...] about Symbols Have Power
Risk and Cultural Values
Cultural Values and Translation by Trade One of the most important things we discover in a study of culture is that other people are not like us. This is why it is so crazy to assume ‘common sense’, this is why it’s so misleading to even talk about ‘common sense’. The more we use this language the … [Read more...] about Risk and Cultural Values