| Are we talking too much about safety? No one | | | | responsible, and building trust. The science |
| but you knows. No one wants to see another | | | | of safety is about dealing with behavioral and |
| person get hurt and nobody wants to get | | | | technical processes. Hazard control is an example |
| hurt. That's why talking about safety effectively | | | | of a process that includes both behavioral and |
| is more important than ever. How can you talk | | | | technical aspects. |
| about safety in such a way that your employees | | | | The technical process of safety involves |
| don’t get sick of hearing about it and | | | | identifying the hazard, abating or controlling it, |
| therefore stops listening? First, you have to deal | | | | engineering so it no longer exists, or changing |
| with the emotional issues, so the focus is on good | | | | work processes to include the use of protective |
| decision-making. Then you have to realize | | | | or personal protective equipment. |
| that safety is both art and science. | | | | When a hazard control has been established, |
| Many company leaders and managers wonder, | | | | practiced, and proven over time, workers and |
| Are we talking about safety too much? | | | | leaders accept it as normal, and it becomes |
| The answer: No one but you knows. | | | | common sense safety. Sometimes |
| Realize that everyone may be a little | | | | acceptance of a new rule or work practice seems |
| overwhelmed with all kinds of communications and | | | | to take a while. And often, people don’t |
| distractions. That’s why talking about | | | | even understand their own resistance to the |
| safety effectively is more important than ever. | | | | process. |
| TALKING SAFETY | | | | THE MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION |
| The fact is that it’s important to talk | | | | Bob, a safety committee chairperson, works in an |
| about safety. Injuries are a concern for | | | | industry where workers are required to wear |
| everyone: They are emotional triggers, and they | | | | protective personal equipment (PPE). When people |
| hurt everyone in the organization and at home. | | | | don’t wear the appropriate PPE, the results |
| Nobody wants to see another person hurt, and | | | | can be devastating because workers are exposed |
| nobody wants to get hurt. | | | | to the hazards of high voltage electricity. As Bob |
| Consider this question: How can you talk about | | | | explains: We had someone get hurt last |
| safety in such a way that your employees | | | | month because he wasn’t wearing sleeves |
| don’t get sick of hearing about it and | | | | with his high voltage rubber gloves. We all know |
| therefore stop listening? | | | | that it’s a good work practice to wear the |
| THE EMOTIONS OF SAFETY | | | | sleeves, so why doesn’t everyone just do |
| Too often people view and deal with safety in an | | | | it? Why don’t they get it? |
| emotional way. Management gets frustrated when | | | | Why don’t workers get it? |
| injuries occur and eventually they come out | | | | That’s the $1,000,000 question. Experience |
| swinging the safety hammer. Pressure | | | | shows that acceptance of new rules, regulations, |
| mounts and the managers step-up their discipline | | | | and work practices happens faster when workers |
| (or corrective action). | | | | are engaged in the process of determining the |
| Recently, a safety director for a large company | | | | appropriate PPE for the hazards of their job. |
| described a situation where an employee was | | | | In your next safety meeting, take time to |
| fatally injured and two others experienced serious | | | | engage workers in a discussion about what the |
| injuries. For years the safety director had tried to | | | | hazards are in their workplace. Get them to |
| get management’s attention about needed | | | | think both deep and broad about dangers they |
| improvements, but without success. Now | | | | can encounter. Make a list of these on a flip |
| everyone in the company seems to be a safety | | | | chart so everyone can see. Then ask what can |
| expert; every executive has the answerand | | | | be done to control each hazard. Be sure to use |
| everyone has a different solution. | | | | your safety rule book and documented safe |
| When this kind of situation emerges, everything | | | | work practices during this discussion. Finally, ask |
| becomes a mess. Finger pointing abounds, and the | | | | the group Which of these controls will we |
| employees choose sides: Either the problem is | | | | always do? Most of the time, the answer will |
| technical or it’s the people. Employees | | | | be All of them! When workers get |
| often begin to be fearful of retribution and decide | | | | involved in this kind of discussion, it can have a big |
| not to report incidents or injuries. Should this | | | | influence on how your organization talks about |
| scenario ever occur in your company, you need | | | | safety. |
| to diffuse the situation by focusing on the safety | | | | TAKE ACTION FOR A SAFE WORKPLACE |
| process. | | | | Sure, some people may think your company talks |
| THE SAFETY PROCESS | | | | about safety too much, and maybe |
| In order to maintain safety at a level that | | | | they’re right. Yet safety is an important |
| prevents injuries, you first have to work on | | | | topic that needs to be discussed. Consider how |
| dealing with the emotional issues so the focus is | | | | you can get everyone involved in the discussion |
| on good decision-making. Realize that safety is | | | | and how you can encourage them to take action |
| both art and science and needs to be treated as | | | | to ensure that nobody gets hurt. When you do, |
| such. The art is about dealing with | | | | you’re likely to find the answer to that |
| peopleestablishing accountabilities, holding people | | | | $1,000,000 question. |