The Cult of Safety

                Carl Jung once said “People don’t have ideas. Ideas have people.” Safety is our first priority”, is an idea that has people in its possession. Let’s examine the motives behind rigid adherence to authoritarian “safety” policies.

                One of my main issues with the Authoritarianism often born of the cult of safety is that it gives seemingly unearned and unchecked authority to people who, haven’t earned it, want it too badly, want it for all the wrong reasons, and should not be trusted with it. I believe it was Plato who suggested that it is only the man or woman a little reluctant to accept authority that should be trusted with it.

“Power lust is a weed that grows in the abandoned lots of a vacant mind.” – Ayn Rand.

                In my 30 years of welding industry experience, I have had the pleasure of working with some very good safety people who were genuinely concerned about safety and had a genuine commitment to ensure safe worksite conditions for those on the job. It is certainly not those who I take exception to.

                 I have also, unfortunately, seen many would be safety (so-called) people who were driven by a deep sense of resentment, envy, and power-lust. Many authoritarians who masquerade as safety people are those who, having no real meaningful skill or productive achievements of their own, simply derive tremendous satisfaction and self-esteem from being able to kick around other workers. (Workers who, consequently are the ones doing the work that earns the income that pays the safety person’s wage.)

I have encountered several such “safety” people who proudly announce their “right” to steal or destroy the property of others on the pretense of safety. I will point out here that there can be no “right” that involves the violation of the rights of others. A right that is dependent on the violation of the rights of others is a contradiction in terms.

“Distrust all those in whom the impulse to punish is powerful.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

                Those who have earned their positions of authority have no need to engage in such behavior. It is for this central reason that I would advise companies and their respective managers to be very careful about who you place in positions of authority. You might want to ask perspective candidates exactly “why” they want this position. Be very wary of anyone who merely wants power for power’s sake. This authoritarian mindset is a cancerous mentality and will prove demoralizing to your crew and damaging to your organization as a whole.