Military Metaphors in Safety Check out Rob’s new book: Following-Leading in Risk Weick (1979) tells us that organizing is ‘a consensually validated grammar for reducing equivocality by means of sensible interlocking behaviours’. Wow, what a definition and so much jammed into that definition. What … [Read more...] about Military Metaphors in Safety
Zero Harm
Shopping for Safety
The bell on the door buzzed as I entered the shop, a large emporium with worn cedar shelves signifying construction in the last century. I loved the smell of these old shops with dusty stock on the shelves that hadn’t moved for years, some with old price tags in pounds, shillings and pence. The old … [Read more...] about Shopping for Safety
How is the unconscious in communication critical for understanding and managing risk?
How is the unconscious in communication critical for understanding and managing risk? This is a great piece by Hayden Collins, submitted as part of his study for the Graduate Certificate in the Psychology of Risk and reprinted here with his permission: It’s a misconception that … [Read more...] about How is the unconscious in communication critical for understanding and managing risk?
My Target Goal is Zero Death
My Target Goal is Zero Death Currently luvin’ the work of Dr Robert Long and have read his book “Risk Makes Sense” over and over. Just came across a recent post on his blog which puts the absurdity of ZERO HARM goals in perspective we can all understand. While ever we are breathing we can than … [Read more...] about My Target Goal is Zero Death
The False Claims of the Bradley Curve
The false claims of the Bradley Curve are so blatant, you shouldn’t need any help to tear its nonsense to shreds. However, I was sent this video from someone today who asked for help to understand it. It is so sad that so many in safety are conned by propaganda and false claims. So, let’s … [Read more...] about The False Claims of the Bradley Curve
Injury Response
Injury Response I’ve had several conversations with safety people about response to events and incidents on site. One mate on a tier 1 site explains the Safety Advisor role as simply ‘demoralising’. So I thought I would try to mimic the typical safety spud head response to an … [Read more...] about Injury Response
Semiotics and Safety
Semiotics and Safety I read with interest a conference proposed for November 2014 entitled ‘Beyond Zero Harm, Human Factors Safety’. The subtitle of the conference is ‘Humanising impacts in safety operations to reengineer safety approach for enhanced productivity and business profitability’. Oh … [Read more...] about Semiotics and Safety
Forecasting Safety
Here’s the challenge for anyone who holds to the mantra ‘all accidents are preventable’. Ask them to predict how long it will be in their organisation or any organisation for that matter, that they will be harm free. Hopefully they will go to their injury data and based on the history of injury at … [Read more...] about Forecasting Safety
Cultivating Resilience
Cultivating Resilience When I think of resilience one of the metaphors I would never associate with it would be engineering. Resilience is a human (social psychological), evolutionary and organic ‘way of being’. The idea of imposing a mechanistic mindset on resilience just doesn’t make sense. … [Read more...] about Cultivating Resilience