Safety Professionals Must Raise The Bar

I got the opportunity to join nearly 100 safety professionals for lunch Monday. The Calgary Chapter of CSSE invited me to speak on Attitude of Safety.

Calgary went face-to-face with Old Man Winter on the weekend and so the remnants of over a foot of snow combined with blustery cold temperatures of minus 20 Celsius made for tough driving conditions. But the room was filled to capacity regardless.

The weather provided a perfect example of an Attitude of Safety. The "Safety Professional" who preaches safety on the job yet drives to the safety meeting on all-season radials does not possess an Attitude of Safety.That is a Tolerance of Safety - and there's a huge difference.

Ensuring one's family members are driving on winter tires in frigid temperatures and snowy and icy conditions means that they display an Attitude of Safety.Not ensuring that family vehicles are not outfitted with winter tires sends a strong message: unfortunately the wrong message.

It is incumbent upon every safety professional to do everything within their power to ensure that seemingly ordinary daily tasks are conducted safely. All season tires harden like hockey pucks below -7 degrees. There is virtually no traction and consequently, less safety on all-season tires in cold and snowy weather.

Here's a novel idea for companies to help their people think safety: search out a tire shop willing to offer a volume discount for employees to purchase winter treads. Then give the employee an hour or so to have the tires installed.Let them ride one winter on snow-grips and they'll never drive on all-seasons again. You've, in fact, raised their standard of acceptable safety.

As a safety professional, demonstrate your Attitude of Safety by making sure your people are safe both on and off the job. It will go a long way to getting your employees to think about safety for themselves. In fact, winter tires might just be the catalyst that kicks your safety program into high gear.

Demonstrate your Attitude of Safety whenever possible. The difference you make impacts not just your workplace but your community as well. And isn't that really what safety is about? Safety for everyone?

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Kevin Burns - Corporate Safety Attitude/Culture Strategist
www.safety.kevburns.com
Toll Free 1-877-287-6711