Originally posted on April 21, 2021 @ 5:44 PM
Yes, It’s A Checklist
So April 28 is 2021 World Day for Safety and Health at Work and Workers’ Memorial Day . What would be a good symbol/semiotic to capture the meaning of this day? What would be a beaut poster that could be offered to link safety to the grief and loss of losing a loved one at work? What is safety all about? When we think of safety what is the symbol/myth that captures our attention and inspires us? Yep, you can download it (HERE): A CHECKLIST!.
I kid you not. When Safety wants to tell the world what safety is about it’s captured in a checklist, placed inside a shield. If there was ever an industry dumb about semiotics its safety.
Of course, one of the greatest risks in the safety industry is ‘tick and flick’ that simple process that gets paperwork out of the way so we ‘get the job done’. Ah yes, this is what we want to reinforce to people in our semiotics, safety is about ‘tick and flick’ and being ‘papersafe’ (https://www.booktopia.com.au/paper-safe-gregory-w-smith/book/9780987630001.html). These two are the most dangerous things to ensuring a safe workplace.
One of the foundational studies in the Social Psychology of Risk (SPoR) is semiotics, the study of how signs, symbols and myths communicate to the unconscious. Studying semiotics is by far our most popular program (https://cllr.com.au/product/semoiotics-and-the-social-psychology-of-risk-unit-3/) we are running 5 courses in semiotics at the moment with large International companies. You can view a video about semiotics here: https://vimeo.com/221858545. Semiotics is the foundation for any understanding of culture.
How remarkable this industry of dumb that wants to communicate the meaning of loss and harm to persons and the need for safety by symbolising this with a checklist! How fascinating this industry that loves the brand ‘professional’ then represents itself by a number! How strange this industry that defines safety by injury rates and then encourages tick and flick by its symbology!
Semiotic Walks from CLLR on Vimeo.
Rob Long says
Yes, the question of power and politics is never discussed in any safety forum nor the nature of social reproduction. I think Safety thinks Karl Marx was one of the Marx Brothers comedian troupe of the 1920s.
The lack of critical thinking is the sector is fostered by a narrow curriculum and an emphasis on checklisting, policing, regulation and counting injury rates. All ably fostered by the global mantra of zero.
R says
And like Goebbels and his merry crew, those in power for the Safety Trade will NEVER think critically about this industry because it is a threat to their power. It is not, and maybe never was, about helping workers tackle risk more effectively. People are cogs in a machine that can be replaced if and when they fail. If you work in this industry, here are your choices 1) quit and find another job in a different industry or 2) understand you serve 2 sides of the aisle a) the decision makers that define safety by a number and are so detached from reality they will not or cannot think critically or even care about human well being and b) the workers in the field. With option 2, you will have to speak with a forked tongue by dancing for “the man” by providing numbers and then acknowledge to those in the field that you and they are trapped in a system they did not create but between human beings we can do our best to tackle risk and work together to minimize damage (avoid getting sacked) when there is an injury.
The Safety trade would make any cult envious