When It Comes to Safety Without a Zero Goal and Vision, Our Focus is Skewed

Recently, I was watching a safety leadership discussion. The discussion was engaging and designed to compel the audience to make safety a priority.

In the safety speech, the keynote speaker asked the audience, how many people here think an Accident Free Workplace is possible? Only about 10% raise their hand. Why do you think that was? The answer was simple. We are human, and humans make mistakes. In the workplace, it is that one critical action where a mistake can cost you your life.

The speaker asked an audience member to come up, and he put socks on both hands to prove that accidents change people's lives. Without the use of his hands, the audience member's life changed drastically, his freedom was taken away. That's what accidents do. They impact quality of life. Not just his life, but his family, his spouse, and his workplace.

The trouble is people hate change. If an accident happens that affects your mobility, that change forces you down a distinct path. Many of the personal freedoms you once enjoyed are now gone. In the blink of an eye - something you took for granted could be lost forever.

If you want an accident free workplace, you must be intentional. Keeping safety first with a zero tolerance policy is a big commitment. You can't be on it one day and then neglect it the next. Everyday must be a commitment to safety.

Finally, it is important for people who have been doing their job 20 years or longer to be extra attentive. They are typically the first to have an accident because they've become complacent and take safety for granted. Seasoned professionals often take shortcuts because they know how to. It's quicker, it's faster and you think, if I can just get through this quickly, I can do get it done. Be intentional, everyday. Keep safety first, and remember it's not just a policy, it's a value and a belief that we all share.

This is what our Zero Goal and Vision is all about!