When I first started working in safety it certainly wasn't seen by my peers as a good career move. Now 12 years later a job in safety is becoming more of a prerequisite for promotion.
Which means that instead of being staffed by those who were actually interested in safety and/or had no career to worry about and therefore were perhaps inclined to do the right thing, it is now staffed by thrusters who view rocking the boat or making the wrong noises as potential career stoppers, and thus are more likely to toe the party line and make no decision in case it turns out to be a wrong one. And consequently little actually changes.
Or is that a bit harsh?