Hello Everyone,
It has been a difficult October for our colleagues. The month is barely half over and already eight of them have sustained an injury, one with high-severity consequences. When I take a look at the incidents, I see they are quite similar to previous incidents:
(1) Placing a hand in the line of fire (3); resulting in either a fracture or a cut requiring stitches
(2) Stepping in either a non-designated walking area or without knowing the depth of the liquid in the area (2); both resulting in thermal burns to the leg
(3) Repositioning a piece of equipment to work on it (push/pull) (1); strain
(4) Being struck by an object not properly secured (1); fracture to the foot
(5) Being splashed with a chemical during a line-breaking activity (1); chemical burn – high severity
It is often the little things that make the difference. Did I follow my checklist, did I know the depth of the water before stepping into it, did I think about where I was placing my hand? So why don’t we do these things – why do we gamble (even though we probably don’t think we are gambling) with safety?
Often, I believe it is because we probably feel (consciously or subconsciously) that we are in control (either overconfident or complacent) and nothing will happen to us. My wife reminds me of this whenever I follow too closely behind someone on the highway. She will say: “What if they slam on their brakes? What if someone pulls out in front of them? à basically, she is telling me that I am not really in control and I need to maintain an adequate distance to be able to react without getting in an accident. It’s the little things (like maintaining a safe distance, paying attention to where we place our hands, and following the basic rules) we do that often make the difference between having or not having an accident. Also, by highlighting the risk, my wife is showing that she cares (not only about her own safety but also my safety) – over time, my behavior has changed and when I am alone, I try to maintain a safe distance. We all need to look out for one another and help each other stay safe.
I have three asks:
(1) Watch the video available at this link and share it/discuss it with your teams. This is a video that we sometimes use in our Creating Safety sessions so some of you may have already seen it. The decisions we make, and the chances we take can have a devastating impact on many people, not just the person who is injured.
(2) Implement the Complacency and Overconfidence training at your site if you have not already done so. So far, about 55% of our colleagues have been through the training across our sites. However, we still have 45 sites (nearly 1/3 of our sites) that have not started to deliver this training. We want all our employees to have this training. If you need support or have questions, please contact your liaison; and
(3) Take the time and remind your teams that nothing should be taken for granted when it comes to safety and that we want them to take the time to do the job safely.
Let’s finish October on a positive note and move forward safely – it is a never-ending journey.
Stay Safe,
James