What The Safety Numbers Don't Tell You

Companies who claim to have successful Safety Programs still employ people who, on their off-time:
• drive on bald tires
• drive with broken headlights/tail lights/signal lights
• talk on a cell or text while driving
• stand on chairs to reach for things in the kitchen
• mow the lawn in sandals
• don't wear hearing protection when operating home power equipment
• don't wear eye protection when doing home renos
• don't do walk-arounds before backing out of driveways
• don't signal their intentions in parking lots
• cut across three lanes of traffic in one go
• exceed the speed limit
• wrestle with multiple grocery bags while fumbling with keys at the door
• don't wear life jackets in boats
• don't wear sunscreen in the backyard
• leave garden hoses/extension cords running across the grass
• operate propane/gas barbeque grills with faulty controls
• overload home electrical outlets
• (Sigh) and you can add to this list on your own .... you see this stuff everyday.

Are the Safety Programs really successful or is it just the illusion of success because no one has a Lost Time Incident "on the job?"

I would say that if you are going to call your Safety Program successful, you have to take into account the shift in employee attitudes about their home safety. If you don't take into account how your people conduct themselves OFF the job, then you have a successful Compliance Program - not a successful Safety Program.


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Kevin Burns - Workplace Expert and Speaker