Risk is About People, not just Objects Article by Robert Sams republished following a request from a reader – See all of his brilliant articles here The focus of so much of our attention today in health and safety is on ‘risk assessment’. Walk into any workplace and talk about health and safety … [Read more...] about Risk is About People, not just Objects
swms
Shared Ritual in the Safety Congregation?
Shared Ritual in the Safety Congregation? When anything involves salvation there is ritual. This is the energy of Zero. Follow these procedures, habits, practices, myths or routine enactments and thou shalt be saved … [Read more...] about Shared Ritual in the Safety Congregation?
The Futility of the Centralised Safety Management System?
Whenever I run the MiProfile diagnostic (https://www.humandymensions.com/services-and-programs/miprofile/) in organizations it always turns out that over 60% of people state that they do not understand the Safety Management System (SMS). With data from over 300 organizations and 60,000 participants … [Read more...] about The Futility of the Centralised Safety Management System?
Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright in Safety
Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright in Safety One of Dylan’s greatest songs is about the power of indifference (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-Y3KfJs6T0 ), not just to love but to people in general. There’s nothing quite like the masquerade of care when in reality you don’t give a s&*t. The clip … [Read more...] about Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright in Safety
We can Value Safety but Safety is not a Value
There is a big difference between what we value (outcome and object) and what is a value (principle/ethic) when we consider strategy and thinking in risk and safety. The confusion of the two confuses understanding and blurs boundaries in learning in organisations. We see this when safety is … [Read more...] about We can Value Safety but Safety is not a Value
Stop the Job You Haven’t Done Your ‘Tick & Flick’
Stop the Job You Haven’t Done Your ‘Tick & Flick’ A classic this week from a building site where the union comes blustering on site and stops work because of a safety issue. Sound familiar? And the key issue? Safety? Well maybe not. This is a story of duplicity and fake safety. A new … [Read more...] about Stop the Job You Haven’t Done Your ‘Tick & Flick’
Proving Safety
One of the best safety articles I've read on Linkedin in a long, long time. By Greg Smith (Author of "Papersafe" - https://amzn.to/3wNDPTv ) Proving Safety Here is an interesting question. What would safety management look like in your organisation if you did not have to “prove” it? Would you … [Read more...] about Proving Safety
Indicators of Risk
Indicators of Risk I often get sent presentations and training formats from safety people seeking my expertise on improvement, learning design and critique of safety presentations. One thing safety people are not educated in is teaching, curriculum and learning. Amazing how the industry throws … [Read more...] about Indicators of Risk
Why Safety is Inescapably Theological
The moment Safety drifts into questions of life, death, suffering, pain, harm and ‘saving lives’ it has no way to go except a trajectory into theology. We observe this in Dekker’s book ‘The End of Heaven, Disaster and Suffering in a Scientific Age’ with dozens of biblical references and … [Read more...] about Why Safety is Inescapably Theological
The Myth of the SWMS Manifesto
The Myth of the SWMS Manifesto I’d like a dollar for every mail I get telling stories about what is considered necessary in a Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS). It seems that Safety is far more attentive to safety mythology (something that is made symbolically true, that isn’t) than what is … [Read more...] about The Myth of the SWMS Manifesto