Refer also to: The Arse-Covering Myth Swimming Up Stream and the Safe Work Method Statement Dilemma I was with an organisation this week that was being inspected by the regulator. The regulator had the unenviable task of assessing whether this organisation was appropriately managing … [Read more...] about Swimming Up Stream and the SWMS Dilemma
Work Method Statements
Technique – The Worship of a False Idol
By Simon Renatus In the digital age, we have traded gods of stone for gods of silicon, bowing to the altar of algorithms and screens, mistaking data for wisdom and followers for meaning. (ChatGPT, 2024) This quote raises important questions about the role of technology in our lives. Can an … [Read more...] about Technique – The Worship of a False Idol
The Seduction to Simplify Safety
The Seduction to Simplify Safe Work Method Statements Everyone knows that we are already in an age of excess in safety. This is the dilemma of optimisation. Some now talk about ‘ultra-safety’ organisations and wonder how much more they can do and say in the name of safety. How much does one have to … [Read more...] about The Seduction to Simplify Safety
Pass Me Another SWMS Leo, The Last One Was Too Short
Isn’t it marvelous, SAI Global recently advertised new editable SWMSs (Safe Work Method Statement) for download. Now you don’t have to really assess risk, understand the job or know how to be safe, it’s the ultimate in cut and paste. So when the inspector comes, all the columns will be ruled … [Read more...] about Pass Me Another SWMS Leo, The Last One Was Too Short
Of Course, Method Matters in Safety
I heard someone the other day in Safety state that method and methodology was not important because it didn’t matter as long as lives were ‘saved’. This is the kind of nonsense I would expect from an industry without a clue of moral philosophy or ethics … [Read more...] about Of Course, Method Matters in Safety
The Myth of the SWMS Manifesto
The Myth of the SWMS Manifesto I’d like a dollar for every mail I get telling stories about what is considered necessary in a Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS). It seems that Safety is far more attentive to safety mythology (something that is made symbolically true, that isn’t) than what is … [Read more...] about The Myth of the SWMS Manifesto
Things To Consider When Developing And Designing Your Company SWMS
Things To Consider When Developing And Designing Your Company SWMS Guest Post Download examples: [download id="107223"] [download id="107227"] The Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) is one important document that is valuable in establishing business safety systems, especially for … [Read more...] about Things To Consider When Developing And Designing Your Company SWMS
Censorship and Taboos in Safety
Censorship and Taboos in Safety One of the interesting things we do in SPoR workshops is an audit of language, just a simple psychoanalysis of words associated with a key word. For example, ask any group what they associate with the language of ‘safety’ and the responses are dominated by: controls, … [Read more...] about Censorship and Taboos in Safety
Ten Cautions About Safety Checklists
A checklist for checking your use of checklists :-) Ten Cautions About Safety Checklists See also: Making Objects Safe or People Safe (Dr Rob Long), Risk is About People, not just Objects (Rob Sams) Whilst value of checklists is well documented by Gawande (The Checklist Manifesto) and others, … [Read more...] about Ten Cautions About Safety Checklists
Work Method Statement Development Guide
Oh dear……. this guide may excite some safety people and have given the developers a warm fuzzy feeling but it’s missing some crucial components – can you tell me what they are? Download the Guide Here Work Method Statement Guide Its pretty obvious what’s missing but there are some clues in … [Read more...] about Work Method Statement Development Guide