Isn’t It Time For a Change – 7/29/24

Safety E-Quick Tip

OWYN Safety Management Platform

Isn’t It time For a Change

If you’ve been reading our Safety E-QuickTips over the years, you may recall a few about younger employees being invincible and a few about older employees saying, “I’ve done it this way for the past X years and I’ve never been seriously hurt.”

Well today I’m going to put them together into one QuickTip because what I’m about to share bears repeating as it still holds true today.

Let me start with where this comes from.

Years ago, I represented two companies with OSHA, one regarding an accident that ended in the death of an 18-year-old employee and another that ended in the death of a man just 2 weeks from retirement.

The sad part about each of the incidents was that both could have been easily prevented if company management and their employees followed basic safety procedures.

Safety procedures that would not have taken any more time to implement than how the work was being performed.

You see, in the mind of the 18-year-old, he was invincible. Not uncommon for young people, but when it comes to workplace safety, it’s a very dangerous state of mind.

For the gentleman 2 weeks from retirement, it was clear that he had the mentality that he had done things his own way for the past X years and never been seriously hurt.  But on that day things ended differently.

And the company’s management where both accidents occurred had basically maintained the idea that safety was just common sense, so they failed to get involved and make sure work was performed safely.

Some might point the finger at the employees and say it was their fault that their lives came to an end, while others might point the finger at company management.

But in the end two lives were lost and both were preventable!

So, where do we go from here?

Do we stay on the same path, allowing employees to take the lead on safety and employers just hoping for the best?

Or do we take a step back and agree that safety requires everyone, employees young and old, along with company management to help ensure the safety of today’s workforce?

It’s a fact, workplace accidents don’t need our help to happen.  Things can go wrong without us doing it the same way or without the belief that we are invincible.

Here at OWYN Safety, we understand this is not an easy task, but we believe it can be accomplished in a way that it doesn’t cost anyone an arm or a leg.

So to prove it, over the next few weeks we’re going to give you a few tips and ideas on how your company, large or small, can make it happen.

Let’s learn from our mistakes and help ensure the lives of our young new workers are not cut short and those looking at retirement live to enjoy it.

Employee QuickTip

Regardless of your age, workplace safety plays a major role in helping to ensure you don’t lose an arm, a leg, or even your life to a workplace accident. Do your part and work together with management to keep your workplace safe. Makes sense, doesn’t it?

Employer/Management QuickTip

When it comes to workplace safety, OSHA says that management has the responsibility to keep their workers safe. OSHA also says that employees must abide by the safety policies and procedures established by management. So, as managers it’s your job to make sure employees follow company safety policies and procedures so you can get your jobs done safely.

Have you received your first Safety E-QuickTip and would like to check out some QuickTips from the past? Check out our Safety E-QuickTips Archive Page on our website.

If you know of someone or a company that might benefit from receiving Safety E-QuickTips, please take a moment to share this with them so they can sign-up today.

Thanks for Reading and Please – “Stay Safe this Week”.