I was in an academic course with a SEAL recently. I started a conversation with him about this subject. I told him I thought the army engenders an air of complacency, in that they PREACH the four rules, but then they create a climate where moving quickly and getting weapons issued, cleaned, and turned in is MORE important than safety. He was surprised, since in the Navy, when guys go through the SEAL training program, they are given a mentality that everything is always combat, and to act as such. I explained to him that the actual implementation in the Army never works out that way. When I remind people they are being unsafe, (Particularly people who outrank me) I get yelled at. (I do it anyway.) One day I reminded am NCO to please watch his muzzle, and not flag me as he went up and down the stairs with it slung. He yelled at me that he was too busy to make sure MY head wasn't in front of HIS muzzle. Fortunately for me, the 1SG was standing behind him and he didn't know it.
I have suggested (and had implemented by my unit) a safety refresher in conjuction with the safety briefing whenever weapons are drawn for any reason. Just a reminder that we have all been handling weapons for years. We all know what we are doing. Most of us are NCOs. Most of us have deployed. This doesn't change anyone's obligation to make safety THEIR problem. Some of the reminders and suggestions involved were:
If you are in an awkward position of movement, with your weapon slung, and it is flagging someone, they are ok to grip the muzzle and move it around them. You do not reprimand them for touching your weapon, you thank them for enhancing safety when they were unable to.
Safety transcends rank. If you get reminded by someone who outranks you, suck it up, and be a good enough soldier to accept it. Don't get mad.
When we are doing battle drills, which involve us pointing weapons at each other, issue blank-firing adapters. Ideally we should all have plenty of rubber duckies so that we don't have to point live weapons at each other, but we don't. At least the BFA IDs the rifle as inert.
The problem with the army is that you handle, clean, move, and train with weapons often, but the only time they are really loaded is when they approach the firing line, they are handed their magazines to zero/qualify, their bolt locks open, and then baby-sitting NCOs rod their bore to ensure they are clear. It's SOMEONE ELSE'S problem, they don't make it the soldier's problem. This means that the rest of the time they are carrying a weapon, they don't make safety personal.