I just spoke at a site where they haven’t had a lost-time injury in seven years. I shared with my audience a safety hazard shows up at sites like theirs that sites with many injuries don’t experience. That hazard? Complacency!

It doesn’t matter what you did yesterday; it can all change in the next moment, which is why it is so important for everyone to watch out for the safety of others.

Today, when I drove into town to run an errand it didn’t matter that I wore my seat belt yesterday. When I get into my car tomorrow a drunk driver or texting driver crosses the yellow line and causes me to swerve into the ditch and a collision occurs. It only matters if my safety belt is on at that moment. Someone flying through the windshield isn’t protected by the fact that they wore their seat belt every other day for the past twenty years.

It doesn’t matter today that you have always locked out a device before working on it or you have always worn your safety glasses. It is what you are doing right now.

One challenge is when we go for a long period of time without an incident people begin to think it’s “safe here.” The reality is the only reason no one has been injured is everyone has been working in a professional, safe manner and that prevents injuries.

One way to overcome complacency is to develop a culture or community that watches out for everyone’s safety

Until next week,
I'll be, "Watching Out For Everyone's Safety™"
John