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Most people like to get their job done by exerting the least amount of time and energy, and that leads us to continuously look for better ways for completing our work. Those “better ways” are often only shortcuts that do not provide the safe path for completing the task at hand.
When we successfully take a safety shortcut, we begin to believe that we can always substitute the quicker way, instead of following safe practices. Doing things the safe way starts to feel like “too much of a bother”.
If you have the habit of taking dangerous shortcuts, break it. At work, it can be deadly.
If you have the habit of taking dangerous shortcuts, break it. At work, it can be deadly.
Example - An iron worker who tried to cross an opening by swinging on reinforcing rods, slipped and fell 20 feet onto a concrete floor.
If he had taken a few moments to walk around the opening, he’d still be tying the rods.
If you are told to go to a particular work area, your supervisor expects you to take the safe route, not the shorter, hazardous one. If there isn’t a safe way to get where you need to go, let your supervisor know. The supervisor will see to it that you are provided a safe means of access. It’s your responsibility to avoid dangerous shortcuts and to warn against anyone else you see taking them.
Even if the job will only take a few minutes, it isn’t worth risking your safety and health for those few minutes.
If you are told to go to a particular work area, your supervisor expects you to take the safe route, not the shorter, hazardous one. If there isn’t a safe way to get where you need to go, let your supervisor know. The supervisor will see to it that you are provided a safe means of access. It’s your responsibility to avoid dangerous shortcuts and to warn against anyone else you see taking them.
Even if the job will only take a few minutes, it isn’t worth risking your safety and health for those few minutes.
- Wear personal protection to safeguard your body parts.
- Use proper, well-maintained equipment.
For example, wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is not “cool”. As a result, we often don’t take the time to find and use the right tools / equipment or plan our work properly and consider the consequences.
What are the odds?
If your chances of having an automobile accident are 1 in 100 while attempting to cut across 4 lanes of traffic, instead of crossing at the traffic light –What will you do?
If your chances of falling off of the ladder while reaching over too far resulting in breaking your leg is 1 in 100 –Will you take two minutes to climb down and reposition the ladder?
If you are changing a broken light bulb and your chances of receiving a potential lethal shock are 1 in 100 –Will you ensure that the power is turned off to that circuit?
If your chances of being injured are 1 in 100 if you were to by-pass a machine guard or if you fail to do a proper LOTO –What will you do?
What are the odds? No one knows for sure. However, risking life or limb to save a few minutes of your time is certainly an unsure bet – one you will eventually lose!
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