Safety Consciousness

We all know that safety consciousness is the most potent factor in the prevention of accidents.

Safety consciousness may be defined as awareness of hazards and alertness to danger.  This has a strong influence on the actions of an individual because of his desire to remain alive and uninjured.  We need to develop safety consciousness and Make Safety a Value.

Most injuries can be traced to someone’s lack of safety consciousness.  Usually, but not always, the injured person’s lack of Making Safety a Value may be the cause.  The frequency of injuries is a good indicator of the safety consciousness of the workers involved.  How many injuries have you had?  What is your Safety Consciousness?

If an employee takes chances, indulges in unsafe practices, uses an improper tool, or leaves an open hole unguarded, the employee is not safety-conscious.  Few if any are completely oblivious of their safety at all times or have no safety consciousness, but many persons manifest it intermittently.

Safety consciousness must be comprehensive.  It must reach every operation, it must be evident at all meetings; and, most of all, it must be so instilled that all personnel in supervisory positions will set good examples in safety to the personnel under them.  Setting a good example is a potent factor in reducing accidents and is proof of the safety consciousness of the supervisor.

The frequency of accidents has a definite and precise relationship to the safety consciousness of management as well.  This relationship forms a pattern that affects the well being of all workers.  The factor of luck may seem to distort the pattern at times, but over a long period of time the pattern remains unchanged.

How do we develop safety consciousness?  By observing the following eight simple steps, we can establish a strong safety consciousness toward our way of life.

1. Know the job and be thoroughly familiar with the work plan.
2. Make, revise and utilize Job Safety Analysis for tasks to be done.
3. Perform our own work in such a way that will not create or leave hazards which may cause accidents involving other employees.
4. Obtain training in first aid and become thoroughly familiar with knowing how to give artificial respiration.
5. Take an active part in safety meetings.
6. Report all hazards, unsafe practices, and accidents. Correct all hazards we observe and are capable of correcting safely.
7. Accept responsibility for using safety protective equipment on the job
8. Teach our own families, co-workers and others about accident prevention.