John Salter’s Blog

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  • Facing the future with a child on a stick

    Widely recognised as a Leunig classic, his biting cartoon highlights the need for good decision making.

  • Balancing eggs in baskets …

    The adage cautions against putting all of your eggs in one basket.

    Reference – this weekend Financial Review

    A key food with many vulnerabilities.

    Empty shelves at Aldi today

    Manage your business continuity risks

    AgileBCP is scalable http://agilebcp.com
    Supports small business for under $1,000
  • Resilience NSW – a reflection

    It would be useful if the business continuity plan for Resilience NSW was used transparently to rebuild the jigsaw based on achieving objectives.

    Or am I too much of an optimist?

  • Vulnerability is at the very heart of risk

    Addressing the “onion layers” – the underlying “why” – is an effective way of managing risk.

    It is YOUR VULNERABILITY. There is limited value in “leading the witness”.

    Far better to stimulate your reflection and considerations – of your context.

    It is in that spirit the whimsical images, prompts, and references below are provided.

    from De Bono …
    … to Kipling

    Concept: Risk as a function of hazard and vulnerability

    We are all vulnerable. Sometimes through exposure to the same thing. Sometimes to things to which we alone are exposed. Sometimes because of things that are about us – our characteristics or nature. Sometimes because of things that are imposed upon us by others..

    Uncertainty

    Uncertainty
    Unknown Unknowns

    Decision making

    Poor decision making
    Irresponsible Mountain Goats
    Unaccountable leadership
    “OughtWe” is a free app
    “Decision Making App” costs under $US5

    Reflections

    A single metaphor can trigger many reflections and considerations

    … can we live in (blissful / delusional) ignorance?
  • Manage your Sword of Damocles
    Damocles ponders his circumstances
    (part of painting Sword of Damocles” by Richard Westall, 1812)
    https://www.instagram.com/lianafinck/
    Source: ready.gov/risk-assessment
    Damocles Risk Assessor Instructional.pdfDownload
    Start by considering your threats / hazards
    The internationally respected standard is a good place to start. Use it to filter which threats or hazards might be relevant to you.
    Don’t like the NFPA classifications and hazard categories? Fine – tailor your own.
    … and within the categories, add and edit specific hazards!
    Attribute a level of significance (on a scale up to ten) to the threats or hazards which made it through your initial “might be relevant” filter.
    We assess risk in order to better manage it.
    BEFORE
    AFTER
    We are all variously vulnerable.
    Configure your report and communicate it!
  • Add silent scooters – and silent policy – as one of your hazards

    In Melbourne on the weekend I was nearly “cleaned up” a couple of times with near miss e scooter incidents. So I thought I’d do a quick check on some questions around whether it’s an issue in Melbourne – and elsewhere.

    The answer is YES

    Reference: The Age

    In England

    In Adelaide

    Reference: The Advertiser 12 July

    A hazard – whispering up behind

    – or alongside of you

    In a policy vacuum

    What to do? In the absence of clear policy and risk management oversight we are left to our own devices.

    https://disasterresilienceconsulting.wordpress.com/damocles-risk-assessor/

    https://disasterresilienceconsulting.wordpress.com/damocles-risk-assessor/
    Add e Scotters as one of your hazards.
    We are all differently vulnerable.
    Assess your vulnerability.
  • Future planning calls for good decision making
    Developers have not generally given significant weight to disaster prevention criteria. Climate change calls for a rethink – a recalibration.
    Interesting themes in Mike Foley’s piece

    One of the most interesting themes was Professor Howden highlighting the need for well thought through criteria to be applied to decision making.

    Professor Mark Howden
    Yes, we recommend you consider using our criteria based decision making app
  • Disaster photo opportunity? Blue collar!

    Interesting to see how the politicians dressed for the recent NSW floods.

    They get it.

    Sometimes, small things become big things. President Bush and his public relations team got it – the new head of FEMA (Michael Brown) didn’t get it. Consequently, it has become an iconic image of how NOT to dress – especially with sleeves not rolled up.

  • Yes, we are all different …

    … differently exposed

    … differently vulnerable

    … differently impacted

    Check the app – https://apple.co/3u47UNw

    https://apple.co/3u47UNw
  • … so I get another safety guy.
    Risk is a concept we construct to help us manage uncertainty

    This story – from Matt Damon – about Tom Cruise is bemusing because it is about “your risk” – risk you control. However socially imposed risk – especially risk imposed by those with wealth, power, and status, is more problematic. Regardless, both cases call for good decision making. #risky #decisions #decisionmakingprocess

    https://apps.apple.com/au/app/decision-making-app/id1626271695

Vulnerability is at the very heart of risk

Addressing the “onion layers” – the underlying “why” – is an effective way of managing risk. It is YOUR VULNERABILITY. There is limited value in “leading the witness”. Far better to stimulate your reflection and considerations – of your context. It is in that spirit the whimsical images, prompts, and references below are provided. Concept:… Read More

Manage your Sword of Damocles

Damocles ponders his circumstances
(part of painting Sword of Damocles” by Richard Westall, 1812)
https://www.instagram.com/lianafinck/
Source: ready.gov/risk-assessment
Damocles Risk Assessor Instructional.pdfDownload
Start by considering your threats / hazards
The internationally respected standard is a good place to start. Use it to filter which threats or hazards might be relevant to you.
Don’t like the NFPA classifications and hazard categories? Fine – tailor your own.
… and within the categories, add and edit specific hazards!
Attribute a level of significance (on a scale up to ten) to the threats or hazards which made it through your initial “might be relevant” filter.
We assess risk in order to better manage it.
BEFORE
AFTER
We are all variously vulnerable.
Configure your report and communicate it!

Add silent scooters – and silent policy – as one of your hazards

In Melbourne on the weekend I was nearly “cleaned up” a couple of times with near miss e scooter incidents. So I thought I’d do a quick check on some questions around whether it’s an issue in Melbourne – and elsewhere. The answer is YES In England In Adelaide A hazard – whispering up behind… Read More

Disaster photo opportunity? Blue collar!

Interesting to see how the politicians dressed for the recent NSW floods. They get it. Sometimes, small things become big things. President Bush and his public relations team got it – the new head of FEMA (Michael Brown) didn’t get it. Consequently, it has become an iconic image of how NOT to dress – especially… Read More

… so I get another safety guy.

This story – from Matt Damon – about Tom Cruise is bemusing because it is about “your risk” – risk you control. However socially imposed risk – especially risk imposed by those with wealth, power, and status, is more problematic. Regardless, both cases call for good decision making. #risky #decisions #decisionmakingprocess https://apps.apple.com/au/app/decision-making-app/id1626271695

Lessons from cleaning up …

Some things change … some things don’t. Cleaning out old stuff – in this case, some plastic overhead transparency slides (remember them) associated with some planning consultancies and teaching at the Australian Counter Disaster College (yes, AC/DC) – 1987 to 1998. The “Risk as a function of the interface between hazards and vulnerability” lives on… Read More

Vulnerability is at the heart of good risk assessment

How do you recognise and address your vulnerabilities to disasters? We are all exposed to different hazards. To different disasters. We are all differently vulnerable. The internationally respected Standard on Continuity, Emergency, and Crisis Management (NFPA 1600) defines risk as a measure of the probability and severity of adverse effects that result from exposure to… Read More