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The Safest Person I Know
By Carl Potter, CSP, CMC, CSP and Deb Potter, Ph.D, CMC
I want Carl to speak at my next meeting!
The Safest Person
Ask yourself this question, “Who is the safest person I know?” Did you name someone you used to work with or perhaps someone you work with now? Many people do.
The answer should be, “me.” If you can’t say you are the safest person you know, then you might want to think about what it means to make safety a personal thing.
Can A Company Be Safe?
If you talk to executives, managers, and employees about safety, often they will say, ‘We have a safe company.” Making that statement shows a great attitude and a high level of confidence. But how can a company “be safe”? To “be safe” one must show safe behavior. Although a company can promote safety by having a functional safety management process, it doesn’t really mean anything unless the people behave safe. So what does it mean to “be safe” and “be the safest person you know”?
Commit to Being A Safe Person
Do you follow the posted speed limit when driving? If you have broken the speed limit then you have behaved unsafely! Have you ever stood on a chair to reach an item on a shelf or change the blown bulb in the kitchen light? Guess what, you behaved unsafely. This sounds trivial, but if one can’t behave safely with everyday tasks, how can that person have safe behavior with less frequent tasks.
The key to making your answer, “me” when asked, “Who is the safest person you know” is commitment.
At a recent conference, a speaker talked about commitment by asking, “Who is more committed to providing your breakfast, the chicken or the pig?” The chicken lays eggs and continues to do so day after day, but the pig gives everything to provide for breakfast. The commitment to behaving safe is shown by your action.
To show your commitment to safety, begin to Do It Safely! This is harder than you think but the ultimate pay off is far reaching. Let’s take a look at some consequences to safe behavior.
Following the posted speed limit
First, you will not get a speeding ticket. The concept that you have to drive with the flow of the traffic is like saying “If they all drive off a cliff I will follow.” On some holiday weekends, the highway patrol set up on major highways and with the assistance of an aircraft, they pull over and ticket multiple drivers who are driving with the flow of traffic. Insurance companies have determined that people who do follow the posted speed limits have lower insurance cost and less damage cost to their vehicles. Are you a parent? What do you tell your kids to do about following the speed limit?
Using a step stool instead of a kitchen chair
A fall from 18-24 inches can cause a severe sprain, torn ligaments, and cracked or broken bones. This can be painful and uncomfortable to your body for days or weeks not to mention the pain to your wallet. Your employer may pay you while you are off work, but employees who are absent from work can miss out on promotions. If you fall off of a chair changing the light bulb in the kitchen, don’t sue the maker of the chair! Your decision to use the chair as a step stool doesn’t mean that the manufacturers of the chair used a poor design if you fall off – it just means the decision wasn’t a good one.
Wearing flip-flops and shorts when mowing and using a weed trimmer
During the summertime, you will see people improperly dressed to protect themselves. The hazard is obvious to us when we are working in the yard but we ignore the signs. There is no feeling in the world like flip-flopping along behind your mower or walking along with the weed trimmer and having grass hitting your legs (if you are into that kind of thing). Conversely, there is no feeling like the mower blade or trimmer line striking you toes or legs. Choose this behavior and instead of enjoying a glass of your favorite beverage while you sit in the shade and admire your handy work, you could be in the emergency room and off work for weeks. It is your choice, be safe or be unsafe!
Become the Safest Person You Know!
Examples abound, but the question remains, “Who is the safest person you know?” If your answer is, “me”, great! Make sure you live up to that belief and you’ll find yourself enjoying the benefits of working and living safe.
Carl Potter, CSP, CMC and Deb Potter, PhD, CMC work with organizations that want to create an environment where nobody gets hurt. As advocates of a zero-injury workplace, they are safety speakers, authors, and consultants to industry. For information about bringing Carl and Deb to your company or your next conference, contact them at Potter and Associates International, Inc. 800-259-6209 or www.SimplySeamlessSafety.com.