Who is responsible for safety on the job? Is it the government, the company, the boss or the other members of a crew? Actually, all of them have a responsibility for safety. But ultimately, the challenge is personal.
Behavioral Warning Signs
These behaviors indicate that people are not taking responsibility for their own safety.
• Being too tired for the job
• Consuming drugs or alcohol at work
• Ignoring written safety procedures
• Skipping safety meetings
• Refusing to wear personal protective equipment
• Operating equipment without training
• Working too quickly
Taking responsibility for safety is a full-time job. This is how to do it:
• Be aware of surroundings at all times. A work environment can change from one moment to the next, for example with the approach of a vehicle, something falling from overhead or the presence of an intruder. Stay alert.
• Upgrade workplace safety training on a regular basis. Take advantage of company training sessions. Review the operator's manual for equipment used, and company safety documents such as the emergency plan.
• Keep up first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation, CPR, skills. Community organizations offer sessions at off-work hours. If there is a chance to sit in on some hazardous material information sessions or, in Canada, a Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System orientation, do so.
• Talk about safety with team members. In the break room, at meetings and in one-on-one conversations, put the focus on safety.
• Perform workplace inspections. Maybe other inspectors will have overlooked the faded sign marking the eyewash station or the fire door that will not stay closed.
• Look for solutions to safety problems. When finding something wrong, try to figure out how
to make it right. If a machine guard is inadequate, perhaps go to a supervisor with a
practical plan for beefing it up.
• Do not be afraid to point out unsafe practices by fellow workers, using common
sense and courtesy, of course, and encourage them to do the same. When a mistake is made, it is better to be embarrassed than electrocuted.
• Do not let someone else, even a supervisor, make someone do something they believe to be unsafe. If somebody says it is okay to enter a confined space unprotected, he or she is wrong. It is just possible a boss could use some more safety training too.
People can do a lot to keep their fellow workers safe. But in the end, everyone is responsible for his or her own safety.
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