When any organisation is trying to convey a message (whether it is known or unknown), it usually involves a series of Linguistics, Paralinguistics and Semiotics. https://safetyrisk.net/culture-silences-in-safety-linguistics/. In such situations some level of intelligence and congruence is helpful. Semiotics help form a conscious and unconscious understanding of the message to be conveyed.
The AIHS manages to kick an own goal by not only demonstrating anything Social about its merchandise. Take for example the AIHS Socks. What is represented? The very things that people ridicule about the industry – Hard hats, boots, gloves, the very thing that Safety polices in any crackdown, the very thing people hate, becomes the symbol for the AIHS.
What is Safety known for? It’s love of objects.
How do you symbolise being ‘stronger together’? By images of objects!
A week after the conference, people are still talking about the objects, merchandising and material things. When it comes to persons, Safety prefers objects.
I haven’t seen a post about what participants learnt, what will change, or how anyone felt ‘Stronger Together’.
The only comments I saw were a few comments on LinkedIn: ‘I like them’ and ‘they look like a pair of quality socks’, ‘I suggest they will wear well’.
The second comment was that I ‘had a problem with the AIHS and i was a ‘Negative Nellie’ and I should ‘leave’. This is what mindless compliance does.
So, when I ask a question, again Safety looks to shut down the conversation and tell me what I am, tell me where I should go.
It should be foundational for any person in safety to ask critical questions, apparently not. Closing down inquiry is apparently Safety Leadership?
At the recent Social Psychology of Risk (SPoR) Conference held in Canberra the week prior to the AIHS Conference, the topics discussed were: ‘Personality and Personhood’ and Everyday Social Resilience, with a full day Semiotics Walk and Dinner. We were challenged constantly about how we felt within an environment designed to move us, motive us and influence us.
This was more ‘Think to Share’ than ‘Dress to Impress’ with the emphasis on ‘Meeting’, persons and relationships not objects.
If Safety has an interest in being ‘stronger together’ maybe some semiotics of persons together in relationships might be better. Maybe if Safety understood that risk was a ‘wicked problem’ it might give away this silly fixation with policing objects and start putting a focus on persons, risk and resilience. Sadly no. And for heavens sake don’t criticise safety!
If you want to consider safety as a wicked problem then join me online and expand your thinking about risk:
https://safetyrisk.net/update-free-workshop-on-wicked-problems-with-matt-thorne/
Who knows, this workshop might help you move away from objects to persons and this is by far a better way to be stronger together.
brhttps://safetyrisk.net/aihs-bares-its-sole/
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