Skip to main content

Keep you safe, really?


The title of this post is absolutely ludicrous. Certainly most of you are scoffing at the idea that we would even bring this topic up, that is the topic of safety. Are you the one saying, "hey I already provide safety for my workers". One of the most ridiculous parts of this title and subject is the interpretation of what providing safety is all about. We have all heard the slogans, safety is job one, safety is our responsibility, so many times in so many companies it is simply lip service. Has safety in your organization devolved similar to training, you are basically providing whatever is required to keep you "legal" and in compliance? If so, shame on you.



In my mind safety it is not about the OSHA 10 course or the video on slips trips and falls, instead it is about the company and its culture. Down deep inside all of us, forgetting about the influence that business and margins may have on some of our decisions, we want to keep everybody safe. Unfortunately sometimes our desires to keep folks safe are at cross purposes with the required safety and costs.  Certainly delivering the appropriate safety is a requirement, yet if you really want a safe environment, promote it from every fiber of your being.



The work environment has a lot to do with safety as well, are you putting folks inadvertently in unsafe conditions? Are you so callused or aggressive in discipline with your employees that they are going to "stick it to the man" and drive your recordable incidents and insurance mod rates through the roof? In my experience people really do want to do the right thing we just need to be sincere in our approach and expectations of a safe working environment. When your workers truly believe that their safety is at the center of your risk-based initiatives you will get them on board.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

why transform?

Why do I want to change, who said anything was wrong with my stack of papers and sea of Excel files?   We solve problems, that is a key characteristic of any successful service organization, if it isn't broke why fix it?   Often, when discussing a transformation from paper or cobbled together systems to a cohesive digital approach, folks struggle with the gap between what they currently do and how digital tools can help.   You really need to look at where the pain points are in your organization and how these compare to your business objectives.   Consider writing down these points on the whiteboard in no particular order, spend a few days shuffling and consolidating into a prioritized list.   Once you have the "why" and the "what" identified, the old remaining step is "how".   Some of the most popular observations over the years have been; Slipping through the cracks :   you know, not the major muscle movements, instead those little i...
Post a Comment
Read more

expert at everything...not a problem

Well... I would say sometimes there certainly is a perceived notion that one person is an expert at everything. For the worker "everything" may be defined as the specific area in which you were hired or are constantly scheduled. Our opinions are frequently influenced off of past experience, or information we've received from their coworkers. Unfortunately this only gives us partial insight to that workers expertise and often is limited to their most recent history. Narrowly focused accounting is made of the skills that this individual possess. Come on, can't we figure out a way to leverage all of the skills of a particular worker? One of the challenges has always been that relationship between the activities which need to be accomplished and the myriad skills of individuals within your workforce. In addition, even if you could inventory and get a pretty good handle on the skill sets, they are constantly changing (with any luck) and thus the ineffective process of ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Digital distance

As influential Irene entered the dispatch department this hot July afternoon all that she heard was the tapping of keyboards.   The energy felt like a controlled, almost clinical environment.   It wasn't that many years ago when the sense of chaos, wrapped in genuine human concern for our clients, filled the room with a much different feeling.   Could it be that our ambitions to become more efficient, by leveraging technology has simply created a reason for us not to communicate verbally with one another?    Hasn't the idea all along been centered around our ability to spend more time with our customers? Making each and every one of them feel as if they are our most important client?   Certainly I'm not suggesting we go back to big chief tablets and number two pencils.   Yet, we need to reflect and strike a balance between digitization and delivery. By pure coincidence, avid Andy was composing a memo attempting to give his opinion, without tr...
Post a Comment
Read more