by Billy Snead

Joseph Désiré Court’s painting, Scene of Deluge, 1826

You see a person trying to save his father and completely ignoring his wife and kid (son) who are closer to him. The wife represents the present life, the son the future and the grandfather on the other hand represents the past, which the man clings. Thus, losing his present life and future. A perfect metaphor of what many go through daily. Risk and Safety people too.

 I recently stumbled upon this piece of art that fascinated me. What I was intrigued by was the view of the artist – demonstrating the other side of the flood myth that I had never thought of – the people that perished. It was a reminder for me to embrace other perspectives and to be sensitive to the other side of issues. Powerful art!

In the biblical book of Genesis God flooded the earth, sparing only Noah and his family who had been instructed to build an ark. All others perished in the great deluge. Instead of illustrating the life of Noah, Court gives us a scene from the other side of the story. Here a man must choose between saving his own son or his father. He chooses his father who, despite the man’s efforts, has just slipped out of his grasp. The painting can be read as an allegory about clinging to the past. If you always look to traditions and the past, you will miss out on all the possibilities that the future can bring.⁠

I see traditional risk and safety management approaches in a similar way. Clinging to old ways and methods. SPOR offers a method that will help organizations grow past the old, tired methods to a new proven approach integrating transdisciplinary methods that offer new insights and solutions. I am currently studying the Wicked Problems course with Craig Ashhurst and it is eye opening how much deeper we could go with a process like his.

This imagery can indeed parallel how some traditional risk and safety professionals might hold onto established methods, even when innovative approaches could offer better solutions.

In the context of risk and safety management, it is crucial to balance respect for proven practices with openness to innovation. Just as the flood in Court’s painting represents a dramatic shift, embracing new methodologies can lead to significant improvements in safety and risk management.

There is great power in Art and Myth that helps us understand risk.

The painting highlights the chaos, human struggle, and opposite view of the flood and the message of clinging to the past.

Myth and Art can serve as powerful semiotics to understand and communicate complex concepts like risk and safety.

Traditional Risk and Safety Management

The conventional approach to risk and safety management that is usually present in organizations include:

• Risk avoidance: A defensive strategy to prepare for the unexpected.
• Hazard control: A traditional concept of safety in project management.
• Regulatory compliance: A traditional concept of safety in project management.
• Reactive focus: A traditional approach that focuses on preventing accidents.
• Inventorying what’s bad: A conventional approach that focuses on what’s not good for money, health, or reputation.
• Asking what-can-go-wrong questions: A conventional approach that produces lists of risks and controls to mitigate them.
• Internal audits: A conventional approach that assesses the effectiveness of controls.

Even when these methods become rigid, siloed and stale – we cling to them. We respect each one, but when they become ineffective, we should be looking into methods that WILL work.

A transdisciplinary approach to solving problems is a collaborative method that involves scholars from multiple disciplines working together to develop new solutions to real-world problems. This approach is characterized by:

• Holistic: Transdisciplinary approaches are holistic, meaning they consider the whole picture.
• Problem-focused: Transdisciplinary approaches are focused on solving specific problems.
• Integrative: Transdisciplinary approaches integrate knowledge from multiple disciplines.
• Collaborative: Transdisciplinary approaches require collaboration between scholars from different disciplines.
• Innovative: Transdisciplinary approaches require innovation to develop new solutions.

This approach involves integrating knowledge and methods from different disciplines (e.g. psychology, sociology, engineering, ART) to create more comprehensive and adaptive risk management strategies.

Allegory of Clinging to the Past

• Traditional Risk Management: Often relies heavily on historical data and past practices, which may not be sufficient for addressing new and emerging risks.
• Transdisciplinary Approach: Encourages looking forward and embracing new methodologies, technologies, and perspectives to stay ahead of evolving risks.

“Embracing the Deluge” is about moving beyond traditional, siloed approaches to risk and safety, and instead, adopting a more integrated, creative, and human-centered perspective.  This can lead to more resilient and adaptive practices that are better suited to the complexities of the modern world.

As we navigate the turbulent waters of risk and safety, we can draw inspiration from the timeless wisdom of myth and art Just as the painter captures a profound struggle and potential for renewal, embracing a transdisciplinary approach can transform our understanding and management of risk. By integrating the social psychology of risk, we can move beyond mere compliance and tired old methods to create a culture of resilience and innovation. In the face of a deluge in our work in risk and safety, let us not just survive, but thrive.

SPOR has much of what we need for thriving. Open your heart and mind to seeing the value.