Frankly, safety is a personal thing. Throughout my career I have observed companies trying to determine why their accident rates are high. To lower the accident rates, they hold safety meetings and more safety training programs. Moreover, they conduct team building sessions hoping to improve team work that will result in a safe work team. All of these are important, but they are not the most significant contributors to a safe workplace.
What is the number one contributor to a safe workplace? It is each and every worker’s personal involvement in and commitment to workplace safety. It is what you and everyone you work with does – or does not do – to promote personal safety. It's about having a Safety Mind. One of the most powerful ways to increase personal safety is to be an example. People will tend to follow those who “walk their talk,” and not those who just talk. Walking the talk is the mark of a true safety professional.
What actions can you take to become a “safety professional?” You must (1) Get involved in promoting a safe workplace, (2) Be committed to learning and (3) Exhibit safe behavior to create your own Safety Mind.
1. Get Involved
How involved are you in your company’s safety processes? Do you consider yourself a “safety professional?” These are just a few questions to ask yourself to determine if safety is a personal thing for you. No matter how you answer the question, you are involved in safety. Being involved may mean that you are merely a statistic. Yep, like it or not, you are involved. If you work safely, then your safe behavior has a positive effect on the overall safety of your company. If you have a workplace accident or even a near miss, you impact those around you and your company’s safety statistics. Furthermore, if you have a fatal accident or a life-changing accident, there is a dramatic effect on you, your family and your fellow workers. That is why I constantly tell people that OSHA’s safety guidelines are written in blood. OSHA guidelines come about because of safety trends. I'm sure you would rather be a part of a positive trend than a negative one.
Creating a safe workplace is impossible without the active participation of everyone in the organization. This is the reason there must be a constant effort to create and maintain a workplace environment of trust, one in which every person is encouraged to speak up about safe work practices and contribute to the overall well-being of the organization. Such an environment promotes each worker taking personal responsibility for safety.
I worked for several years with an individual who demonstrated how one worker can personally influence a safe work environment. Mike was a first line supervisor who ran a construction crew. My job called for me to show up on his job site to check out newly-installed equipment. When you arrived on Mike’s job site, you had to be ready to be safe or you were going to hear about it. Many times I heard, “Get that hard hat on.” Mike’s interpersonal skills left a lot to be desired. But Mike didn’t care if you were the CEO or a college intern. If you were on his job site, you were going to be safe. If Mike had taken the time to learn how to communicate his message better, he would have been an even more effective safety leader. Because Mike was consistent and sincere and because he led by example, his message was taken seriously. Everyone knew that safety was a personal thing to Mike.
What is your attitude about safety at your job site? Are you constantly on the watch for unsafe working conditions? Is your personal safety attitude limited to the job site? For example, what is your “safety attitude” when you are shopping in a grocery store and see a slippery hazard on the floor? How you handle safety on and off the job site is a measure of your personal safety attitude. Safety professionals behave in a safe way, encourage trust in the organization and take a personal interest in others' safety. In addition, they are constantly learning.
2. Be committed to learning
How do professionals become professionals? They study. They learn. If you need open heart surgery, would you want a doctor who learned how to operate by just showing up to watch others? What if that doctor depended on others to tell him what to do? I bet you would rather have a doctor who is constantly learning everything he or she can about the most up-to-date techniques and procedures for successfully performing open heart surgery and one who applies what he is learning. In the same manner, would you trust your workplace safety to everyone else knowing that they may not know everything they need to know? I can’t encourage you enough to read and learn your organization’s safety procedures. They have been created for you and for your safety. It is up to you to know them and apply them – every day.
When I began working at a utility company in 1977, my boss handed me two things – a yellow safety book and a piece of paper. The yellow safety book was full of safe work procedures and safety guidelines. These were created from the accidents, injuries and mistakes of the workers who came before me. I was asked to sign the piece of paper that said that I had read and understood all the pertinent safety rules. Ha! What a deal! I didn’t have to read it, I just had to say that I had read it! A better attitude would have been for me to realize that those rules were there for my safety and the safety of others with whom I worked. I would then have been more attuned to the importance of learning and applying the rules and guidelines.
First and foremost, learn the safe work procedures detailed in your safety and training manuals. Safe work procedures that have been developed by your organization and industry are the result of the knowledge and experiences of others. As I mentioned earlier, most of the safe work practices, guidelines, rules and regulations are written in blood. Make sure that your blood is not used to write the next one.
I have attended many a boring safety meeting. Most often we just took turns reading the safety guidelines. However, just like in Sunday School, often the words went in one ear and came out the other. If you want to be a professional in your industry and live a long successful career, learn all you can about your job’s safe work procedures. Encourage safety meetings and briefings that engage and teach. Find ways to help yourself and others learn the procedures.
Being a professional is to take personal responsibility to “Learn, Learn, Learn!” One way to do this is through teaching or instructing. Instructors, teachers and safety professionals learn because they are accountable for the learning of others. Always remember, whether you are formally teaching or not, others are always watching and learning from your example.
3. Exhibit safe behavior to create you own safety mind
Actions that are observed by people are known as behavior. Behavior is like an iceberg floating in the ocean. What is showing or can be seen is the tip of the iceberg, but what is below the water line causes the whole iceberg to move or react to the surrounding environment. Outward behavior is like the tip of an iceberg. There is much under the surface that affects a person’s behavior. A person’s behavior is affected by five things that are not seen: what they think and feel about something, what they value and believe about it, and what their need is at the time. So if a person acts or behaves unsafely, what are they thinking, feeling, valuing, believing or needing?
I observed an employee who was checking the voltage at an electrical cabinet, and he was not wearing electrically insulated gloves. This is an unsafe act. I observed another employee parking a company vehicle. Instead of backing into the designated parking space, the driver just pulled into the space, ran inside the building to retrieve some material and then jumped back in and backed out without doing a walk around. This is another observed unsafe behavior. Every hour of every day we can observe different tasks being done unsafely. Do the people doing these unsafe acts know better? Yes, they do in most cases. Then why do they behave this way? What can be done to change the behavior? What would safe behavior be? To deal with these questions we have to explore what causes behavior, both safe and unsafe.
Behavior is the activity that can be seen by others. Each job or task has a safe behavior tied to it. Consider safe vehicle operation. One of the safe behaviors for operating a vehicle is the use of seat belts. When I worked for the utility company a new seat belt rule came into affect. “Wear your seat belt when operating a company vehicle. If you don’t, you will be disciplined.” In an attempt to get his employees to behave and wear seat belts my boss would tell us to “do it… or else!” This became a challenge to many of us. Personally, I would “make it click” while I was on company property and then release the buckle as soon as I was off company property. Why? Because I didn’t think I’d have a wreck! I thought, “It will never happen to me.” My feeling was the company was imposing a rule on me that was my choice. Seat belts didn’t have much value to me. If I did have a wreck, I believed I would be trapped and unable to get out of the vehicle if there was a fire. I didn’t have a need to wear seat belts. However that has changed. For years I have worn my seat belt when I am in a moving vehicle. Why? Because the safe behavior of wearing my seat belt has become a result of what I think and feel, value and believe, and need. What changed?
I don’t remember the name of the speaker, but a company I worked for purchased tapes produced by a former California Highway Patrol officer with a passion for getting people to wear seat belts. I watched one of his videos for the third or fourth time when I decided to change my behavior. The speaker said that racecar drivers never intend to have a wreck, but they wear their seat belts so that they can remain in control of the vehicle during an emergency. I began to think, “Hey that’s a good idea!” My feelings changed because I began to feel that it wasn’t a rule, but a good idea to wear my seat belt! This same speaker talked about and gave examples of situations where seat belts would have saved lives and instances when seat belts did save lives. It was then that the value of seat belts became clear. In addition, my belief about seat belts changed. My needs were met when I realized that I could live through a wreck if I wore my seat belt and if I remained in control of a vehicle, a wreck might be avoided.
Unsafe behavior will change not because of a new rule, but as a result of a change in the way a person thinks, feels, values, believes and in their understanding of how safe behavior can fill their needs.
There is no way to guarantee that an employee will not be injured in an accident. However, each individual can decrease the possibilities of injury by becoming individually accountable for safety. The key is personal action. How will you act toward safety? How will you talk about safety? How will you perceive your industry safety standards? What will you personally do about safety on and off the job? Will you create your own safety mind?
No one can make anyone accountable; it is up to the individual. Accountability comes when you set standards for yourself. When you begin to involve others who can hold you accountable, your awareness is raised. Professional sports athletes are held accountable by their coaches and other teammates. Additionally, they sign a contract that holds them accountable. What if that same accountability were to be used in the development of your safety mind?
Companies spend many thousands of dollars each year to equip and train the workforce. It is the responsibility of each employee to put the equipment and knowledge to work. When personal responsibility is put into action, accidents and injuries will decrease. What can you do to create your own safety mind?
About the Author
Carl Potter is a Safety Professional who works with companies that want to put safety first in the minds of their employees so that everyone can go home every day without injury.
Create a Safety Mind by Carl Potter is an article derived from the book Safety On My Mind authored by Carl Potter, ©2002 Potter and Associates International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. To use this article or any part of it contact Carl Potter for permission at 800-259-6209 or visit www.carlpotter.com
What is the number one contributor to a safe workplace? It is each and every worker’s personal involvement in and commitment to workplace safety. It is what you and everyone you work with does – or does not do – to promote personal safety. It's about having a Safety Mind. One of the most powerful ways to increase personal safety is to be an example. People will tend to follow those who “walk their talk,” and not those who just talk. Walking the talk is the mark of a true safety professional.
What actions can you take to become a “safety professional?” You must (1) Get involved in promoting a safe workplace, (2) Be committed to learning and (3) Exhibit safe behavior to create your own Safety Mind.
1. Get Involved
How involved are you in your company’s safety processes? Do you consider yourself a “safety professional?” These are just a few questions to ask yourself to determine if safety is a personal thing for you. No matter how you answer the question, you are involved in safety. Being involved may mean that you are merely a statistic. Yep, like it or not, you are involved. If you work safely, then your safe behavior has a positive effect on the overall safety of your company. If you have a workplace accident or even a near miss, you impact those around you and your company’s safety statistics. Furthermore, if you have a fatal accident or a life-changing accident, there is a dramatic effect on you, your family and your fellow workers. That is why I constantly tell people that OSHA’s safety guidelines are written in blood. OSHA guidelines come about because of safety trends. I'm sure you would rather be a part of a positive trend than a negative one.
Creating a safe workplace is impossible without the active participation of everyone in the organization. This is the reason there must be a constant effort to create and maintain a workplace environment of trust, one in which every person is encouraged to speak up about safe work practices and contribute to the overall well-being of the organization. Such an environment promotes each worker taking personal responsibility for safety.
I worked for several years with an individual who demonstrated how one worker can personally influence a safe work environment. Mike was a first line supervisor who ran a construction crew. My job called for me to show up on his job site to check out newly-installed equipment. When you arrived on Mike’s job site, you had to be ready to be safe or you were going to hear about it. Many times I heard, “Get that hard hat on.” Mike’s interpersonal skills left a lot to be desired. But Mike didn’t care if you were the CEO or a college intern. If you were on his job site, you were going to be safe. If Mike had taken the time to learn how to communicate his message better, he would have been an even more effective safety leader. Because Mike was consistent and sincere and because he led by example, his message was taken seriously. Everyone knew that safety was a personal thing to Mike.
What is your attitude about safety at your job site? Are you constantly on the watch for unsafe working conditions? Is your personal safety attitude limited to the job site? For example, what is your “safety attitude” when you are shopping in a grocery store and see a slippery hazard on the floor? How you handle safety on and off the job site is a measure of your personal safety attitude. Safety professionals behave in a safe way, encourage trust in the organization and take a personal interest in others' safety. In addition, they are constantly learning.
2. Be committed to learning
How do professionals become professionals? They study. They learn. If you need open heart surgery, would you want a doctor who learned how to operate by just showing up to watch others? What if that doctor depended on others to tell him what to do? I bet you would rather have a doctor who is constantly learning everything he or she can about the most up-to-date techniques and procedures for successfully performing open heart surgery and one who applies what he is learning. In the same manner, would you trust your workplace safety to everyone else knowing that they may not know everything they need to know? I can’t encourage you enough to read and learn your organization’s safety procedures. They have been created for you and for your safety. It is up to you to know them and apply them – every day.
When I began working at a utility company in 1977, my boss handed me two things – a yellow safety book and a piece of paper. The yellow safety book was full of safe work procedures and safety guidelines. These were created from the accidents, injuries and mistakes of the workers who came before me. I was asked to sign the piece of paper that said that I had read and understood all the pertinent safety rules. Ha! What a deal! I didn’t have to read it, I just had to say that I had read it! A better attitude would have been for me to realize that those rules were there for my safety and the safety of others with whom I worked. I would then have been more attuned to the importance of learning and applying the rules and guidelines.
First and foremost, learn the safe work procedures detailed in your safety and training manuals. Safe work procedures that have been developed by your organization and industry are the result of the knowledge and experiences of others. As I mentioned earlier, most of the safe work practices, guidelines, rules and regulations are written in blood. Make sure that your blood is not used to write the next one.
I have attended many a boring safety meeting. Most often we just took turns reading the safety guidelines. However, just like in Sunday School, often the words went in one ear and came out the other. If you want to be a professional in your industry and live a long successful career, learn all you can about your job’s safe work procedures. Encourage safety meetings and briefings that engage and teach. Find ways to help yourself and others learn the procedures.
Being a professional is to take personal responsibility to “Learn, Learn, Learn!” One way to do this is through teaching or instructing. Instructors, teachers and safety professionals learn because they are accountable for the learning of others. Always remember, whether you are formally teaching or not, others are always watching and learning from your example.
3. Exhibit safe behavior to create you own safety mind
Actions that are observed by people are known as behavior. Behavior is like an iceberg floating in the ocean. What is showing or can be seen is the tip of the iceberg, but what is below the water line causes the whole iceberg to move or react to the surrounding environment. Outward behavior is like the tip of an iceberg. There is much under the surface that affects a person’s behavior. A person’s behavior is affected by five things that are not seen: what they think and feel about something, what they value and believe about it, and what their need is at the time. So if a person acts or behaves unsafely, what are they thinking, feeling, valuing, believing or needing?
I observed an employee who was checking the voltage at an electrical cabinet, and he was not wearing electrically insulated gloves. This is an unsafe act. I observed another employee parking a company vehicle. Instead of backing into the designated parking space, the driver just pulled into the space, ran inside the building to retrieve some material and then jumped back in and backed out without doing a walk around. This is another observed unsafe behavior. Every hour of every day we can observe different tasks being done unsafely. Do the people doing these unsafe acts know better? Yes, they do in most cases. Then why do they behave this way? What can be done to change the behavior? What would safe behavior be? To deal with these questions we have to explore what causes behavior, both safe and unsafe.
Behavior is the activity that can be seen by others. Each job or task has a safe behavior tied to it. Consider safe vehicle operation. One of the safe behaviors for operating a vehicle is the use of seat belts. When I worked for the utility company a new seat belt rule came into affect. “Wear your seat belt when operating a company vehicle. If you don’t, you will be disciplined.” In an attempt to get his employees to behave and wear seat belts my boss would tell us to “do it… or else!” This became a challenge to many of us. Personally, I would “make it click” while I was on company property and then release the buckle as soon as I was off company property. Why? Because I didn’t think I’d have a wreck! I thought, “It will never happen to me.” My feeling was the company was imposing a rule on me that was my choice. Seat belts didn’t have much value to me. If I did have a wreck, I believed I would be trapped and unable to get out of the vehicle if there was a fire. I didn’t have a need to wear seat belts. However that has changed. For years I have worn my seat belt when I am in a moving vehicle. Why? Because the safe behavior of wearing my seat belt has become a result of what I think and feel, value and believe, and need. What changed?
I don’t remember the name of the speaker, but a company I worked for purchased tapes produced by a former California Highway Patrol officer with a passion for getting people to wear seat belts. I watched one of his videos for the third or fourth time when I decided to change my behavior. The speaker said that racecar drivers never intend to have a wreck, but they wear their seat belts so that they can remain in control of the vehicle during an emergency. I began to think, “Hey that’s a good idea!” My feelings changed because I began to feel that it wasn’t a rule, but a good idea to wear my seat belt! This same speaker talked about and gave examples of situations where seat belts would have saved lives and instances when seat belts did save lives. It was then that the value of seat belts became clear. In addition, my belief about seat belts changed. My needs were met when I realized that I could live through a wreck if I wore my seat belt and if I remained in control of a vehicle, a wreck might be avoided.
Unsafe behavior will change not because of a new rule, but as a result of a change in the way a person thinks, feels, values, believes and in their understanding of how safe behavior can fill their needs.
Creating Your Safety Mind
There is no way to guarantee that an employee will not be injured in an accident. However, each individual can decrease the possibilities of injury by becoming individually accountable for safety. The key is personal action. How will you act toward safety? How will you talk about safety? How will you perceive your industry safety standards? What will you personally do about safety on and off the job? Will you create your own safety mind?
No one can make anyone accountable; it is up to the individual. Accountability comes when you set standards for yourself. When you begin to involve others who can hold you accountable, your awareness is raised. Professional sports athletes are held accountable by their coaches and other teammates. Additionally, they sign a contract that holds them accountable. What if that same accountability were to be used in the development of your safety mind?
Companies spend many thousands of dollars each year to equip and train the workforce. It is the responsibility of each employee to put the equipment and knowledge to work. When personal responsibility is put into action, accidents and injuries will decrease. What can you do to create your own safety mind?
About the Author
Carl Potter is a Safety Professional who works with companies that want to put safety first in the minds of their employees so that everyone can go home every day without injury.
Create a Safety Mind by Carl Potter is an article derived from the book Safety On My Mind authored by Carl Potter, ©2002 Potter and Associates International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. To use this article or any part of it contact Carl Potter for permission at 800-259-6209 or visit www.carlpotter.com
