• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

SafetyRisk.net

Humanising Safety and Embracing Real Risk

  • Home
    • About
      • Privacy Policy
      • Contact
  • FREE
    • Slogans
      • Researchers Reveal the Top 10 Most Effective Safety Slogans Of All Time
      • When Slogans Don’t Work
      • CLASSIC, FAMOUS and INFAMOUS SAFETY QUOTES
      • 500 OF THE BEST WORKPLACE HEALTH and SAFETY SLOGANS 2023
      • CATCHY and FUNNY SAFETY SLOGANS FOR THE WORKPLACE
      • COVID-19 (Coronavirus, Omicron) Health and Safety Slogans and Quotes for the Workplace
      • Safety Acronyms
      • You know Where You Can Stick Your Safety Slogans
      • Sayings, Slogans, Aphorisms and the Discourse of Simple
      • Spanish Safety Slogans – Consignas de seguridad
      • Safety Slogans List
      • Road Safety Slogans 2023
      • How to write your own safety slogans
      • Why Are Safety Slogans Important
      • Safety Slogans Don’t Save Lives
      • 40 Free Safety Slogans For the Workplace
      • Safety Slogans for Work
    • FREE SAFETY eBOOKS
    • Free Hotel and Resort Risk Management Checklist
    • FREE DOWNLOADS
    • TOP 50
    • FREE RISK ASSESSMENT FORMS
    • Find a Safety Consultant
    • Free Safety Program Documents
    • Psychology Of Safety
    • Safety Ideas That Work
    • HEALTH and SAFETY MANUALS
    • FREE SAFE WORK METHOD STATEMENT RESOURCES
    • Whats New In Safety
    • FUN SAFETY STUFF
    • Health and Safety Training
    • SAFETY COURSES
    • Safety Training Needs Analysis and Matrix
    • Top 20 Safety Books
    • This Toaster Is Hot
    • Free Covid-19 Toolbox Talks
    • Download Page – Please Be Patient With Larger Files…….
    • SAFETY IMAGES, Photos, Unsafe Pictures and Funny Fails
    • How to Calculate TRIFR, LTIFR and Other Health and Safety Indicators
    • Download Safety Moments from Human Resources Secretariat
  • Social Psychology Of Risk
    • What is Psychological Health and Safety at Work?
    • Safety Psychology Terminology
    • Some Basics on Social Psychology & Risk
    • Understanding The Social Psychology of Risk – Prof Karl E. Weick
    • The Psychology of Leadership in Risk
    • Conducting a Psychology and Culture Safety Walk
    • The Psychology of Conversion – 20 Tips to get Started
    • Understanding The Social Psychology of Risk And Safety
    • Psychology and safety
    • The Psychology of Safety
    • Hot Toaster
    • TALKING RISK VIDEOS
    • WHAT IS SAFETY
    • THE HOT TOASTER
    • THE ZERO HARM DEBATE
    • SEMIOTICS
    • LEADERSHIP
  • Dr Long Posts
    • ALL POSTS
    • Learning Styles Matter
    • There is no Hierarchy of Controls
    • Scaffolding, Readiness and ZPD in Learning
    • What Can Safety Learn From Playschool?
    • Presentation Tips for Safety People
    • Dialogue Do’s and Don’ts
    • It’s Only a Symbol
    • Ten Cautions About Safety Checklists
    • Zero is Unethical
    • First Report on Zero Survey
    • There is No Objectivity, Deal With it!
  • THEMES
    • Risk Myths
    • Safety Myths
    • Safety Culture Silences
    • Safety Culture
    • Psychological Health and Safety
    • Zero Harm
    • Due Diligence
  • Free Learning
    • Introduction to SPoR – Free
    • FREE RISK and SAFETY EBOOKS
    • FREE ebook – Guidance for the beginning OHS professional
    • Free EBook – Effective Safety Management Systems
    • Free EBook – Lessons I Have Learnt
  • Psychological Safety
    • What is Psychological Health and Safety at Work?
    • Managing psychosocial hazards at work
    • Psychological Safety – has it become the next Maslow’s hammer?
    • What is Psychosocial Safety
    • Psychological Safety Slogans and Quotes
    • What is Psychological Safety?
    • Understanding Psychological Terminology
    • Psycho-Social and Socio-Psychological, What’s the Difference?
    • Build a Psychologically Safe Workplace by Taking Risks and Analysing Failures
    • It’s not weird – it’s a psychological safety initiative!
You are here: Home / Risk Aversion / The Reason Safety Has Gone So Crazy

The Reason Safety Has Gone So Crazy

September 18, 2016 by Admin 8 Comments

The Reason Safety Has Gone So Crazy – With Must Watch Video

FearThis recent article of ours Fall Harness–The Latest Dumb Safety Photo To Go Viral  has gone viral itself and it leads very well into this article.

One of  main reasons that safety has become so silly and out of control basically comes down to the “F” word – irrational and disproportionate FEAR!!

This stuff is driven by the regulator (we’ve seen the ads and heard the threats) and the myth is perpetuated by Safety – how often do we hear “We need to cover our @rse” or “I’m not losing my house or going to jail”. This fear of prosecution is totally disproportionate to the reality – we have a much greater risk of being prosecuted for a driving offence!!!. Unfortunately it is the official role of some in Safety to do nothing but try to find people being non-compliant – I have a friend who’s job it is to do exactly that with sub-contractors and he has an informal quota – how does this distrust encourage people to “speak up” or co-operate or “stop the job” or see safety as anything to do with real care for people?

A lot of what we do in the name of preventing prosecution, in fact, increases the likelihood we will be prosecuted – much of this quickly and very poorly produced paperwork (plans, permits,  inductions, work methods and incident investigations) will actually be very effectively used AGAINST you in court and increase your risk of prosecution!!

Learning is only facilitated by trust, relationships and engagement – fear is anti-learning and anti-relationship! Have a think about teaching a kid how to ride a bike – do we use fun, learning and support or fear to get the most favourable outcome??

This is a must watch video by experts on this subject and presents a great reality check. It is one of 22 videos in the series accompanying the new book:“Risky Conversations, The Law, Social Psychology and Risk”

20. FEAR from Human Dymensions on Vimeo.

MORE ON FEAR IN SAFETY:

Anxiety and Fear Professionals

image_thumb.png“When the water starts boiling it is foolish to turn off the heat.” – Nelson Mandela.  Another great article by Dr Robert Long to stir the pot! – If you liked this article then you should read the whole series: CLICK HERE. Thanks to James Parkinson from www.safety-consultant.com.au for sharing the image Anxiety and Fear Professionals There are …… Enjoy the rest of the article >>>>>

 

Why Have Some Freedom in Safety When a Dose of Fear and Guilt Will Do?

choose-safety_thumb.jpgWhy Have Some Freedom in Safety When a Dose of Fear and Guilt Will Do? I was sent a rather sickening poster this today, another one of those pithy senseless aphorisms that now populate Linkedin. The poster read: ‘The person who choses safety is a person of conviction, character and caring’. This seems harmless enough, what …… Enjoy the rest of the article >>>>>

 

Has safety become an illness called fear?

Depositphotos_15629319_xs_thumb.jpgHas safety become an illness called fear? Great article by one of our Brisbane Thinking Group Members, Keith McCabe. First published on LinkedIn One of the best things about sharing my thoughts about safety and risk is the feedback in all its positive and negative guises. Recent responses have made me think that the safety industry is …… Enjoy the rest of the article >>>>>

 

Predicting Earthquakes and the Fear of Uncertainty

Predicting Earthquakes and the Fear of Uncertainty Guest Post by Dr Rob Long – Scary Stuff!!!! Enjoy the rest of his work: click here The news this week that 6 scientists received goal sentences (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/23/italian-scientist-earthquake-condemns-court) for not communicating effectively about risk should send a shiver up the spine of anyone interested in risk and safety. An Italian court’s …… Enjoy the rest of the article >>>>>

Please share our posts

  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Risk Aversion, Risk Management, Social Psychology of Risk Tagged With: fear

Reader Interactions

Do you have any thoughts? Please share them below Cancel reply

Primary Sidebar

Search and Discover More on this Site

Never miss a post - Subscribe via Email

Enter your email address and join other discerning risk and safety people who receive notifications of new posts by email

Join 7,497 other subscribers

Introduction to SPOR – FREE!!

SAFETY MYTHS SERIES

The Mythic Symbology of Safety

Posture Myths and Holistic Ergonomics

Safety Mythbusters

Don’t Be Emotional! Another Safety Myth

Tackling the Challenge of Heuristics in Safety

The Myth of Normal

NEW! Free Download

Please take our 2 minute zero survey

Recent Comments

  • Rob Long on Posture Myths and Holistic Ergonomics
  • Linda McKendry on Posture Myths and Holistic Ergonomics
  • Rob long on Welcome to the Nightmare, Safety Creates its Own Minefield (as usual)
  • Matt Thorne on Welcome to the Nightmare, Safety Creates its Own Minefield (as usual)
  • Anonymous on Welcome to the Nightmare, Safety Creates its Own Minefield (as usual)
  • Jason on How Bias Inhibits Learning in Safety
  • Rob Long on How Bias Inhibits Learning in Safety
  • Admin on How Bias Inhibits Learning in Safety
  • Rob Long on 400,000 Free Downloads
  • Gustavo Saralegui on 400,000 Free Downloads
  • Rob long on To Err is Human, You Better Believe It
  • Wynand on To Err is Human, You Better Believe It
  • Rob Long on To Err is Human, You Better Believe It
  • simon cassin on To Err is Human, You Better Believe It
  • Rob Long on Records of safety activities: evidence of safety or non-compliance?
  • Matt Thorne on Free Online Workshops
  • Rob long on No Good Reason to Follow Reason
  • Brian Edwin Darlington on No Good Reason to Follow Reason
  • Risk Diversity on Book Launch – For the Love of Zero – in Portuguese
  • Rob Long on No Good Reason to Follow Reason

FREE eBOOK DOWNLOADS

Footer

VIRAL POST – The Risk Matrix Myth

Top Posts & Pages. Sad that most are so dumb but this is what safety luves

  • 500 OF THE BEST WORKPLACE HEALTH and SAFETY SLOGANS 2023
  • Free Safety Moments and Toolbox Talk Examples, Tips and Resources
  • Road Safety Slogans 2023
  • CATCHY and FUNNY SAFETY SLOGANS FOR THE WORKPLACE
  • Download Safety Moments from Human Resources Secretariat
  • Safety Acronyms
  • FREE RISK ASSESSMENT FORMS, CHECKISTS, REGISTERS, TEMPLATES and APPS
  • Free Risk Assessment Template in Excel Format
  • How to Calculate TRIFR, LTIFR and Other Health and Safety Indicators
  • SAFETY MEMES

Recent Posts

  • Welcome to the Nightmare, Safety Creates its Own Minefield (as usual)
  • Safety is the Wrong Anchor
  • Foresight Blindness, Hindsight Bias and Risk
  • Getting the Balance Right in Tackling Risk
  • What is SPoR?
  • How Bias Inhibits Learning in Safety
  • Afraid to Let Go of What Doesn’t Work in Safety
  • When You Don’t Know What to do in Safety, Have Another Blitz!!!
  • Gloves and Glasses Compliance
  • A Case of Desensitisation – What Would You Do?
  • How to Leave the Safety Industry
  • The Mythic Symbology of Safety
  • Dark Waters, The True Story of DuPont and Zero
  • 400,000 Free Downloads
  • Am I stupid? I didn’t think of that…
  • Don’t Look Now Safety, Your Metaphor is Showing
  • Ratio Delusions and Heinrich’s Hoax
  • To Err is Human, You Better Believe It
  • Culture as a Wicked Problem, for Safety
  • Safety Leadership Training
  • Cultural Orientation in Risk
  • The Stanford Experiment and The Social Psychology of Risk
  • Objectivity, Audits and Attribution When Calculating Risk
  • Records of safety activities: evidence of safety or non-compliance?
  • Zero, The Seeking of Infinity
  • Safety Leadership Essentials
  • What Can Indiana Jones Tell Us About Culture
  • Safety as a Worldview
  • The Loathing of Limits
  • Culture Cannot be Framed Through Safety
  • Free Online Workshops
  • Safety Culture–Hudson’s Model
  • Book Launch – For the Love of Zero – in Portuguese
  • Advancing Backwards in Safety
  • The ‘Noise’ of Safety, Silence and Practicing of Mindfulness
  • All Things Must Pass in Risk
  • I’m just not that into safety anymore
  • Sticks and Stones and the Nonsense of Zero Harm
  • Courting Infallibility in Safety
  • Indicators of Risk
  • What Can Safety Learn From Playschool?
  • No Good Reason to Follow Reason
  • Just as Well Culture Doesn’t Listen to Safety
  • What Are the Benefits Of Social Psychology of Risk?
  • Short-Sighted Lenses by Safety
  • Is Safety the Empire of Non-Sense?
  • No Wonder Safety is Confused About Culture
  • Building High Performance Safety Cultures
  • Understanding iCue, a Visual, Verbal, Semiotic Method for Tackling Risk
  • On Culture and Safety

VIRAL POST!!! HOW TO QUIT THE SAFETY INDUSTRY

FEATURED POSTS

Just distract you!

How to Do the Best Risk Assessment

It’s the –ism That Matters

Scenario Learning in Risk and Safety

Collaborating, Cooperating and Cohesion in Risk

How Do Workers Make Decisions?

Suffering – Sometimes There Is No Reason

Safety Myopia

Study Social Psychology of Risk Online in 2018

Understanding Risk

The Common Sense Fallacy

Accidents Happen Because You Don’t Put Safety First

The Social Psychology of Risk Handbook, i-thou

Post Graduate Safety Potato Heads

How I Feel About Risk

Cultivating Resilience

The Village Effect

Risk You Can Eat

Acceptable Risk as a Decision Making Process

Brain-Centredness and Occular-Centredness in Risk

Data Cannot Drive Vision

The Safety Control Delusion

Why is fallibility so challenging in the workplace?

Reality vs Theory, The Binary Divide

Disrupting the Methodology in Safety?

Mental Health, Risk and Safety – Part 2

Towards Dumb

Traditional Safety

Looking Forward, Looking Back

Safety For the Common Good

Say Something that Makes Sense

Semiotics and Unconscious Communication in Safety

SPoR Introductory Workshop Series April 2020

Impacts of Cognitive Dissonance in the Workplace

Perth and London SPoR Workshops

The Challenge of the Consciousness Taboo

The Foundations of Safety

The Stanford Experiment and The Social Psychology of Risk

OMG – Big Words and Safety

I Have the Power, I’m a Safety Hero

More Posts from this Category

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address and join other discerning risk and safety people who receive notifications of new posts by email

Join 7,497 other subscribers

How we pay for the high cost of running of this site – try it for free on your site

WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY?

What is Psychological Safety at Work?