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