Safety is NOT Common Sense!

1) What is your definition of common sense?
2) How do you relate common sense to safety situations?
3) If I were to tell you there is no such thing as common sense in Safety what would your response be?

re: item 3.  There are a lot of activities where "common sense" could have a bad outcome.  For example, if the engine quits on takeoff "common sense" says "pull up!!!" in response to a nose over stall.  BUT, correct recovery is PUSH to maintain flying speed above stall. 
re: item 2.  Sometimes learned habits (i.e. "common sense") are helpful in reducing either risk or hazard.  But not always. 
re: item 1.  Dunno.  The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines "common sense" as sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or facts •  If we all perceived "facts" the same way, understood and used "sound and prudent" judgment in the say way... maybe this definition of "common sense" would work.  But a lot of research shows our perceptions vary hugely based upon our personalities, experience, and our familiarity with a situation. 

FWIW, I think "common sense" is not a very useful term.

Each has their own view of common sense.  I'm usually thinking of it when I think of those occasions where something sounds great in theory and on the drawing board, but the practical application fails. The folks on the factory line knew it was a non-starter (common sense) but  the Board Room folks were all gung ho.

1) What is your definition of common sense?

A pamphlet written by Thomas Paine in 1776 challenging the authority of the British government and the royal monarchy.

or

"Sound practical judgment that is independent of specialized knowledge, normal native intelligence." (I actually like this one.)

The ability to act on, with, or despite "common sense", however, is very dependent on age and maturity.
And while Common Sense may not depend on specialized knowledge, it is strongly dependent on experience, both
general and situation specific.  Impulse control and ability to visualize consequences, both sorely lacking in
adolescents and children, is what usually opposes "common sense" at a rate in proportionate to age, decreasing
as people get older.

2) How do you relate common sense to safety situations?

Generally, a strong sense of self-preservation, and a conservative view towards risk would be considered "common sense".

3) If I were to tell you there is no such thing as common sense in Safety what would your response be?

Non-concur.  Most mishaps and incidents are caused by people ignoring their common sense or acting in
spite of it, verses requiring any specific training or knowledge to avoid.

The Darwin Award winners are usually good examples of people who have little to no common sense. They may have had the training and knowledge, but ignored the practical application (common sense) of it. "Hold my beer and watch this".

"Common" sense is knowledge common to a specified group of people, thus the word 'common'.  If a group of ten people all know how to tie their shoes, and then an eleventh person arrives who does not know how to tie their shoes, then the eleventh person doesn't have 'common' sense that all the others have.

Safety is much the same way.  It is a training issue.  If that eleventh person hasn't received the training on how to operate the jack to change the vehicle's tire, but the other ten have, then that's a safety deficiency that needs to be corrected.

If we focused more on mission training and skills proficiency than the other unrelated nonsense we do, we might have better membership retention, and actually be safer.