Why We Work Safely

I think we can all agree that safety is possibly one of the most important functions in all of our day-to-day activities, and yet when the term ‘Safety’ is mentioned most people imagine a set of laws written in big binders sitting on a shelf that apply to regulatory requirements, and which must be followed at all cost (whether they are understood or not) or else there will be consequences applied.

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This mindset of safety has over the years created a culture that has distanced the worker from the safety principles that were created to protect their health and safety. The end result is an environment where safety is feared because it has been so complicated, and the only way to get worker compliance is from workers is through the utilization of the scare tactic showing blood, gore, and the consequences of non-compliance.

With this in mind I would like to emphasize that safety can be simplified and communicated effectively, and the resulting benefits realized by both the employer and the worker. Hence some of the fundamental reasons why we work safely are because:

it’s the law
It is our moral obligation to prevent workplace injuries, illnesses and diseases
so that employers can attract and retain the best workers
It improves our knowledge of hazard-risk management for a given operation
a safe operation increases productivity
a safe operation improves quality