When you’re in the business of helping companies improve their safety, you notice things most people don’t. - “Safety people” see danger everywhere. Danger is everywhere—but most people aren’t aware of it like we are.
Here’s an example: I used to go a restaurant where the same rug was curled-up by the entrance every time I visited. I always fixed it, but whenever I returned, it was curled up again, just waiting for someone to trip over it. That really bugged me!
That may sound obsessive to a person who’s not in the safety field. But just think what could happen if someone stumbled over that rug and fell the wrong way. They could get seriously hurt, particularly if they were elderly.
It only takes one accident to change people’s lives, and I’m painfully aware of that. That’s why I’m always noticing the puddle of water in the store, the construction hole with no barrier around it, the pickup with an improperly secured load, and so on and so on—everywhere I go.
To be frank, being so aware of safety hazards can take the fun out of things at times. Other safety professionals know what I’m talking about—focusing on workplace safety every day can change your entire life. I go on a ski trip, and while everyone else is carefree, I’m looking at the gondola and wondering how long since it’s been inspected. I take a cruise, and I’m worried about the fact that we’re not covered by any safety regulations out in international waters.
Forget about ever going on a ride at a carnival, much less Zip-lining in some foreign country! Anything mechanical is suspect. I won’t ride in old taxis, or fly on cheap airlines. I won’t follow behind trucks with loads on them, and I give a wide berth to any vehicle that appears to be in unsafe condition.
Am I being paranoid? I don’t think so. I know that things wear out, and I know that things aren’t always inspected as they should be. I know people don’t always act safely. The public just assumes everything’s okay. They go on a carnival ride and take it for granted that someone must have inspected it—that surely no business would sell tickets to an unsafe ride. What they don’t realize is that inspections often aren’t tightly regulated, and even if they are, they can easily be pencil-whipped. Or they can just be done poorly.
When I have a warning light come on in my car, I get it fixed right away, because I know it’s a signal of something that could put me (and others) in danger, not to mention damage my car. But I know many people who aren’t that way; they’ll ride around for months with a warning light on—hoping it’ll go away, I guess. Unfortunately, people just like that are working in restaurants, stores, amusement parks, ski slopes, you name it.
The goal of any company—whether they’re in a service industry or not—should be to get rid of people like that. I’m not talking about firing them; I mean they should be encouraged to begin thinking more like a safety pro.
That mindset can be fostered in several ways, including training, incentives, and the use of reinforcing tools such as The Checker inspection checklists. It’s an attitude that takes time to develop throughout an organization, but it can become a hallmark of any company.
Why would I wish the worries of a safety pro on other people? Because those worries aren’t unfounded—workplaces are full of hazards, some known and some unexpected. You want your personnel to be worrying about what could go wrong.
When it comes to safety—in the workplace or in private life—my thinking is that ignorance may be bliss, but it also might get you hurt. me safe, literally saving my life many times, both at work and in my personal time. It can keep workplaces safe, too.
I’m glad I’ve developed a high level of safety awareness. It keeps
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