Military Metaphors in Safety Check out Rob’s new book: Following-Leading in Risk Weick (1979) tells us that organizing is ‘a consensually validated grammar for reducing equivocality by means of sensible interlocking behaviours’. Wow, what a definition and so much jammed into that definition. What … [Read more...] about Military Metaphors in Safety
Zero Harm
How to Escape the Safety=Zero Cult
There is little doubt that Safety=Zero is a cult (https://safetyrisk.net/the-cult-ure-of-zero/). As I looked at the documentary Escaping Utopia (documenting the Gloryvale cult in NZ (https://iview.abc.net.au/show/escaping-utopia) I saw such similarities in the Indoctrination of … [Read more...] about How to Escape the Safety=Zero Cult
Counting the Cost of Mortality and Fallibility
The weird thing about zero=safety (https://safetyrisk.net/safetyzero-culture/ ) is the denial of mortality and fallibility in all of its discourse and language. Even when you go to the Global Safety Congress, they call it a ‘zero event’ (https://safetyrisk.net/the-global-zero-event-this-is-safety/). … [Read more...] about Counting the Cost of Mortality and Fallibility
How Do You Know Zero Doesn’t Work
I had to have a laugh when I read this pseudo-research on zero (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022437524001178 ). One thing is most certain. If you want critical research that considers ethical and moral meaning, don’t ask Safety. The paper starts out assuming there is … [Read more...] about How Do You Know Zero Doesn’t Work
Making Things Safe is Not Necessarily a Virtue
One can declare something a ‘virtue’, ‘principle’ or ‘professional’, but it doesn’t make it so. Safety is NOT at the top of some hierarchy of concocted values made up by Safety. Safety has no right to over-ride the rights of others or their culture just because it loves to claim such power. Yet, … [Read more...] about Making Things Safe is Not Necessarily a Virtue
Silences in Safety
With the subtlety sledgehammer, Dr Rob Long knocks the unattainable, meaningless ideas and slogans like “Zero Harm” and “Safety First” right on the noggin! Read more of his articles here “Cultures that strategically know their silences are more sophisticated than cultures that fill the airwaves … [Read more...] about Silences in Safety
Tier One Miners, Psychosocial Risk and Zero
We learn yet again through the work of Rio Tinto and BHP that the language of zero is toxic for psychosocial safety (https://michaelwest.com.au/mining-giants-sued-over-alleged-sexual-harassment/). And if there’s one kind of language and discourse tier one’s love so much, it’s zero. Zero … [Read more...] about Tier One Miners, Psychosocial Risk and Zero
Petty Safety is Not Professional
We have seen recently the absurdity of hyper-safety, suggesting all outdoor activities be banned and that Santa wear a seatbelt (https://safetyrisk.net/the-horrors-of-hyper-safety/ ). All suggested by so-called ‘safety professionals’. Of course, this kind of preoccupation with petty low-risk … [Read more...] about Petty Safety is Not Professional
How the Ideology of Zero Destroys Learning in Risk
I read recently about what Zero is doing to recreational enjoyment in New Zealand. This is the lunacy of the absolute of Zero. This is the nonsense you get from the delusion of absolute-safety (Amalberti) and the quest for zero (Taleb). The quest for absolute safety simply makes the populace more … [Read more...] about How the Ideology of Zero Destroys Learning in Risk
My Target Goal is Zero Death
My Target Goal is Zero Death Currently luvin’ the work of Dr Robert Long and have read his book “Risk Makes Sense” over and over. Just came across a recent post on his blog which puts the absurdity of ZERO HARM goals in perspective we can all understand. While ever we are breathing we can than … [Read more...] about My Target Goal is Zero Death