• 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
      • BIGGEST COLLECTION of 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
    • Psychosocial Safety
    • Resiliencing
    • 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 / Covid-19 / The Shape of Belief in Safety

The Shape of Belief in Safety

August 20, 2022 by Dr Rob Long Leave a Comment

Originally posted on August 10, 2020 @ 10:17 AM

imageThere is no such thing as non-belief in safety because even non-belief is a belief. Agnosticism is a belief. What we believe determines our actions, movement and decisions. Belief shapes assumptions and assumptions motivate action. More so, even beliefs not known to us that are unconscious shape actions. The non-cognitive mind keeps us all breathing, being and deciding. The unconscious mind enacts most of our heuristics, habits and intuitive/tacit decisions. Our conscious mind motivates that rare moment of rational thinking in decision making.

Every movement we make is a decision shaped by belief. Every decision of a fallible person is also shaped by faith, the certainty of uncertainty. Every time we enact a decision without knowing the outcome, we make a ‘leap of faith’. Every leap of faith creates a risk. What is at risk is the outcome of that decision. Most of the time the risks we take end out OK.

The Zero survey (https://spor.com.au/zero-vision-survey/) has revealed some interesting beliefs in the safety industry, with over 350 participants let’s consider three results thus far:

I believe in zero – 16% agree 84% disagree

All accidents preventable – 24% agree 76% disagree

Safety is a choice you make – 52% agree 48% disagree

· It is great to see that a high proportion of people in the safety industry don’t believe in zero. This means that 84% of the industry is disconnected from the mantra that the safety associations believe. Disconnect in belief fosters disconnect in relationship. With zero as the guiding belief of the global safety industry the only real outcome can be alienation of the rank and file of safety people. So when leaders stand up and sprout zero they can reliably know that most people listening are calling BS. It is hard to be a leader when no one believes what you say!

· It is also heartening to see such a low result for the idea that ‘accidents are preventable’ – 24%. Although marginally higher than the result for zero this belief demonstrates that despite all efforts in managing risk that all accidents cannot be prevented. This is consistent with the foundational belief that humans are fallible – 96%, and any discourse about perfectionism is alienating.

· The belief that ‘safety is a choice you make’ – 52% agree, is concerning and is out of sync with other beliefs/results in the survey. Such a belief not only drives blaming but also seeks out ‘choice’ in investigations. In my experience most events I investigate don’t involve a rational choice most decisions are made unconsciously. Most of the time the source of decision in events is wicked, most often no cause can be clearly determined.

One thing we can be sure is that objects don’t believe, emote or enact or are ‘motivated’ to enact decisions. No object even AI, has the emotional equipment to ‘motivate’ (https://safetyrisk.net/motivation-and-de-motivation-in-safety/ ) decision. The repetition of algorithms is not a decision. So, without emotion, perception and motivation there is no learning/decision. Machines don’t ‘learn’. No object has agency nor perception and therefore cannot ‘decide’, make or compose. If I fall in a hole and it collapses, it doesn’t engulf me, I am engulfed because of what I enacted driven by a decision to act. The hole had no action to act nor motivation to trigger an emotion to act. Motivation to move and act is emotionally driven.

So we learn today that young men are the group that least believe in their vulnerability to Covid19. Young men aged 18-23 are most likely to believe myths about Covid19. We know that myths are symbols and that belief in symbols is critical to enactment, the swastika demonstrated that.

The shape of belief in young men is consistent with the road toll and other statistics that demonstrate that young men are often uninsurable. Maybe this is something Dawkins referred to as the ‘selfish gene’ or maybe overconfidence in males aged 18-23 by the genome (Ridley, The Genome, Autobiography of a Species) makes them easier to recruit for war? Maybe this explains the nature of the prison population. Maybe this belief explains such headlines as:

· https://www.thecourier.com.au/story/6720361/out-of-towners-caught-flouting-coronavirus-rules-on-great-ocean-road/

· https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/sydney-man-recently-returned-from-jordan-accused-of-flouting-coronavirus-rules-three-times–c-771284

Whatever the shape of belief, so goes the statistics. When I undertake training and the MiProfile survey  it is mostly the young males who think that safety paperwork is BS. So, this creates a bit of a problem if you ‘believe’ paperwork keeps you safe. Of course, this doesn’t mean we ‘target’ young men for attention in safety but rather we need to think more carefully about how we shape belief in communicating to the unconscious.

  • 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)

  • The Global ‘Zero Event’, This is Safety - September 24, 2023
  • If You Can’t Manage Fallibility, You’ll Never Tackle Psychosocial Health - September 23, 2023
  • Embodiment, Myth and Psychosocial Risk - September 23, 2023
  • Embodied Enactivity in Safety - September 21, 2023
  • The Meaning of Myth in Risk - September 20, 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: Covid-19, Robert Long, Zero Harm Tagged With: beliefs

Reader Interactions

Do you have any thoughts? Please share them belowCancel 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 7,512 other subscribers.

FREE eBOOK DOWNLOADS

Recent Comments

  • Matthew Thorne on The Global ‘Zero Event’, This is Safety
  • Rob Long on Hopkins-Dekker on Reason and Other Laughs
  • Matt Thorne on Myth Making and Why it Matters to Safety
  • Rob Long on What’s Funny About Safety?
  • Rob Long on Perfection is Safety Child’s Play
  • Rosa Carrillo on Hopkins-Dekker on Reason and Other Laughs
  • Brent Charlton on Perfection is Safety Child’s Play
  • Anonymous on What’s Funny About Safety?
  • Rob Long on Zero Hour part 6 Knowing Yourself
  • Rob Long on Safety Cops and Safety’s Adoration of Power
  • Rob Long on Book Launch – “Zero, The Great Safety Delusion” – Free Download
  • Rob long on Don’t Be Dumb Like Me, the Typical Safety Keynote
  • Anonymous on Don’t Be Dumb Like Me, the Typical Safety Keynote
  • Joseph D Zinobile on Book Launch – “Zero, The Great Safety Delusion” – Free Download
  • Jason Martell on Safety Cops and Safety’s Adoration of Power
  • Rob Long on Safety Cops and Safety’s Adoration of Power
  • Peter Collins on Safety Cops and Safety’s Adoration of Power
  • Rob Long on Zero Hour Part 4 – Zero and the Unconscious
  • Chiara on Zero Hour Part 4 – Zero and the Unconscious
  • Rob Long on Zero Hour Part 4 – Zero and the Unconscious

RECOMMENDED READING

viral post – iso 45003 and what it cannot do

Introduction to SPOR – FREE!!

Psychosocial Safety and Mental Health Series

If You Can’t Manage Fallibility, You’ll Never Tackle Psychosocial Health

Embodiment, Myth and Psychosocial Risk

7 Golden Rules that are NOT Golden

Why Zero Vision Can Never Tackle Mental Health

If Psychosocial Health Matters, Stop Hot Desking

Effective Strategies in Mental Health at Work

CLLR Newsletter July 2023

Playing With Mental Health in Safety is Dangerous

STOP ‘BREAKING’ PEOPLE! The notion of Psychological Safety

Learning to Learn Socially

More Posts from this Category

NEW! Free Download

Please take our 2 minute zero survey

Footer

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

  • CATCHY and FUNNY SAFETY SLOGANS FOR THE WORKPLACE
  • The Global ‘Zero Event’, This is Safety
  • BIGGEST COLLECTION of WORKPLACE HEALTH and SAFETY SLOGANS 2023
  • If You Can’t Manage Fallibility, You’ll Never Tackle Psychosocial Health
  • Embodiment, Myth and Psychosocial Risk
  • Free Safety Moments and Toolbox Talk Examples, Tips and Resources
  • Road Safety Slogans 2023
  • FREE RISK ASSESSMENT FORMS, CHECKISTS, REGISTERS, TEMPLATES and APPS
  • Free Risk Assessment Template in Excel Format
  • Impacts of Cognitive Dissonance in the Workplace

Recent Posts

  • The Global ‘Zero Event’, This is Safety
  • If You Can’t Manage Fallibility, You’ll Never Tackle Psychosocial Health
  • Embodiment, Myth and Psychosocial Risk
  • Embodied Enactivity in Safety
  • The Meaning of Myth in Risk
  • Myth Making and Why it Matters to Safety
  • Icebreakers and Games that Safety Trainers Play
  • The Power of Safety Myths
  • What Do You Mean By Performance?
  • Hopkins-Dekker on Reason and Other Laughs
  • Perfection is Safety Child’s Play
  • Podcast – Dr Rob Long With John Morlan and The Risk Matrix
  • What’s Funny About Safety?
  • Zero Hour part 6 Knowing Yourself
  • Free Videos, Podcasts and Books on Zero
  • Don’t Be Dumb Like Me, the Typical Safety Keynote
  • If You’re Happy in Safety, Clap Your Hands
  • Safety Cops and Safety’s Adoration of Power
  • Zero Hour Part 5 – Surfacing the Unconscious
  • Zero Hour Part 4 – Zero and the Unconscious
  • Auditing the 7 Golden Rules of Zero, A Miserable Fail
  • 7 Golden Rules that are NOT Golden
  • The Non-Golden Rules for Leadership in Zero
  • Seven ‘Golden’ Rules for Zero and Yet No Ethic
  • Why Zero Vision Can Never Tackle Mental Health
  • Is this Your Safety?
  • SPoR Workshops Canberra 18-21 September
  • The Dominance of Zero as the ‘Common Denominator’ of Safety
  • Zero Hour Episode 3
  • Goal Setting and Zero
  • Zero as a Worldview
  • If Psychosocial Health Matters, Stop Hot Desking
  • Book Launch – “Zero, The Great Safety Delusion” – Free Download
  • Breach of Faith and Psycho-Social Risk
  • Zero Harm is Never Zero Harm
  • Why Would You Want to be a Safety “Geek’ or Hero?
  • The Mental Illness of Identifying as Safety
  • Zero Hour – Zero as a place holder
  • Zero Hour – Zero as a Philosophy
  • CARING ABOUT PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY
  • Care is NOT a Factor and Yes, Your Model Matters
  • Care Ethics and the Ethics of Care, in Risk
  • FEAR AND CONTROL – Dialogue in a technological society
  • Of Course, Method Matters in Safety
  • Day 12 SPoR in Europe
  • Free Study Module Following-Leading in Risk August-September
  • Effective Strategies in Mental Health at Work
  • CLLR Newsletter July 2023
  • Playing With Mental Health in Safety is Dangerous
  • The Sacred and Profane, Rituals and Semiotics, A Lesson for Safety

VIRAL POST!!! HOW TO QUIT THE SAFETY INDUSTRY

FEATURED POSTS

In Honour of George Robotham and Geoff McDonald

The Dance of Death and Randomness

Face to Face SPoR Workshops 2022

Towards Dumb

The Safety Charade as Tokenism in Safety

I was just trying to Help

iCue Listening Engagement Manual

The Last Thing is, Don’t Start with Safety

What is SPoR?

The Domino Myth in Safety

Why Myths in Safety Work

Suffering – Sometimes There Is No Reason

Celebrating 1000 Blogs on Risk

Free Online Introduction to the Social Psychology of Risk

Risk Intelligence, Thinking and Decision Making

The ‘Noise’ of Safety, Silence and Practicing of Mindfulness

Psycho-Social and Socio-Psychological, What’s the Difference?

Free Online Workshops

The Brain as Computer Myth

The Sickness of Safetyism

The Fear of Freedom in Safety

Meeting is NOT About Technique

Foundations of Perception and Imagination in Risk

10 Reasons Why Safety Can Never Make You Happy

Its All In The Sign

Culture Silences in Safety – Critical Thinking

The Safety Control Delusion

Safety as Avoidance

Are You on The Safety Teat?

Am I stupid? I didn’t think of that…

Humanising Safety Free Virtual Conference

Risk Culture and Cultural Risk

Doing Something Bad Well

Sense-Making and Decision-Making in Risk

The Social Psychology of Distance-Safety

Free Two Chapter Download and Book Competition

Living In Glass Houses

Day 11 SPoR in Europe

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

Stand Behind The Yellow Line – Do Engineering Controls Affect Risk?

More Posts from this Category

VIRAL POST – The Risk Matrix Myth

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 7,512 other subscribers.

WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY?

What is Psychological Safety at Work?


WHAT IS PSYCHOSOCIAL SAFETY