Tag Archives: attitude

General Safety Issues

DOES YOUR WORKPLACE SAFETY LEADERSHIP NEED AN “ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT?”

Or is it you?  Every business has or should have safety leaders.  Selected employees make up a safety committee.  This is sometimes a group of persons who would rather be anywhere instead of a safety meeting.  It is up to the leader to make this assignment a fun and interesting task, rather than a boring gathering. 

When businesses have a safety leader that is certified in CPR training, and many other facets of safety, one who conducts regular safety drills, this leader is truly interested in getting out the message that the workplace must be safe for all workers.  Safety leadership and employee interaction equal success in employee safety.  Inspired leaders can take the company unit or team to the next level of performance.  It is important that department managers or assigned employees share responsibilities and answer to their safety manager. 

According to the National Safety Council, 25 per cent of all emergency room visits can be avoided if someone knows basic first aid and CPR; 13 per cent of workplace deaths are from sudden cardiac arrests, and for every $1 invested in first aid training and wellness programs, health care costs may be reduced by $3.84 and lower absenteeism costs by $5.82.  Having these skills may enable an employee to save a co-worker’s life. 

Businesses must plan and train for emergencies, regardless if it is a natural disaster, criminal act, fire, or other life-threatening event.  Have your plan in place; your employees should be included in the planning phase, and the entire workforce should know the plan, where exits are, where to report if possible, and other actions they should take.  Having random fire drills and emergency situation drills can play a part in the success of being prepared.  Ensuring that your leader and your employees are on the same page will promote a positive reaction.  

Professional safety leaders are educated in every facet of workplace safety; some in specialized fields.  They know how to train workers to keep the workplace safe, and  make it more of a challenge for workers.  

Suggestion: A safety leader could get permission from the administration and employees to make a training video, featuring the employees performing their every day responsibilities.  It is amusing how persons show more interest when they see how they function in the workplace.  Humor could be added to make it even more fun. (Maybe a “staged” accident!) 

Never take  safety responsibilities for granted; your leaders should instill a positive attitude and make each worker proud to do their part in keeping their Number One priority, going home from work safe every day.

 

 

 

 

General Safety Issues

POSTERS HELP DRIVE THE POINT HOME!

The industrial environment is challenged with trying to prevent accidents at the workplace.  Just think how much companies must spend on personal protective equipment, and if an accident happens – loss of work and productivity, insurance claims, material damage, loss of life, and much time spent writing accident reports. 

Because everybody acts of their own free will, sometimes it isn’t easy to get them to follow what you want them to do.  Ironically, those same people are the cause of most accidents!  If your workers don’t obey the rules that you have established, or don’t wear their protective equipment, or don’t practice good safety when they aren’t being supervised, chances are something will probably happen, and it won’t be good! 

The key to controlling accidents is safety awareness; this type of safety awareness is critical in any construction site.  One unsafe act can bring your safety record down in a few seconds. 

What is a good way to deliver your safety message? 

Researchers have found that people remember 50% more in what they see than in what they hear.  Visuals get people’s attention.  Promoting safety through visuals is very effective.

Most people enjoy posters that are humorous.  Pleasant thoughts generate more receptive learning.  Using humor drives a point that is so easy to understand when done correctly.  Cartoons can illustrate dangerous situations, which might be impossible to capture on film in real life. 

Here are a couple of examples of the safety posters found at tasco-safety.com:

DON’T BE A FOOL – BEING SAFE IS BEING COOL seems to be pretty self-explanatory.

Another one: The Key to Success Is Attitude

Good luck to all safety instructors.  We hope the posters will help get your message across.  It’s also good to stock up on several and post different ones on a periodic basis, so employees will be watching for new ideas.

One last good tip for those training employees on safety: ask them to share a close call or accident they have witnessed.  First-hand information is very powerful when someone has actually seen it or had it happen to them.

General Safety Issues

LET’S START THE NEW YEAR OFFF WITH A GOOD ATTITUDE – TOWARD LIFE AND WORK!

 What better time to make a promise to change the way we look at things than the beginning of a brand new year?  Both research and common-sense tell us that we can enjoy better health when we have a good attitude.  We’ve all heard of the optimist that sees the glass “half-full” and the pessimist that sees it “half-empty.”  How much fun is that?  It’s a lot more pleasant to try to look at our life – both at work and home with a good outlook.  Things can’t be that bad if we don’t make them that bad!  Besides, negative emotions can be detrimental to long-term health issues.  

For young people starting out on a new job, the best advice is to go into that occupation full-steam ahead.  Show your new employer that you are interested in what the company does and stands for, not just in getting a pay check every two weeks.  If you start a job with the knowledge that you may make mistakes, which is expected, but that you are willing to work hard and not “talk the talk”, but “walk the walk”, your chances of advancement are much better that someone who just shows up every day, and doesn’t bring that positive personality with them. 

You don’t have to go around with a grin on your face all day, but understand that there are no shortcuts to success.  You have to do the job you are hired to do and do it safely.  Do you know people in your workplace that complain all the time?  Their complaints affect the morale of their co-workers.  Maybe they need some encouragement to complete the tasks they are assigned to do.  Workers can “feel” the negative or positive “vibes” a co-worker puts out.  

Safe and happy work environments have to be cultivated both by management and workers alike.  It takes time to cultivate friendships; things just don’t happen overnight.  Training is the first step, and employees should take advantage of the work-related lessons they are taught. Do you know any workers who ignore the safety rules, or take a chance on their own, or co-workers’ safety and health?  Do they wear their personal protective equipment, and take care of it?  Do they run machines without guards, or throw tools around?  If so, they are displaying a lack of respect for both themselves, other workers and the company they work for.  

If you need to think about your attitude, now’s the time.  Concentrate on your behavior, both at home and work.  Figure out how to fix problems and don’t give up.  Be willing to help others.  Share ideas with them, but also show that you are able to work independently.  Watch out for your fellow man.  If you witness a near-miss at work, report it and see that it gets corrected.  All of us need to be on the alert for safety hazards.  Pay attention to the many motivational safety posters  posted all around your workplace, and heed their warnings. 

I hope this little “pep talk” will help some of you go into work with a better outlook on things.  I want to share something I read the other day about “well-being,” and after all, isn’t that what we are all looking for?  Concentrate on this good advice, and have a great 2011 at work, home, and play! 

  • PHYSICAL WELL-BEING: Maintaining healthy and energetic bodies by making healthy choices about exercise, diet, and stress management.
  • EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING: Peace of mind, confidence and self-respect that we achieve by coming to terms with our full range of feelings.
  • SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING: Purpose, fulfillment and meaning that comes with having a sense of connection to those things that are larger than ourselves.
  • INTELLECTUAL WELL-BEING: Mental acuity that results from keeping our minds active, alert, open, curious and creative.
  • SOCIAL WELL-BEING: Camaraderie that comes from maintaining a rich web of relationships, with family, friends, and colleagues.
General Safety Issues

HOW IS YOUR ATTITUDE ABOUT SAFETY?

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How is the “safety climate” or attitude regarding safety within the organization where you work?  “Safety climate and safety culture are two terms that are used interchangeably.  A safety culture is described as safety attitudes, values and practices that exist at a deeper level within an organization.  To build positive safety attitudes, the workplace must have a strong safety culture.  A safety climate is how workers perceive the safety management of the workplace.  How is your attitude about safety? 

Effective accident prevention efforts strengthen the workplace stance of both employees and supervisors.  The entire workforce should be involved and committed to creating the best possible safety environment.  Rather than building the policies and procedures from the “top down”, it should begin from the “bottom up”.  The ones that are doing the work are the ones most likely to be injured, so their ideas and suggestions should be listened to closely.  They are the ones who witness near-misses, patterns of co-workers’ behavior, attitudes, taking shortcuts, or making decisions based on guesses rather than following  standard operating procedures. 

A well-planned and implemented behavioral safety system leads to workforce stewardship of safety systems, fewer accidents, fewer near misses, less property damage, more reporting of defects, and added reporting of accidents.  Supervisors must work with their employees to understand why and how incidents happened, and work together to take corrective actions.  Sometimes the saying, “It’s just the way we do things here,” may not mean that it’s the safe way to do things. 

Motivational posters can contribute to better feelings toward our work.  Whether they are serious or funny, they can make one stop and think.  Don’t ignore them, as your employer has placed them there for a reason. 

Take a look at the attitude you display at your workplace.  Think about how your job performance affects your coworkers.  Everyone wants to go home at the end of his/her shift.  A bad attitude can cause a mishap that leads to regret.  Show a safe attitude by behaving that way.  Can you name the safest person at your workplace?  Is it you?