By Simon Renatus

Phenomenology[i] challenges traditional distinctions between appearance and reality by proposing that phenomena reveal reality directly.  Rather than searching for a hidden truth behind appearances, phenomenology asserts that reality is embedded in how the world presents itself to us.

Traditional philosophy often distinguishes between how objects appear (phenomena) and their true, objective nature.  This carries the assumption that to understand an object fully, one must go beyond its appearance.  Phenomenology tells us something about the apparent nature of objects, but the assumption that a deeper, objective reality exists beyond appearances implies a ‘two-world doctrine’: that the phenomenon conceals an objective reality behind it.  This implies that behind the veil of subjectivity lies the ‘really real’.  However, is this division necessary?

Heidegger’s phenomenology rejects the two-world doctrine, arguing that phenomena do not conceal reality but reveal it directly.  As he states,

A phenomenon is nothing behind which there would be something else… since what that phenomenon gives is precisely that something in itself.  (Heidegger, 1985, p. 86).

In phenomenology, there is no hidden reality to be uncovered beyond appearances.  Reality can show itself in different forms or contexts.  For example, an object might appear differently when you casually perceive it, when you use it, or when you analyse it scientifically.  In all these cases, what is appearing is still the reality, just from different angles or layers of understanding.  What appears to us is reality itself, as presented through various modes of manifestation.

In this view, there is no conflict between the subjective and ‘science’.  Phenomenology provides a more integrated approach to knowledge, where both everyday perception and scientific investigation reveal different aspects of the same reality.  The two are not mutually exclusive, but rather different manifestations.

This perspective weakens the argument for Safety-as-science or Safety-as-engineering.  In workplace safety, phenomenology’s insights can be applied to the way workers’ experiences of risks are perceived.

The two-world doctrine is reflected in how safety models like the Heinrich Pyramid[ii] or Bradley Curve[iii], are treated as absolute truths.  These models imply a hidden, objective risk reality that management claims to understand, while workers’ lived experiences are considered subjective, and therefore, invalid.  This creates a dangerous disconnect; “real” safety is perceived as existing beyond the everyday experiences of workers.

However, phenomenology tells us that reality, including safety, is revealed through multiple manifestations.  The Heinrich Pyramid and Bradley Curve are not definitive truths but rather specific representations of understanding safety—manifestations that highlight certain aspects of risk.  Workers’ experiences are another manifestation, just as valid and necessary in shaping a comprehensive understanding of risk.  A phenomenological approach to safety challenges the arrogance of relying solely on quasi-scientific models, and instead embraces the full range of experiences and manifestations, allowing safety to be co-created by management and workers alike.

Phenomenology challenges the traditional separation between appearance and reality by emphasizing that reality is revealed through phenomena. This perspective has practical implications for workplace safety, where workers’ perceptions of risks must be valued as part of the real risk landscape.

Sources

Heidegger, M. (1985). History of the concept of time: Prolegomena (T. Kisiel, Trans.). Indiana University Press. (Original work published 1927).

Heinrich, H. W. (1941). Industrial accident prevention: A scientific approach (2nd ed., 7th impression). McGraw-Hill.

Jasiulewicz-Kaczmarek, M., Szwedzka, K., & Szczuka, M. (2015). Behaviour based intervention for occupational safety – Case study. In Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics (AHFE 2015) and the Affiliated Conferences. Poznan University of Technology.

Zahavi, D. (2019). Phenomenology: The basics. Routledge.

[i] Phenomenology: As one of the most influential philosophical traditions of the 20th century, phenomenology was founded by Edmund Husserl to examine how we directly experience and perceive the world.  Rather than seeking to explain why things exist, phenomenology focuses on how they appear to us, exploring the structures of consciousness and experience.  Prominent figures such as Martin Heidegger, Jean-Paul Sartre, Emmanuel Levinas, and Maurice Merleau-Ponty expanded on Husserl’s work, furthering our understanding of reality as it’s lived, rather than as an abstract concept.

[ii] The Heinrich Pyramid, introduced by H.W. Heinrich in Industrial Accident Prevention: A Scientific Approach (1941), suggests that for every major accident, there are a greater number of minor incidents and even more near misses.  The model implies a statistical correlation between the frequency of these events, with the idea that reducing minor incidents and near misses will also reduce major accidents.  Although widely used in safety management, the model has been criticised for oversimplifying the complexity of workplace accidents.

[iii] The Bradley Curve is a model developed by DuPont to illustrate the stages of safety culture maturity within an organisation.  The curve outlines four phases: reactive, dependent, independent, and interdependent, suggesting that as an organisation’s safety culture matures, individuals move from being dependent on external enforcement of safety rules to taking personal responsibility and ultimately working interdependently.  Critics argue that the model oversimplifies cultural transformation and may not account for the complexities of human behaviour in different workplace environments.