I’m passionate about safety on board ships and in other industrial environments! With this spirit in mind, I’m writing today to talk about taking safety to the “next level” and what exactly that “next level” looks like.
To do this I’m going to share a quick story on what it means to be a “safety freak”…
A few weeks ago, my family and I were driving on the interstate when my wife unbuckled her seat belt to pick something up that one of our three young kids had dropped in the back seat.
As soon as my wife unbuckled her seat belt our 3 and 5 year old daughters started “freaking out” and crying for mommy to “put her seat belt back on” because it was “dangerous” and “un-safe” to be in a moving car without your seat belt on.
We both thought it was hilarious, but we didn’t think too much about it after the moment passed.
Then, two weeks later, I remembered that moment and had an epiphany (pretty big word, huh?)!
Anyway, I realized the reason my girls started freaking out as soon as my wife unbuckled her seat belt was because all they’ve ever been told about seat belts is that they MUST ALWAYS be worn in a vehicle.
As parents, we are extremely passionate about our childrens’ safety. One example of this is our obsession with keeping them secure in their car-seats which begins the first day we bring them home from the hospital. The kids don’t know anything different and when they recognize that something isn’t right or counter to what they’ve been taught (like removing your seat belt in a moving vehicle), they start “freaking out” without even thinking about it!
This “subconscious” level of safety awareness and tolerance displayed by my kids is exactly what we must strive for as supervisors in industrial environments (ships, factories, warehouses, power-plants, constructions site, etc.).
How is this “vision” achieved?
It goes without saying that coworkers should care about each other’s safety as if they were family, if not then your organization has deeper issues. Like loving parents strapping their children into car seats because it is the right thing to do, supervisors, managers and work-site leaders must also lead by example and except nothing less 100% safety compliance from their crew (because this too is the right thing to do).
We have an advantage with kids in that they’ve never known anything different, in fact, they probably don’t even realize the consequences of not wearing their seat belts, they just know you should always wear them.
From time to time you may come across an employee who’s gotten away with substandard safety attitude for so long they may not be willing to change (this may be a separate administrative issue). However, I believe most people are capable of achieving safety excellence when given a supportive and caring environment with clear expectations and zero tolerance for safety violations (like parents ensuring their children wear seat belts).
It really is time to get your freak on!