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Taking Action Safety Talk
There are many variables for success in anything you do. At work, there are many qualities in those individuals who are viewed as people who get things done and are effective in their position. One key attribute that successful people share is that they take action. Taking action is the foundation for succeeding at whatever you are trying to get accomplished. This basic principle is very important for success in every aspect of your work, including working safely.
Taking Action to Work Safe
Safety is one thing that does not happen by accident. Massive thought and action are necessary to ensure all workers at a job site go home healthy each day. This thought and action begins at the highest levels of management before work even begins and makes its way down to each individual worker completing their tasks for the day. Management can provide all of the training, resources, tools, equipment, etc., needed to work safely, but if each individual worker does not take action to utilize these things, then it is wasted effort.
An example of this at the most basic level is hazard identification. A large amount of time each year is spent on training employees to recognize hazards. While recognizing hazards is extremely important, it is only the start of the process to ensure safety during a work task.
After hazards are identified, action needs to be taken to mitigate or eliminate the hazard. Workers who only identify hazards but do not take action to mitigate them still leave exposure to risk for everyone in that work area. Without action, nothing gets done. Taking action to work safely can manifest itself in various ways.
Examples of Taking Action to Work Safer
- Involving the right personnel to get hazards corrected
- Stopping work to take the time to make a work task safe before proceeding
- Taking ownership of a problem and seeing it through so that it gets corrected
- Communicating hazards or mitigation actions to coworkers
- Asking for help to understand how to do a task safer or more efficiently when you do not understand
Summary
Be a worker that takes action to ensure safety during work tasks. Do not rely on others to speak up or take the steps necessary to ensure your safety or the safety of others around you. When you identify a hazard, take ownership of it and pursue whatever action is needed to correct the situation.
Discussion point: What is an example of taking action to correct a hazard here?
