ANNISTON ARMY DEPOT, Ala. -- Every day we take risks. In a way, everything we do on a daily basis has some sort of risk involved. There are plenty of things we do without thinking twice about them.
We walk, we sit, we talk, we eat, we breathe…
Many of the tasks we do on a regular basis have multiple steps associated with them and are quite complex. But, we've done them so many times we conduct internal risk assessments in our minds while doing them without realizing it.
You most likely drove your vehicle to work this morning.
That means you arrived at your car, started it, put on your seat belt, checked the mirrors, checked your surroundings, put your car in reverse, continued to monitor your surroundings while reversing, put your car in drive and drove to work. During the drive you conducted assessments of your situation, followed traffic laws (hopefully) and got to work without damaging yourself, your vehicle or anything else (hopefully).
Driving your vehicle is something that you've done many times and, without realizing it, have assessed risks of what you are doing as you perform that job.
When you arrive at work, you assess risks all throughout your day as well. You use the stairs, walk, eat, et cetera.
Some of us may even perform routine tasks at work in this way. However, the work we do can be much more dangerous.
Anytime you perform a routine task, you should understand the risks associated with that task.
We receive safety training, procedures and job hazard analyses for the processes we do regularly, as we should.
But, what if there is a one-time event? How do we make sure the work we are doing is going to be safe and effective?
In those moments, we must, mindfully, complete a risk assessment of the tasks we have been assigned.
When we approach new tasks, it only takes a moment to conduct a quick, but thorough, risk assessment.
It's a simple plan, but it is effective:
1. Identify the hazards
2. Decide how the hazard might harm you or someone else
3. Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions
It's truly up to each one of us to keep ourselves out of harm's way.
Every single day, while doing your work, mindfully be aware of the tasks you are performing and your surroundings.
If something is out of place, such as a missing machine guard, do not perform the task until all safety precautions are in place.
Take a moment when performing unfamiliar tasks and be aware of what could harm you and how it can be prevented.
It's up to all of us to have a safe and effective workforce.
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