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Gesture in Risk Matters

  A gesture is an embodied communication that signals a bodily sign with or without language. When we wave goodbye or shake hands on ‘hello’ we communicate symbolically which is the power of embodied communication. Whether the ‘pat on the back’ is a metaphor or a physical gesture, it conveys more than descriptive (phatic) language. …

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Surfacing – Making the Unconscious Conscious

Surfacing - Making the Unconscious Conscious The elephant in the room in Safety is The Wayward Mind (Claxton ) and by ‘mind’ I don’t mean brain. The notion of ‘mind’ refers to the whole person: body, brain and environment. Humans are only persons-minds in social relation, this is what the noted educationalist Robinson talks about …

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Behaviourist Neuroscience as Safety

Behaviourist Neuroscience as Safety It’s fascinating and entertaining to watch Safety manipulate the discipline of neuroscience to suit its own behaviourist worldview. Even more fascinating to watch Safety, with no expertise in neuroscience, bend this discipline to behaviourist outcomes then claim that it has moved on from behaviourism. Then further to claim that neuroscience understands …

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Chronic Unease is Not Enough

Chronic Unease is Not Enough   The concept of ‘chronic unease’ has been about in safety for some time. It was unfortunately put forward by Reason as a mindset to tackle complacency. Complacency is rarely well defined and is most associated with: in-alertness, lethargy, laziness, not being careful, inattentiveness, lack of attention and lack of …

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The New Enemy of Safety – The Unconscious

The New Enemy of Safety – The Unconscious I read with interest the ‘Safer Communities: Six Lessons in Health and Safety’ from the British Safety Council. The assumptions and hidden agenda of Lessons 1, 4, 5 and 6 are most concerning and demonstrate many of the problems associated with dumb down Safety. Here are the …

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