Have you ever done anything that wasn’t really smart? Something that you know put you at increased risk of injury? When you realized what you did, whether you were hurt or not, did you ask yourself, “Why did I ever do that?” For your own self-preservation, this should be a very important question for you to answer yourself.
Consider the fact that 80% injuries are due to unsafe Act and 20% are due to unsafe condition. If you realize that most unsafe conditions are brought about by human failure, then virtually all accidents/mishaps are brought about by unsafe acts. Why did you do something in an unsafe manner? To answer this question, you will need to put personal defenses aside and know that blame may lie within yourself. Also realize that there may be more than one reason for your actions and others may be involved.
If you knew the proper, safe way to the do the job, then you cannot claim ignorance. What is left, whether you like it or not, is carelessness. So what can cause you to temporarily disregard your own safety?
External Pressure -- “Let’s get this job done!” Usually this pressure comes from your direct supervisor. Disregarding safe practices is not going to save enough time to make a significant difference, however, any accident or injury is guaranteed to have an effect. As a matter of fact, when the pressure is applied, it is worthwhile to pay more attention to safety because we know from experience such situations frequently lead to more accidents.
Bad Habits -- You fail to follow the established procedure and you don’t get hurt (or you were not caught) this time. Psychologically, this is a reward and so you do it again and again and again. But it is also Russian roulette. You know, sooner or later, something is going to happen. There is only one way to stop it - stop taking risks! Do yourself a favor and follow the established procedures.
Internal Pressure – “There is just so much to do and not enough time!” Are you self-motivated and self-directed? Most employers love this type of individual, but your single-minded determination to get the job done may cause you to lose sight of the dangers around you. Think of it this way: you will not finish the job if you get hurt, but you may finish the job if you don’t get hurt. Therefore, first: prevent injury; second: work to complete the job. Does that make sense?
Attitude -- “This safety stuff doesn’t apply to me!” Why doesn’t it? Safety applies to every employee all the time. It doesn’t matter if you’re a new employee or have been with the organization for many years, there is nothing in your status that will protect you from injury, except following the safe procedure.
Remember, safety is no more than doing the job the right way and following the established safe procedures every day, day in and day out
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