Thinking about Safety

While conducting their business, organizations have a moral and ethical responsibility to make a positive contribution to society. Safety is one important aspect of this responsibility.

There are many definitions of Safety. A widely accepted one is the freedom from the occurrence or risk of injury to, danger to, or loss of human life. Leading organizations will encompass mental, social, emotional, and spiritual risks humans face under a Health and/or Well-being portfolio. Safety concerns equally apply to the risk that physical assets such as property, structures, tools, equipment, vehicles encounter.

There are also differing views about Safety as an entity. Some believe Safety is created like a product or service. Others think that Safety is more like air - omnipresent and subject to contamination if not carefully managed. A new view sees Safety as an emergent property of a complex adaptive system.