A simple rule of thumb for safety and security is:
safety: preventing accidents – security: preventing theft.
But in these days of terrorism, organised crime and breaches in information security (not to mention Sarbanes Oxley, compliance and all the rest) life has got a lot more complicated.
We reasoned that if you were using technical English or English for business, you’d probably need to go a bit deeper, so we wound up making two videos. Here’s the first one which has a simple explanation that will hopefully answer key questions for most pre-intermediate students.
And here’s the second one for students who need a deeper understanding.
You may have your own thoughts on these words and if so, do please add them to the comments below. Who knows – maybe a third video is required here…
Both videos are available with clickable transcripts at Simple English Videos dot com. Hope you like them!
P.S. Many thanks to Stephen Charles for suggesting this topic! And don’t forget to tell me if you have any ideas for video topics folks.
2 Responses to “Safety and security”
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
We tend to use security for the feeling of safety as opposed to the fact of safety. For example, we speak of security blankets, the things children (and metaphorically adults) use to help them feel safe or secure, which are synonyms in this context. A safety blanket would be for physical safety against freezing or fire. There are also a variety of specialized uses from safety in American football to securities (stocks and bonds) in finance.
Thanks John! A jolly useful starter list for video 3 methinks! 🙂