An Ethic of Mandate in Safety Ensuring a safe workplace is foundational to WHS: morally, legally and ethically. When it comes to the ‘wicked problem’ (https://safetyrisk.net/risk-and-safety-as-a-wicked-problem/ ) of ethics in risk there are no simple answers or ‘fixes’. Indeed, to speak in … [Read more...] about An Ethic of Mandate in Safety
wicked problems
Safety Naivety and the Delusions of KISS
Safety Naivety and the Delusions of KISS Ah the KISS principle, its so simple: tell the rule, police the rule, punish the offender. That’s the safety way, why make things so hard when a good dose of brutalism will do. Sorry Safety that’s not the real world. If Covid has taught you anything it … [Read more...] about Safety Naivety and the Delusions of KISS
Our World is not your Ash Tray
Guest Post by Brian Darlington. His previous post: https://safetyrisk.net/my-thoughts-during-a-walk-in-the-forests-in-vienna/ In one of my previous blogs , I wrote about how crazy it is of governments to try control peoples habits like smoking during the lock-downs related to the Corona virus by … [Read more...] about Our World is not your Ash Tray
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
And the Innovation is? More Controls…..
One of the great anxieties about Safety is the lack of control. If there was a favourite word for the safety industry, this would be it - controls. This is what attracts Safety to the language of numerics and mechanistic worldviews. Even when it transfers to an interest to neuroscience, psychology … [Read more...] about And the Innovation is? More Controls…..
Risk and Safety as a Wicked Problem
Introduction It is nearly ten years since the outstanding research by Wagner and Associates ‘Safety - A Wicked Problem’ was published (http://www.peterwagner.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Safety-A-Wicked-Problem2.pdf). The project examined responses by prominent CEOs to common problems associated in … [Read more...] about Risk and Safety as a Wicked Problem
Independent Thinking in an Uncertain World, A Mind of One’s Own
This is the title of a book recently released on Earthscan Press (2019) coming out of ANU lead by Valerie Brown and John Harris. One of our SPoR associates Craig Ashhurst has a chapter in the book on ‘Transcoherence, labels and wicked problems’. Craig has just completed his PhD at ANU in the … [Read more...] about Independent Thinking in an Uncertain World, A Mind of One’s Own
The Loathing of Limits
The Loathing of Limits I was listening to an ABC podcast called Minefield last week about ‘Needs of the Soul, Hardship’ and heard one of the presenters Scott Stephens say that humans have always had a sense of ‘loathing limits’. Scott Stephens is the Online Editor of Religion and Ethics for the ABC … [Read more...] about The Loathing of Limits
Culture About Much More Than Structure
Culture About Much More Than Structure One’s assumptions about what defines culture limits or expands culture itself. One thing is for sure, culture is about much more than organizational structures and systems. Indeed, culture is such a wicked problem … [Read more...] about Culture About Much More Than Structure
