The 10 Best Risk Indicators

We know that both lag and lead indicators are as useless as each other when it comes to defend ability in court (Smith (2024) Proving Safety). The silly idea that leading indicators are somehow better than lag indicators is the delusional seduction of positive psychology and a poorly educated safety industry. The real challenge for Safety is to better understand indicators that are NOT focused on objects and counting. The real challenge for the safety industry is to move away from toxic language focused on objects. The real challenge for Safety is to better understand culture by jettisoning the stupid definition of ‘what we do around here’. Until Safety understands its own culture and its own toxicity, it is unlikely it will ever do much about cultural indicators of risk. As long as Safety attributes critical thinking as non-compliance, it will never learn to be professional.

In light of the delusions of lag/lead indicators It would be much better for Safety to focus on the following:

1. Dumping the toxic language of zero and all related language about perfection and shame.
2. Reframing psychosocial ‘hazards’ to be about people and NOT hazards.
3. Getting rid of semiotics that prioritize objects over persons.
4. Undertake training and education in human personhood and ethics.
5. Dump the focus on counting injury rates and measuring performance.
6. Wake up to the not-so-different rhetoric that has no methodology or method.
7. Jettison anything associated with behaviourism and its toxic language
8. Focus on the realities of culture NOT such dished out by engineers
9. Focus on the nature of the human unconscious and decision making
10. Ditch scientism and positivism associated with safety.

This list above is where the real problem lies, when thinking about risk. The current focus on objects, systems and counting have nothing to do with culture.

If you want to learn about culture in a positive, constructive way then you can study here: https://cllr.com.au

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Dr Rob Long

Expert in Social Psychology, Principal & Trainer at Human Dymensions

Latest posts by Dr Rob Long (see all)

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PhD., MEd., MOH., BEd., BTh., Dip T., Dip Min., Cert IV TAA, MRMIA Rob is the founder of Human Dymensions and has extensive experience, qualifications and expertise across a range of sectors including government, education, corporate, industry and community sectors over 30 years. Rob has worked at all levels of the education and training sector including serving on various post graduate executive, post graduate supervision, post graduate course design and implementation programs.