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"Habit is the deepest law of human nature" Most of us would probably agree with that. People are quite often
influenced by habit. Habit and job safety is also closely related. If you form
safe work habits, it's going to reflect positively in everyone’s job safety.
There are seven (7) common "human factors" related to developing safe
work habits. Let's review them.
Hazard Recognition --- Recognition of hazards is
an important factor. By constantly being on the lookout for hazards you enhance
your own safety. In watching for hazards you must consider not just the obvious
ones, but also hazards which might suddenly appear through some action of
another person or a chain of unusual circumstances. Whenever a hazard is
detected, report it to someone who can make the change.
Avoiding Indifference --- Avoiding indifference on the job is important to safety. An
individual might know the right way to do his or her particular job, and just
ignore it. Sometimes the most experienced person who has had the safety related
training might tend to avoid doing the job the right way. Or there may be the
employee who does not know the safety procedures and instead of finding them
out chooses to also ignore them. These kind of indifferences on the job can and
do lead to trouble and accidents.
Eliminating "Daredevil" Behavior --- Have you ever done or known anyone who has done a daredevil stunt
or taken a quick chance? How about standing on the top rung of a ladder?
Everyone knows you should not do that, sometimes the ladder is even posted
"do not stand above a certain level" but we do it anyway. Eliminating
"daredevil" behavior is another human factor that can prevent injury
on the job and at home.
Setting a Good Example --- Setting a good example is another factor to consider. We have all
heard this statement before. "If you set a good example then others will
follow". Think about how your actions at work and at home may affect the
attitudes of others. The actions of all of us have an influence on the
safety-mindedness of others. I bet. If a veteran employee follows the
safety rules then the newer employee may follow their lead but on the other hand
if we condone the unsafe acts of others then that behavior may be what we now
call the culture of the company.
Avoiding Impulsiveness --- Another link in the chain of job safety is avoiding impulsiveness
or being in a hurry. Haste is a trait that often leads to accidents. We are
using our time foolishly if we don't take the time to be safe. Employees
contribute many valuable time saving suggestions each year, but these time saving
suggestions should be reviewed and approved before they are used. Haste can
result in injury!
Controlling Impatience --- Controlling impatience and temper is equally important to job
safety. If we let emotions get out of control, an accident can easily occur.
Statistics prove that on the job violence is on the increase in our country. Do
you have programs in place that identifies potential problems before tempers
get out of control? And, what kind of programs do you have established to get
help for your employees.
Proper Training and Instruction --- Finally, one of the most important human factors related to safe
work habits is training. From the day we are born we are being trained. Some of
this training or learning may have been good, and we probably picked up some
bad habits along the way. Job training and safety go hand in hand. While the
supervisor is responsible for training, each employee must be responsible to
ask questions if instructions are not clear or if there are any doubts about
procedures. Unfortunately, some experienced employees may be so familiar with
their jobs that they become inattentive, and this too is hazardous.
Proper work habits can assure job safety. Overall, the responsibilities for developing safe work habits
really belong to each of us. By being aware of the "human factors"
we've just reviewed, safe work habits can be formed and job safety assured.
This can and does affect your bottom line.