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The true meaning of safety: Why it's more than just avoiding danger?
We live in a world where safety, which means protection from the threat of harm or other danger, is not just a single concept but a system of interactions. The word "safety" entered the English language in the 14th century, and it originated from the Latin word "salvus", which means a state of being unharmed or healthy. As the times change, the definition of safety has become more complex, covering multiple levels such as physical, psychological and social.
Safety is the "steady state" of an organization or place that focuses on preventing and controlling risks.
Safety is not just about avoiding danger, but also about controlling known dangers to achieve an acceptable level of risk. The distinction is worth exploring in more detail. For example, home security may refer to a building’s ability to withstand external hazards (such as weather or intrusion), or it may refer to the safety of interior features (such as appliances, stairways, etc.) for occupants. The two are not two unrelated kinds of security, but different aspects of the same stable state.
However, the limitation of security is that we cannot absolutely eliminate risk. Even if it were possible to eliminate all risk, such an effort would be extremely expensive and unrealistic. Therefore, a so-called safe situation usually means that risks are controlled within certain reasonable limits and parameters.
Safety is a relative concept, not an absolute guarantee.
In addition, giving a sense of "safety" can sometimes introduce other potential dangers. For example, moving vulnerable elderly people from their homes to hospitals or nursing homes, while ostensibly improving their medical safety, may bring other social or psychological risks, such as hospital infections, depression, anxiety, and other problems.
Type of safety
The concept of security can be further broken down into several types, including standard security, substantial security, and perceived security. Standard safety means that a product or design complies with applicable standards and practice requirements, regardless of its actual safety history. In contrast, physical safety is based on the product’s safety record in actual use, while perceived safety is the user’s personal perception and comfort with risk.
Perceived safety sometimes drives mandates, adding cost and inconvenience without improving actual safety.
For example, traffic lights make many people feel safe, but in some cases they may increase the frequency of traffic accidents. This reflects the contradiction between the nature of security and our perception of it. In some cases, fear of a particular action can cause us to choose a more dangerous alternative, such as after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, when many people chose to drive rather than fly, even though the actual risk of flying was much lower than driving.
Security Impact and Countermeasures
Safety issues often result in a variety of responses to perceived risks, including engineering countermeasures and regulatory approaches. Many times, insurance is the primary response document for individuals facing potential security risks, providing compensation for losses or damages.
In the ever-changing technological and social environment, the analysis of security issues has become increasingly complex and challenging.
Safety assurance measures include chemical analysis, product testing and expert evaluation, with the aim of improving safety and reducing risks to human health. Today, most scientific journals are devoted to safety research, with the goal of identifying, understanding, and mitigating potential threats to human health and well-being.
Safety Standards and Organizations
Multiple organizations work to set security standards, which establish regulations to ensure that products and services are secure. These organisations are usually voluntary or government agencies and are continually reviewed and updated to meet changing needs.
Globally, every country has relevant standards bodies to ensure the effectiveness of safety standards. These agencies are responsible for developing, publishing and ensuring compliance with safety standards. The development of standards involves expert discussions within the industry and government regulatory requirements, providing guidance for various products within the industry.
Safety management is not only a remedy after a disaster occurs, but also an important strategy to prevent it from happening.
In short, safety is not just a simple concept of avoiding danger, but a multifaceted system that combines social behavior, design thinking and even technological innovation. This also raises a question: In today's ever-changing world, how can we better understand and respond to security challenges to ensure future safety and well-being?
