• 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 AND WORST 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
  • Psychosocial Safety
    • What is Psychosocial Safety
    • 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 / Due Diligence / The Safety Worldview and the Worldview of Safety, Testing Due Diligence

The Safety Worldview and the Worldview of Safety, Testing Due Diligence

August 13, 2022 by Dr Rob Long Leave a Comment

Originally posted on January 17, 2018 @ 10:13 AM

safety worldviewFollowing the World Congress on Safety and Health I begin to wonder just how more absurd the safety industry can become.

It is clear from the Congress that safety is now the filter through which one views life rather than, life being the filter through which one views safety.

When one gets such a distorted religious worldview no wonder the outcome is speaking nonsense language to fallible people.

A worldview is essentially a philosophical disposition, or as some might say, a cosmology. A worldview is an orientation to the world and universe evidenced in one’s ethic of risk. This is why the ideology of zero is unethical (https://safetyrisk.net/how-can-the-ideology-of-zero-be-ethical/). The idea that zero is the only ethical goal based upon binary black and white thinking, totally ignores the fundamental realities of mortal fallible living. Speaking the language of perfection and absolutes to limited and vulnerable humans can only have a trajectory of brutalism.

My wife’s car broke down last December, blew a cylinder and was due for the scrap heap. With Christmas approaching she needed a car and we didn’t have much time to get another one. So we researched hard, looked at as many options as we could, trawled the Internet car sites and walked the numerous car yards listening to the spin of numerous car sales people. In the end, we needed a decision, we couldn’t wait to February to get another car. So within the constraints of time, research and leather soles on our shoes we bought another little car. Like everyone we wanted something reliable, comfortable, safe and economical. It was only weeks later we noticed little flaws in design and annoying characteristics that didn’t suit us.

It was Gerd Gigerenzer (2008 – Rationality for Mortals, How People Cope with Uncertainty) who came up with the notion of ‘satisficing’. Satisficing is the point when time runs out in seeking to optimize for a decision. This is what ALARP is all about (https://vimeo.com/162637292). Satisficing accepts the heuristics in decision making so that we can balance efficiency with risk.

Whilst humans would love all the time in the world to seek all knowledge about a risk, glean all the evidence and history, survey all possible options and likelihoods for a decision, there comes a time when a decision has to be made with the knowledge that is available. This is the reality of satisficing.

The only way to optimize is to be omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent. When humans get to full optimization then and only then will the language of zero make sense. There is no hope in zero ideology for fallible people.

The courts don’t expect humans to make optimal decisions but only satisfactory decisions. The courts don’t expect humans to be infallible. This is the meaning of Due Diligence (https://vimeo.com/162493843 ). The most repeated word in the regulation about Due Diligence is the word ‘appropriate’. The WHS Act doesn’t desire tight definition like naïve and binary Safety expects for how to manage risk.

Here is how the WHS Act defines Due Diligence (I have highlighted text in bold to emphasise elements of satisficing in the legislation):

due diligence includes taking reasonable steps –

a) to acquire and keep up-to-date knowledge of work health and safety matters; and

b) to gain an understanding of the nature of the operations of the business or undertaking of the person conducting the business or undertaking and generally of the hazards and risks associated with those operations; and

c) to ensure that the person conducting the business or undertaking has available for use, and uses, appropriate resources and processes to eliminate or minimise risks to health and safety from work carried out as part of the conduct of the business or undertaking; and

d) to ensure that the person conducting the business or undertaking has appropriate processes for receiving and considering information regarding incidents, hazards and risks and responding in a timely way to that information; and

e) to ensure that the person conducting the business or undertaking has, and implements, processes for complying with any duty or obligation of the person conducting the business or undertaking under this Act; and

f) to verify the provision and use of the resources and processes referred to in paragraphs (c) to (e).

So we see that the Act doesn’t expect optimisation. Executives are not prosecuted for not being perfect. Prosecution is only likely if executives have been negligent.

What the court expects is that people will have taken ‘reasonable’ steps to make the workplace safe, there is no expectation of perfection (http://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/law-and-policy/employer-and-business-obligations/due-diligence ). In the limits of fallible living there is always a trade-off and by-product for decisions, there is always a tolerable level of risk in human living. Risk aversion and elimination is the nonsense religious fairy tale of zero.

The response to the binary question: ‘how many people do you want killed on the road today’ is not a number but another question, ‘why do you ask stupid binary questions?’ The absurdity of the question demonstrates the insanity of zero ideology. I have another question for the various government road authorities: ‘how’s that ‘toward zero’ language working?’ (https://safetyrisk.net/towards-dumb/) and BTW, that’s an open question.

In the real world of fallible people, fallible systems and a random world the best we can do is live with satisficing.

Satisficing is not the acceptance of apathy, this is the projection of binary zero. Living within the confines of fallibility and risk uncertainty is not the acceptance of fatalism, this is the binary projection of zero. Accepting a tolerable level of risk is not an admission of defeat about risk, this is the binary projection of zero. The nonsense zero language of ‘prediction’, of ‘all accidents are preventable’ and ‘safety is a choice you make’ is the projection of binary zero. Satisficing ensures that humans are not paralysed by uncertainty but can live their lives reasonably.

Let’s leave the last word to Gigerenzer (2008, p. 66) ‘every intelligent system has to make errors; making none would destroy the intelligence of the system.’


If you want to better understand the meaning of Due Diligence there are still places available in Sydney for the Due Diligence Workshop with Greg Smith and Dr Rob Long: https://cllr.com.au/product/due-diligence-workshop-unit-13/

The workshop explains the real meaning of Due Diligence and the nature of satisficing. The workshop provides many practical tools and skills for exercising Due Diligence that don’t include more bureaucracy or checklists.

The Workshop is accredited by The Centre of Leadership and Learning in Risk (https://cllr.com.au/) and qualifies as an introductory unit to the four unit Certificate in the Social Psychology of Risk.

4. DUE DILIGENCE from Human Dymensions on Vimeo.

  • Bio
  • Latest Posts
  • More about Rob
Dr Rob Long

Dr Rob Long

Expert in Social Psychology, Principal & Trainer at Human Dymensions
Dr Rob Long

Latest posts by Dr Rob Long (see all)

  • Psychosocial Safety, Following-Leading in Risk - February 4, 2023
  • Free Program on Due Diligence - February 4, 2023
  • Not Just Another ‘Hazard’ - February 3, 2023
  • Work-Life and Risk, Feminine Perspectives - February 3, 2023
  • How to Be Oriented Towards Psychosocial and Mental Health in Safety - February 2, 2023
Dr Rob Long
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.

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: Due Diligence, Robert Long, Social Psychology of Risk Tagged With: Due Diligence, satisficing, worldview

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 7,500 other subscribers

RECOMMENDED READING

viral post – iso 45003 and what it cannot do

Introduction to SPOR – FREE!!

Psychosocial Safety and Mental Health Series

Psychosocial Safety, Following-Leading in Risk

Not Just Another ‘Hazard’

Psychosocial Safety, Is it possible to make it culturally normal?

How to Be Oriented Towards Psychosocial and Mental Health in Safety

ISO 45003 and What it Cannot Do

The KISS of Death in Safety

Behavioural Safety is NOT a Foundation for Tackling Psychosocial and Mental Health

The Worst Approach to Psychosocial Problems is an Attitude of ‘Fixing’

The Language of ‘Hazards’ and Psychosocial, Mental Health

Welcome to the Nightmare, Safety Creates its Own Minefield (as usual)

More Posts from this Category

NEW! Free Download

Please take our 2 minute zero survey

Recent Comments

  • Not Simply One other ‘Hazard’ - Personal Safety News on Not Just Another ‘Hazard’
  • Rob Long on Psychosocial Safety, Is it possible to make it culturally normal?
  • simon p cassin on Psychosocial Safety, Is it possible to make it culturally normal?
  • simon p cassin on Psychosocial Safety, Is it possible to make it culturally normal?
  • Rob long on How to Be Oriented Towards Psychosocial and Mental Health in Safety
  • Rob Long on Psychosocial Safety, Is it possible to make it culturally normal?
  • Rob Long on Psychosocial Safety, Is it possible to make it culturally normal?
  • Matt Thorne on Psychosocial Safety, Is it possible to make it culturally normal?
  • simon p cassin on Psychosocial Safety, Is it possible to make it culturally normal?
  • Hurak Learning on How to Be Oriented Towards Psychosocial and Mental Health in Safety
  • Rob Long on An Advanced Understanding of Culture – A Video
  • Paul Gentles on An Advanced Understanding of Culture – A Video
  • Brent Charlton on The KISS of Death in Safety
  • Rob Long on The KISS of Death in Safety
  • Brian Edwin Darlington on The KISS of Death in Safety
  • Brian on The Language of ‘Hazards’ and Psychosocial, Mental Health
  • Jaise on The Language of ‘Hazards’ and Psychosocial, Mental Health
  • 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)

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 AND WORST WORKPLACE HEALTH and SAFETY SLOGANS 2023
  • Free Safety Moments and Toolbox Talk Examples, Tips and Resources
  • Road Safety Slogans 2023
  • Proving Safety
  • CATCHY and FUNNY SAFETY SLOGANS FOR THE WORKPLACE
  • NATIONAL SAFETY DAY/WEEK IN INDIA 2023
  • Psychosocial Safety, Is it possible to make it culturally normal?
  • Download Safety Moments from Human Resources Secretariat
  • 15 Safety Precautions When Working With Electricity
  • Safety Acronyms

Recent Posts

  • Psychosocial Safety, Following-Leading in Risk
  • Free Program on Due Diligence
  • Not Just Another ‘Hazard’
  • Work-Life and Risk, Feminine Perspectives
  • Psychosocial Safety, Is it possible to make it culturally normal?
  • How to Be Oriented Towards Psychosocial and Mental Health in Safety
  • Free Download – Real Risk – New Book by Dr Robert Long
  • Proving Safety
  • ISO 45003 and What it Cannot Do
  • Harming People in the Name of Good
  • An Advanced Understanding of Culture – A Video
  • Risk and Safety Maturity
  • The KISS of Death in Safety
  • SPoR, Metanoia and a Podcast on Change with Nippin Anand
  • Behavioural Safety is NOT a Foundation for Tackling Psychosocial and Mental Health
  • The Worst Approach to Psychosocial Problems is an Attitude of ‘Fixing’
  • SPoR Comes to Vienna June 2023
  • The Language of ‘Hazards’ and Psychosocial, Mental Health
  • Welcome to the Nightmare, Safety Creates its Own Minefield (as usual)
  • The Visionary Imagination – Louisa Lawson
  • Heaven ‘n Hell and the Safety Religion
  • Confirmity in Conformity
  • Numerology and Psychic Numbing
  • Thinking of Mortality
  • 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

VIRAL POST!!! HOW TO QUIT THE SAFETY INDUSTRY

FEATURED POSTS

Perth Workshops

Understanding Just Culture

The Measurement Mindset in Safety???

Snap, Crackle, Pop. That’s the Sound we Love to Hear

Understanding How People Make Decisions and Judgments

Models From Social Sensemaking

Sanctimonious Safety

Could Understanding Grey Be The Silver Bullet

International Workshops – Belgium

Free Download – Real Risk – New Book by Dr Robert Long

Europe – International Workshop Social Psychology of Risk Introduction

In Praise of Balance in Risk and the Threat of Extremism

Introduction to SPoR – Free

Safety Career Highlight

Suffering – Sometimes There Is No Reason

Risky Conversations Book Launch in Perth

I am a Spreadsheet King

Safety-as-Persona

The Worm at the Core

The Learning (and unlearning) that Revealed my Vocation

Themes and Concepts in Risk – Requests

Making Sense of Safety Management Systems

Safety Giveaways–Free Stuff!

Understanding Conscience and Safety

Promoting Dumb, Anxiety and Harm in the Name of Good

What in the (Risk & Safety) World is Imagination?

Cultivating Resilience

The Quantitative and Qualitative Divide in Safety

Understanding Risk

King of the World – Why is Sociopathy and Psychopathy so prevalent ‘at the top’?

The Primacy of Play in Learning

Is Safety a Choice You Make?

Doing Something Bad Well

An Introduction to Semiotics and Risk

Safety-1, Safety-2, Safety-3

The 10 Behaviours of the Safety Sociopath

The Challenge of Social Sensemaking in Risk

Safe Work Australia Continues to Perpetuate Safety Mythology

Incident Investigations and the Einstellung Effect

I’m just not that into safety anymore

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 7,500 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?


WHAT IS PSYCHOSOCIAL SAFETY