The Hidden Language of Safety

At Safety on the Edge in Berkeley, I walked into James Pomeroy’s keynote expecting another set of metrics, frameworks, or systems theory. But what I got instead was a completely different lens, one that made me sit forward, slow down, and really think.

That single line opened the door to a talk unlike any other I attended at the conference.

James is no stranger to the field, he’s a seasoned global HSE leader, currently pursuing a PhD focused on the meanings we assign to safety artefacts like signs, procedures, and data. His session explored how metaphors are not simply communication tools, but meaning-making engines. They shape how people understand risk, how leaders frame responsibility, and how entire organisations behave.

And once you start noticing them, you can’t unsee them.

Metaphors We Live (and Lead) By

James began by tracing the history of safety metaphors, from “accident proneness” and the “domino theory,” to Swiss cheese models and energy barriers. These aren’t just technical concepts, he pointed out. They are frames of meaning. And frames matter, because they shape behaviour.

He introduced the idea of metaphorical frames. Shared ways of interpreting the world based on language. For example, when a CEO says “we are on a burning platform,” they are doing more than expressing urgency. They are positioning the organisation in a life-or-death scenario. The words they use create a worldview, and that worldview drives how people act.

James' research revealed just how pervasive metaphor is in safety. Consider common phrases like:

• “Frontline workers”

• “Line of fire”

• “Last line of defence”

• “Battle against incidents”

These are all drawn from the language of war. Yet war metaphors imply an enemy, a threat to be conquered, and a sacrifice to be made. During the pandemic, we saw this play out in real time. Health workers were praised for being “brave,” as if bravery could substitute for PPE. The language of heroism sometimes became an excuse for not addressing systemic failures.

As James pointed out, metaphors are not neutral. They signal beliefs. They embed bias. And over time, they quietly influence how organisations define success, assign blame, and shape accountability.

The Nine Metaphors of Safety

One of the most striking parts of the session was when James introduced his research on the nine dominant metaphors of safety. Displayed on the screen behind him was a colourful slide that visually mapped the frames he has identified through years of analysing corporate reports and interviewing practitioners.

1. Safety as a Machine

   Systems with cogs, dials, and parts. Everything is logical, predictable, and fixable. Problems are broken links, and humans are often the weakest component.

2. Safety as a Building

   Strength, structure, and foundations. Incidents become “cracks” that reveal where reinforcement is needed. The metaphor calls for resilience, but also patience, since buildings take time to construct.

3. Safety as an Ecosystem

   Constantly adapting, evolving, and responding to change. Leaders become gardeners, nurturing growth. But the metaphor can also obscure accountability, as there’s no clear end state.

4. Safety as a Journey

   Momentum, progress, and milestones. It’s compelling but imprecise. A journey implies movement, but doesn’t always clarify the destination, or whether the path is equitable for all involved.

5. Safety as a War

   Conflict, defence, and sacrifice. This is one of the most concerning frames, especially in today’s world. It can create division, normalise harm, and obscure the fact that risks are often internal to the system, not external enemies.

6. Safety as First

   A rhetorical device to assert priority. “Safety is first” is common in reports and boardrooms, yet when it comes into conflict with production or cost, its position can quickly slip.

7. Safety as Fantasy

   Procedures and metrics that create the illusion of control. James spoke of “magic numbers” and “fantasy plans”, the documents that exist but don’t reflect real work. This metaphor exposes the performative side of safety, where the appearance of rigour substitutes for actual effectiveness.

8. Safety as Vision

   Seeing risk before it arises, having foresight. This frame links awareness with intelligence. But it can also carry unhelpful assumptions about those who miss hazards, or overlook the limits of individual perception.

9. Safety as Voice

   Speaking up, being heard, raising concerns. On the surface, this metaphor seems empowering. But it also reveals hierarchy. “Speaking up” implies someone is down, needing to reach someone above. It frames leadership as gatekeeper to visibility and action.

   

   Nine Metaphors of Safety by James Pomeroy

Language Isn’t a Detail. It’s the Design.

At multiple points, James returned to the idea that language isn’t just what we use to talk about safety, it’s how we shape it.

He referenced a famous quote:

Originally used in political discourse, James applied it to workplaces.

I found this especially powerful. Because in my own work, I’ve seen how engineering culture is often laced with metaphors of control, defence, and perfection. We want systems that can be measured, managed, and mastered. But safety, like inclusion, doesn’t always fit into that mould. It’s felt, interpreted, and shaped by lived experience.

He shared an example from his research. When he introduced the term “work as imagined” before asking people about procedures, participants responded with scepticism. But when he left the metaphor out, the feedback was more open and considered.

That small shift changed everything.

Why This Matters Now

Language is the connective tissue between policy and practice. If we want our systems to be inclusive, human-centred, and resilient, we have to examine how they are described.

James’ keynote felt like both an invitation and a challenge. To think beyond slogans. To choose language that reflects care rather than command. To stop treating people as cogs or soldiers and start treating them as participants in a living, breathing system.

I left the session asking myself:

• What metaphors do I use most often?

• Are they helping or hindering the outcomes I want?

• And what would it look like to intentionally design new ones?

Practical Takeaways for Safety Leaders

James closed the session with a slide titled Practical Take Aways, offering three guiding actions:

Be Aware

1. Recognise when you are communicating with metaphor, and its effect on others.

2. Consider the bias and perspective that metaphorical frames have on your views.

Alternate

1. To change your thinking, change the metaphor. Alternate or communicate literally.

2. Take care with metaphors in formal safety materials.

Explore

1. Pay attention to metaphors in firsthand descriptions and mimic them.

2. Use these to explore and understand experience, ask, “Tell me more about...”

This, to me, is where the real power of the talk lay. It wasn’t about dismissing current systems. It was about becoming more mindful, and more responsible, for how we describe them.

See Mark in Action!