The parallels between worker safety and religion are enough to give you pause. Consider the religious-tinged vocabulary of safety. There is the vision. The mission. The “born again” exec. The true-believer. Zealots and fanatics. The safety pro as “Father Confessor” confidentially listening to the rules broken by a “safety sinner.”
Ah, those rules. Safety has its commandments, its cardinal rules. Just about any company can dust off its safety rulebook. Cite its safety doctrine. OSHA regs are chock full of “shall” and “shall not” exhortations. Has anyone called OSHA “dogmatic” lately? I think I see a hand go up somewhere.