Safety Semiotics Competition We have all heard the saying “A Picture Tells a Thousand Words”. There is more significance in this meme than just a person having a bad day or another stupid safety fail photo. But, I imagine that, given the speed with which we consume social media these days, many … [Read more...] about Safety Semiotics Competition
semiotics
Incommensurability and Discourse in Risk
Incommensurability and Discourse in Risk One of the most important concepts discussed by Feyerbend, Laktos, MacIntyre and Kuhn is that of incommensurability. Incommensurability refers to incongruence and misunderstanding between linguistic structures. What this means is that disciplines are limited … [Read more...] about Incommensurability and Discourse in Risk
Amping it Up in Safety
Amping it Up in Safety In a recent blog I asked why are we afraid, and explored fear and how it may impact on our feelings, and decisions about risk. I also shared a story of how after the 911 terror attacks in 2001, American’s turned en mass to driving instead of flying. One result of this was an … [Read more...] about Amping it Up in Safety
What Can Safety Learn from Barbie
What Can Safety Learn from Barbie We learn today that after many years Barbie is getting a ‘make over’. The iconic doll of the ‘perfect’ female form is about to become ordinary, diverse and not perfect. This is the end of a 56 year tradition that has had more harmful by-products than any other … [Read more...] about What Can Safety Learn from Barbie
Making Sense of Semiotics and Safety
Making Sense of Semiotics and Safety Semiotics is about symbol (sign, significance, signified and signifyer) as language and text as symbol and, the discourse (power-trajectory) of both (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semiotics ). Semiotic influence is tertiary and non-conscious. Semiotics is … [Read more...] about Making Sense of Semiotics and Safety
Safety-1, Safety-2, Safety-3
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
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