In our latest book SEEK Investigations, A Semiotic Method for free download, we analyse common gaps in the 22 most common investigation methods on the market.

Whilst there are many glaring omissions in these popular methods (examined in our book), none tackle the challenge of trauma-awareness and response. Add to this, a lack of self-awareness needed for investigations (https://safetyrisk.net/the-myth-of-objectivity-in-investigations/) and the myth of objectivity and you have a recipe for disaster.

A lack of awareness and skill in trauma-awareness is not just naïve but dangerous. Moreso, a lack of awareness about Justice in such moments is fostered in Safety by the nonsense slogan ‘blame fixes nothing’ (https://safetyrisk.net/the-pcbu-the-law-blame-reality-and-the-con/). You couldn’t make up something more dangerous than this slogan. Yet, Safety runs around parading this ignorance as some kind of new approach to safety.

If one is going to take on the challenges of investigations seriously, then skilled awareness of trauma is a start. Without a trauma-informed approach, the likelihood of causing deeper harm is significant. Similarly, naivety about the nature of blame is also highly dangerous (https://safetyrisk.net/the-meaning-of-blame-thinking-beyond-the-spin-and-slogans/). But why let scholarship get in the way when a quick buck is to be made, follow the money.

What an incredible contradiction that we have an industry screaming from the rooftops about psychosocial safety and yet no consciousness of a trauma-informed approach in investigations! I know, lets preach zero harm and then harm people psychologically in investigations.

Trauma is a form of violence yet, you won’t read about it in James Reason’s silly model of violations. Violence is not about physical violence but about something much deeper than physical harm.

Violence is about an ethical/moral violation of personhood.

Violence is about the nature of power and being overcome by a power that violates one’s person. A good place in understanding the nature of violence holistically is with Ellul (1969) Violence, Reflections from a Christian Perspective or Girard (1972) Violence and the Sacred.

At a deep level, trauma is about moral distress and moral safety. Trauma can surface in physical, emotional, moral and spiritual illness. Because we know that The Body Keeps the Score (Van Der Kolk) (https://ia601604.us.archive.org/35/items/the-body-keeps-the-score-pdf/The-Body-Keeps-the-Score-PDF.pdf). We also know that recovery from trauma is informed by a mature understanding of Justice (Herman, (2023) Truth and Repair, How Trauma Survivors Envision Justice). This is also why the HOP slogan ‘blame fixes nothing’ is so dangerous and harmful.

All of this is inter-mingled: harm, justice, Justice, trauma, healing, helping, blame, personhood, violation and care.

The last thing needed in any of this is some naïve Safety idea of ‘just culture’ or ‘blame fixes nothing’. Perhaps this is why Safety never discusses the nature of trauma in investigations. Afterall, if engineers can teach ethics and objectivity (https://safetyrisk.net/the-myth-of-objectivity-in-investigations/) why would trauma be an issue.

Being trauma-informed is the beginning of wisdom for any investigation.

This is why any cookie-cutter method of investigation and related time pressures, are a dangerous recipe for harm. The same also applies to moral awareness of privacy and confidentiality, the foundation of professionalism. But these are also not considered in a mature way in any of the common 22 investigations models on the market. But don’t forget, repeat the words ‘safety professional’ as often as possible and make it so.

If you want to learn about a different approach to investigations that incorporates methods to tackle the nature of: trauma, self-awareness, subjectivity, moral safety, professionalism and distress, then you can start with start with the book SEEK Investigations or email us at admin@spor.com.au for more information.

This handy little visual book is also a start: https://student.londonmet.ac.uk/media/london-metropolitan-university/london-met-documents/professional-service-departments/student-services/counselling-service/trauma-is-really-strange.pdf