Labor Day reflection

9/11 memorial site In my first safety blog I’m going to reflect on Labor Day. This Labor Day I watched Rising: Rebuilding Ground Zero about the group of workers racing to complete the September 11 Memorial by the 10-year anniversary of 9/11 (this weekend).

I’m reminded how our laborers have built (and rebuilt) our nation.

Throughout the show the featured workers repeatedly were quoted, “We have to get this done in time, no alternatives.”

Indeed, the six-hour workweeks were reminiscent of the 24-hour work to fix the Pentagon after 9/11. Beyond the focus on the victim’s families, my biggest concern was about the safety of the workers whose self-pressure could put them in harm’s way. A shot of large iron-works and plumbing reinforced that concern. Until I saw a shot of an ironworker breaking a forgotten weld; he was surrounded by a group of his fellow laborers coaching him on the safe execution of the hazardous situation.

It was then I celebrated Labor Day.

Timothy Ludwig’s website is Safety-Doc.com where you can read more safety culture stories and contribute your own. Dr. Ludwig consults and serves as a commissioner for Behavioral Safety Accreditation at the non-profit Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies (CCBS: behavior.org) and teaches behavioral psychology at Appalachian State University, in Boone, NC. If you want Tim to share his stories at your next safety event you can contact him at TimLudwig@Safety-Doc.com.