Share on LinkedInThe True Value of a Voice by Andreza Araújo
Last week, I received an email from the LinkedIn Brasil editorial team with the news that I had been recognized as a Top Voice. I admit the message moved me deeply, not just because of the badge itself, but because of everything it represents after 16 years of writing about Occupational Safety.
I have lost count of how many times I heard that this was not a subject capable of generating engagement and that safety was a dull topic. Even in the face of those opinions, I decided to continue. Today, receiving recognition for precisely what I insisted on discussing has affected me in an unexpected way.
Once the initial emotion had passed, an important reflection emerged about the responsibility that comes with having a recognized voice. We are currently seeing a trend in which many people seek to position themselves as spokespeople for various causes. In this environment, professionals with valuable contributions often choose to remain discreet, while empty rhetoric gains prominence, and this imbalance is concerning.
The Hidden Cost of Silence
I would like to be very frank ... in almost every serious accident I have studied, someone had prior information, noticed something out of the ordinary, or informally mentioned a possible risk. Yet when it came time to formally raise the concern, that person chose not to take it further.
And the reasons are understandable, because raising a hand and pointing out a problem takes energy, can strain relationships, and can put positions at risk. Organizational culture is often structured in a way that discourages reporting problems.
In this context, silence should not be interpreted as cowardice, but as a survival mechanism. The great challenge is that this same silence ends up costing dearly those who suffer the consequences of an accident in the future.
I feel a certain weariness with sanitized talk about safety culture, the kind confined to flawless corporate presentations. Real safety culture is uncomfortable and requires firm action, such as a leader’s decision to halt a costly operation at an inconvenient moment or a manager’s humility in admitting a mistake. Safety culture needs to be lived in practice, without half measures.
The Role of LinkedIn and the Strength of Community
I think it is only fair to talk about the platform that connects us, too. I have great affection for LinkedIn, because this is where I found a community when my field still lacked visibility. I discovered excellent professionals doing serious work whom I would hardly have come to know otherwise.
Receiving messages from people saying that something I wrote influenced important decisions in their companies is priceless. It was precisely this side of the platform that kept me active throughout all these years, because it is a place where professionals at different levels can be heard by decision-makers.
If I am being recognized as a Top Voice today, it is because many professionals walk beside me on this journey. I think of every safety engineer who shares their ideas, every technician who shares lessons learned, and every consultant who devotes their free time to writing content that can save lives. You are the foundation that supports this important cause.
A Necessary Reflection
To close, I will leave you not with a catchphrase, but with a reflection. How many times this year have you witnessed something you knew was wrong and chosen not to speak up, whether at work or in the face of a decision that could cause future problems, simply to avoid conflict with leadership?
The truth I have learned over these 16 years is that safety culture is not transformed through grand speeches, but through the actions of people who, in everyday moments, decide not to accept the unacceptable.
You become the voice at the exact moment you choose to speak when it would be easier to remain silent, not just on social media, but in real life. I invite everyone to continue this conversation with me, because we still have much to discuss.
