Safety First. It is a mantra that we have all repeated ad infinitum with great intention and, in fairness, with positive results towards fostering a safety culture. But Mike Rowe (of Dirty Jobs fame) challenges the notion with his Safety Third theory. He is provoking us…for a cause. He goads us with something bordering on heresy in hopes that we ponder his underlying point – we are our best advocates for a safe working environment and we should take personal responsibility for our safety.
Don’t let your employer care more about your safety than you do. What does that mean? Safety isn’t a responsibility of my employer? No, of course it is. But you should take personal interest in your own safety (and that of your colleagues) or the efforts of your managers can never be as effective as it should be.
Local agencies and other employers should establish a strong culture of safety and then walk the walk. Risk assessment should be part of what they do on a regular basis, with an eye towards the risks involved in your crew’s activities, how to eliminate them where possible, and how to mitigate them where it is not. Equipment and facilities should be kept in good order, safety equipment should be inspected at regular intervals, and personal protective equipment (PPE) should available and its use encouraged (or even required in some instances).
That is where you, the individual come in. First, you should look for opportunities (and even ask for them) to be involved in safety reviews, inspections, and job hazard analyses. Your direct interest in the development and evolution of safety practices in your organization can reinforce your agency’s efforts in developing them. Next, you should embrace safety practices, follow procedures, and wear PPE (correctly).
The Safety First poster on the wall is a helpful reminder, but it is no substitute for dedication to your own safety, and that of your co-workers.
Rowe’s unusual tag phrase is discussed in a Martin Technical article (we should say that the online article does have some editing shortfalls and we can’t help but point out that the notion of a 14 mph speed limit sign is not supported by the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, which requires at Section 2B.13 that speed limits be displayed in five mile per hour increments…but we get the point).
So how do we make safety more relevant and important? The key is bringing things home to a personal level and expanding beyond the forms and processes and into individual responsibility. Mike has done an excellent job with his crew by stating “Safety Third” which everyone knows that the expectation is that safety is your hands and not to count on a company, process or another individual for your safety. It is a big leap of faith for a safety manager to state that they are not responsible for your safety and put the responsibility back on the individual, but it’s a conversation that needs to happen. And to expand upon that, individuals need to know they are also responsible for the safety of others, which is how you build a true and proper safety culture. Further, safety needs to be personally relevant to be understood and practiced. Informing workers of codes and standards isn’t enough.
Again, the point (we’re pretty sure) is not to absolve one party or the other from safety responsibility but to reinforce the “all hands on deck” part of a safety program and the importance of the individual employee being the ultimate implementer of safety practices. Who cares better about you than you?
The Journal of Emergency Medical Services captured Rowe’s provocation another way in their operations article, saying,
He [Rowe] contends that constant reminders of “safety first” lose their impact and can create the illusion that someone else is looking out for the employee, especially if operations frequently do not, in fact, put safety first. He points out that, although many regulations exist to attempt to protect workers, “Just because you are in compliance doesn’t mean you’re safe.” Mike and his crew started using the phrase “Safety Third” to remind each other that safety was ultimately their individual responsibility, and was more complex than an absolute first priority.
Mike Rowe talks a little about the notion in a 2008 TED talk in the context of some of his Dirty Jobs experiences, noting that his own safety missteps (and the jolting remark from a crab boat Captain) taught him that there are safety risks with every task and the individual has to be the first line of defense for his or her own protection.
Get involved in your safety programs. Make constructive suggestions. Serve on a safety committee. Inspect safety equipment regularly. Wear your personal protective equipment and wear it properly. Know when you don’t have the skill set to take on a task and be willing to ask for help. Don’t underestimate the dangers involved in activities, whether they are new to you or you’ve done them a dozen times. Be willing to ask questions so you know how to take on a task correctly and safely.
Don’t overestimate your employer’s ability to make you safe or how much of a difference you can make by taking personal responsibility for your own safety. When you do that, we won’t have to choose between high productivity, good quality, and safety – with some care, planning, and good execution, we can have all three.
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