Ontivity Resources

Have you stopped to think about your reasons for working safely? Do you go along with safety regulations because OSHA and the company say so, or to win recognition for being accident free? Everyone has their reasons for why they do certain things or why they may choose not to do something. Safety on the job or even just at home is no different. To deliberately do something day after day you need a reason. You eat because you need food to live so you choose to eat. You sleep because your body needs the rest, so you choose to sleep. You go to work to provide for yourself and your family, so you choose to get up and go to work. Today we are going to cover some topics to help you understand why you should choose safety every day at work.

• Choosing Safety leads to Zero Harm
• Someone is counting on you
• Working safely enhances your reputation

• Choosing safety leads to Zero Harm

Obviously, your health and well-being should be the biggest motivator as to why you should choose to work safely. Once we lose our health or impact it severely, it may never be the same. It is important to really think about how an any injury would change the rest of your life. Some injuries result in months of pain or hospital stays. In some cases that pain might never go away.  A disability could end all your favorite recreational activities.  A head injury could impact your ability to speak, read, or even enjoy your favorite TV show.  You want to enjoy life with your family and friends without the changes that an injury could impose.  You have plans for the future. Career! Family! Kids! Grandkids! Travel! Retirement!  One bad choice can take that all away in an instant.  Like we always say – Safety over production 100 out of 100 times

• Someone is counting on you

Whether it be a spouse, significant other, children, or maybe even a pet.  We all have someone that is counting on us to come home from work the same way we left.  Even if it is only for a short time, the financial and emotional effects on your loved ones after an injury can be drastic. Taking a step beyond the dollars, how would your child respond when you can’t go out and throw a ball with them or take a walk on the beach ever again.  Making the choice to work safely only takes seconds but making the wrong choice can cost you so much more.  One person that wasn’t mentioned yet is your coworker.  Yes, that person sitting next you, the person you gave direction to this morning, or that person you will jump in the trench with later today, they are all counting on you.  Your full attention or lack of attention can be the difference between an injury free shift and coming home with one less finger or not at all.  Daily work authorizations, tailgate meetings, stop work authority – these are all ways to take care of those folks that are counting on you each and every day.  So don’t just brush over them to check a box.  Take the time and pay attention, contribute, and speak up when working those processes.

• Working safely enhances your reputation

Benjamin Franklin once said, “It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.”. No one wants to reward risk-taker and definitely thinks twice before agreeing to work side by side with someone that is not going to put safety first.  When you get tagged as an unsafe worker, your opportunities for growth are limited.  You are more likely to get passed over for that promotion or raise you have been waiting for.  When you get the reputation as a supervisor that only cares about the bottom line, your team is not going to go that extra mile for you or take the time to make that project mistake free.  Your personal reputation is a direct reflection of the company’s reputation.  We stake our reputation on safety and so should you. If you heard it once, you have heard it a thousand times – Safety is and always will be our core value.  If you are more concerned with finishing under budget by cutting corners hoping that your reputation will shine or willfully put someone in a bucket truck without proper training because it’s a real quick job – then safety isn’t your core value and Ontivity isn’t the place for you. 

The next time you are considering taking a shortcut while on the job or directing someone to just get it done, stop and consider the reasons you are taking that route.  Reminding yourself of the far-reaching consequences an incident can have on many different people.  Working safe is really a very small price to pay for being able to improve and maintain your lifestyle. There is no job or piece of production that is worth the risk of injury.  No matter your job title, you can be an influencer to those around you through your actions.  What kind of influence will you be?

If you would like more information on this topic or any other safety-related topic, please reach out to the Ontivity safety team at safety@ontivity.com, and we will get you taken care of.