letter from director
kelvin genn

managing director

If people would just follow the rules...

It's now September 2020, we are six months into COVID-19, and it is still a mystery as to what the year ahead will bring. Now, is the time when we can take stock and reflect as to where we are and what we have learnt so far. 

The COVID-19 experience, in one sense, is an opportunity to observe a global experiment in which different strategies and philosophies have been applied to a worldwide challenge, often within a local construct. I think it is helpful to view this experience through the lens of safety differently where we can see in practice the strategies and interventions that are drawn from safety I and safety II approaches. 

In the initial phases of the COVID-19 response, there was a clear sense of common purpose and collaboration across communities, business and government alike, all seeking to work in harmony. There was tangible success from this cooperative and collaborative effort. However, divergence started to appear as time went on, where we can now see the emergent variations in different geographical and political contexts.

In the safety context, which has emerged in Australia as the dominant paradigm, people have been viewed as a problem to control; where problems would be resolved “if only people would just follow the rules”. Therefore, “Rule Breakers” need to be controlled with increasing constraint, in an environment of fear and punishment. In this condition, the dominant public and political discourse has been a culture of blame and persecution....

prevention by design
professor michael behm

advisory board member

Michael Behm is a professor of Occupational Safety at East Carolina University and an advisor at art of work.

Watch the interview to learn more about Mike and how he came into working in the industry of safety. 

Thank you to all those who attended our Enabling Safety by Design Master Class SELL OUT event, presented by Professor Mike Behm.  The innovative ideas that participants shared through our collaborative IT platforms provided some excellent topics of discussion. We hope that everyone who attended found purpose and inspiration from the Master Class, and discovered new ways of thinking about safety through design. We encourage participants to continue building connections with the like-minded people through the virtual platform.

new advisory board member
rosa antonia carrillo

As a dedicated champion of promoting safety, wellbeing and inclusion in the workplace, Rosa Carrillo has devoted her career to coaching, teaching and developing leaders. She has helped companies transform their safety performance for over 25 years in oil and gas, pharmaceutical, nuclear, mining, manufacturing and power generation in multiple countries.

At the core of her new book, The Relationship Factor in Safety Leadership, are eight beliefs about human nature that are common to leaders who successfully communicate that the wellbeing of employees is important while getting extraordinary business results. She explains how to create and recover important stakeholder relationships by taking action based on these beliefs. Edgar H. Schein, author of Organizational Culture and Leadership and the Humble Leadership Series commented that her book should be required reading for all leaders concerned with safety....