Investigating the "Blues" of Safety Professionals

The aim of this article is twofold. First, it introduces a phenomenon of discontent among safety professionals, termed the "blues," expressed through several recent critical publications about their profession. Although different in tone and geographical origin, these publications share similar analyses about the profession's dysfunctions. The main criticisms focus on excessive bureaucratisation, simplistic approaches to safety, disconnection from field reality, and lack of professional recognition. The authors of these books particularly denounce the excessive time spent on reports and indicators at the expense of more concrete prevention actions. Second, the article outlines a research project to understand better the representativeness of this "blues" and its implications for the profession, particularly by exploring links with the quest for meaningful work and mechanisms of dissonance between professional ideals and field reality.

Keywords: Safety professionals, "Blues", Profession, Education, Globalisation, Digital society.