Safety is not only about taking precautions, it’s also about taking responsibility.
You’ll often see the message that “Safety is Everyone’s Responsibility”. But what does that mean?
Sometimes it’s useful to spell it out in plain language, for example: “If you see it, you own it.”
If you see a hazardous behaviour or condition, you own the responsibility of getting it fixed. Often it’s tempting to walk by hazardous situations. There are many reasons why this happens: too busy, no one is going to fix it anyway, it’s always been like that and hasn’t ever caused a problem. Whatever the reason or excuse, we need to change that attitude in our industry. To further reduce injury rates and save lives, everyone needs to identify the hazards and then own the responsibility of getting that situation fixed. This may take more time, a difficult conversation, or a change of plans but it’s necessary if we want to take the next step in improving the industry’s safety results.
How to “See It”:
- Regular inspections of worksite and equipment. Ongoing assessments of all workers no matter their experience level.
- Ask for opinions and information. Every time your crew gets together, talk about how things are going at work and what can be improved.
- Have a continual improvement mindset. Forestry work is hazardous so go to work each day with the goal of bringing that hazard level down one notch at a time.
- Train workers (especially new ones) how to spot hazards. Take them for a ride along or walk the block and share your knowledge of what to watch out for, what could go wrong and the solutions.
How to “Own It”:
- Ask the tough questions: “How am I really going to fix this so it will be a permanent solution and not a temporary fix.”
- Get everyone involved. If someone reports the hazard, involve them in the solution. The more power they are given to fix the problem, the more likely they will step up and fix new hazards in future.
- If something is reported, make sure it is fixed. If it isn’t fixed, people will lose confidence that things can be improved or changed.
- Remove obstacles to reporting. For example: workers will not report incident or hazards if they are afraid of discipline or a drug test. Remove those fears so your company receives the necessary hazard information.
- “See it and own it” is an attitud e, a part of a company’s culture. Leaders must work hard to build this sort of attitude within every crew. It will take time but it is worth it.
Resources:
- Safety Moments – includes “See it. Own it.” information.
http://www.halliburton.com/en‐US/about‐us/hse‐service‐quality/hse‐safety‐moments.page?node‐id=hgeyxt6c#/11
- “I Chose to Look the Other Way” Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqYa37idFMA
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Print Copy of this alert for posting
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