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Fortunately for me a couple of our group are devouring all the Free League rule-sets we have, so I'll get to play! Both of them noted that Forbidden Lands does not have a Safety Tools entry, or any section specific notes, such as the Mental Trauma table in Coriolis, TGD.

Firstly, the Safety Tool sections from Free League are amongst the best writing I have seen: flexible, practical, realistic, brief and more.

Secondly, we now have one of us happily saying “Safety tools? We don’t need no stinking safety tools!” at every opportunity. Whilst another is muttering about “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”

Thirdly, does anyone know if there is design based reason that Forbidden Lands eschews having any written Safety Tools entry?

I don't think there's really a legitimate design reason to skip safety rules. Forbidden lands is one of their older IPs. If i look at my first printing of Symbaroum there's no safety rules mentioned there either. This was probably simply made before adding safety rules was standard practice.

Forbidden Lands creation prior to and publication in 2018 very likely explain things; as Formlexx notes. The books have been revised but the additional content required for adding safety tools might be too long to justify the cost. Convention gaming guidelines, online gaming discussions and RPG websites (especially from the 2010s onwards), and sundry “how to behave at the table” practises crystallised into the current safety tools we know in about 2020.

Even if a rule-set, however old it is and from any publisher, doesn't have safety tools how we play is a choice we make. The Free League notes on conduct and expectations for Organized Play set a solid basis, which do apply to Forbidden Lands, as much as any other Free League game.

We certainly won't be setting aside the “safety tools” and “best practises” we've evolved after almost fifty years (good grief!) of gaming just because the are not specifically mentioned in any game we happen to be playing.

Another example is Vaesen. A game written prior to a 2020 publication, so predating formalised safety tools. Vaesen's core rules do contain a sparse yet deft handling of historical or mythical subject matter which would likely be the subject of a “lines and veils” and setting boundaries in a session zero. (I've yet to pick up the starter set or the revised core rules, so I don't know if a “safety tools” entry has been added to either.)

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Another example is Vaesen. A game written prior to a 2020 publication, so predating formalised safety tools. Vaesen's core rules do contain a sparse yet deft handling of historical or mythical subject matter which would likely be the subject of a “lines and veils” and setting boundaries in a session zero. (I've yet to pick up the starter set or the revised core rules, so I don't know if a “safety tools” entry has been added to either.)

The new Revised edition has a Safety Tool entry (the old edition doesn't).

I don't know what year FL started to include a Safety Tool entry in their books but all of their new books have them. If they ever plan a revised or new edition of FbL, they will for sure add a Safety Tool entry in that.

The new Revised edition has a Safety Tool entry (the old edition doesn't).

Dang it, Fenhorn! Now I have to get the new edition Vaesen book sooner rather than later .

My original book is damaged anyway: https://imgur.com/a/PfZqiS6

The forum can decide if it was either a spider-like vaesen's acidic vomit or cat sick. Although I do now have a unique copy unlike any other to be found in the world.

No one ever explains about the safety tools you need for cats: as they “help” to roll dice, the pouncing on miniatures and running off with them, just sitting there on any given handout or map, demolishing a carefully laid out battle-map and 3D terrain with greater ease than any monster...