Welcome to a special milestone episode of The BC Safety Briefing - our first deep dive into academic research that shapes our profession.

Featured Paper

"Investigating the 'blues' of safety professionals"
Authors: Didier Delaitre, Justin Larouzée, Jean-Christophe Le Coze, Aurélien Portelli, Eric Rigaud
Presented at the 35th European Safety and Reliability Conference, Stavanger, June 2024

Episode Highlights

• The "Blues" Phenomenon: Widespread discontent among safety professionals globally, expressed through books with provocative titles like "Safety Sucks!" and "I Know My Shoes Are Untied, Mind Your Own Business!"
• Three Main Complaints:
  • Excessive bureaucratization - more paperwork than prevention
  • Disconnect from field reality - office-based rule-writing without understanding actual work
  • Lack of professional recognition - underpaid, overworked, and blamed when accidents occur
• Root Causes:
  • Safety education focused on legal/engineering, ignoring organizational psychology
  • Globalization creating standardized approaches that miss local context
  • Digital society amplifying reporting requirements
• BC Relevance: These challenges mirror what we see in forestry, construction, and mining across British Columbia
• Hope for Change: By naming and studying this phenomenon, we can begin addressing the profession-wide crisis of meaningful work

About the Researcher

Jean-Christophe Le Coze is a distinguished researcher at INERIS (French National Institute for Industrial Environment and Risks) with decades of experience examining how we learn from accidents and challenging safety assumptions. His work includes analyzing the Toulouse ammonium nitrate explosion and critiquing traditional safety models like the Swiss cheese model.

Musical Feature

This episode features "Safety Professional Blues" by Al "B.B." King (Artificial Intelligence meets B.B. King), a humorous blues song that captures the absurd moments we all recognize - from investigating paper cuts while forklifts do wheelies to having an office between the boiler and the bathroom.

Key Takeaway

Recognizing these challenges is the first step toward solving them. This research gives us vocabulary for what many safety professionals feel and opens the door for honest conversations about our profession's future.

Resources

• Find the full paper in the 35th European Safety and Reliability Conference proceedings
• Learn more about Le Coze's research at INERIS website
• WorkSafeBC resources: www.worksafebc.com

Disclaimer

This AI-generated podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be considered legal or professional advice.

Connect With Us

Website: www.pragmaticsafety.ca
Email: david.dunham@pragmaticsafety.ca

Remember: Safety is everyone's responsibility, but it's our job to make it meaningful and connected to real work across British Columbia.]]>