History and Hindsight in Safety In this post I wish to continue the discussion about significance through a discussion of history. It was Weick who said: ‘I don’t know what I believe until I see what I do’. In other words, everything we ‘know’ is retrospective. Humans have unlimited hindsight but … [Read more...] about History and Hindsight in Safety
Zero Harm
Beware the Cult of Denial
Beware the Cult of Denial Everyone ought to know that denial is not a healthy psychological state. We know that denial is one of the stages of tackling suffering, loss and death as Elizabeth Kubler Ross articulated first in On Death and Dying in 1969. (Download here ) At a deeper level, the denial … [Read more...] about Beware the Cult of Denial
Safety at the Margins
Safety at the Margins I note with interest the disappointment with mainstream Safety with being on the political margins, evidenced in recent blogs (The party politics of safety , The politics of safety, OHS is largely overlooked even on its special day ). However, there are good reasons why Safety … [Read more...] about Safety at the Margins
In Praise of Balance in Risk and the Threat of Extremism
In Praise of Balance in Risk and the Threat of Extremism With all the focus on the terrible events in France and Sydney recently the word of the month is extremism. Following the events of the Lindt Seige and the Charlie Hedbo Masscre leaders are careful not to associate recent acts of terror with … [Read more...] about In Praise of Balance in Risk and the Threat of Extremism
Safety Silver Bullet
Latest article by Dr Robert Long which attacks the idea that one can solve a safety system problem by simply building ever expanding safety systems! Oh and a little swipe at BBS and Zero Harm! If you liked this article then you should read the whole series: CLICK HERE. I highly recommend you check … [Read more...] about Safety Silver Bullet
Do You Believe in Good and Bad Luck?
Do You Believe in Good and Bad Luck? First published in Sept 2012 Soon it will be the football final and Melbourne Cup season again and millions of Australians will prove to each other that they believe in good and bad luck. There will be arguments about odds and probabilities, bank … [Read more...] about Do You Believe in Good and Bad Luck?
Zero Harm – Just Imagine
Zero Harm - Just Imagine Just imagine a world where no one is harmed at work. Imagine Utopia where no one skins a knee riding a bike, no one cuts their hand with a Stanley knife, no one falls over in the shower and no one gets dust in their eye on a windy day. Ah, imagine such a world. What a … [Read more...] about Zero Harm – Just Imagine
The Psychology of Conversion – 20 Tips to get Started
The Psychology of Conversion – 20 Tips to get Started We can learn a great deal from our fundamentalist friends and people with addictions after all, these are the experts in conversion. If you are a safety officer or a risk manager you must wonder why it is so hard to convert people to becoming … [Read more...] about The Psychology of Conversion – 20 Tips to get Started
Webinar on Zero
Webinar on Zero I have been writing on the ideology of zero for many years but have never been asked to discuss or debate it with anyone in the safety sector, till now. The two books I have published against the ideology of zero include: · For the Love of Zero, Human fallibility and Risk … [Read more...] about Webinar on Zero
Zero Discourse and Perfectionism
Zero Discourse and Perfectionism Talking perfection to fallible people is not just silly, it is also dangerous (http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20180219-toxic-perfectionism-is-on-the-rise). How strange that an industry so fixated on saving lives would unknowingly want to harm people! Yet, this is … [Read more...] about Zero Discourse and Perfectionism