At a department meeting, the Manager was addressing his concern regarding the blatant disregard of departmental policies and numerous on going safety-related infractions by many of its members. The list was quite long and each item cumulated in what the Manager described as ignorance and/or apathy. He concluded that eventually someone was going to be injured as a result of the prevailing attitudes. Two bewildered looking workers were sitting near the back of the room. One whispered to the other, “What the hell is he talking about?” The other one defiantly replied, “I don’t know and I don’t care!”
The American Heritage Dictionary defines ignorance, apathy and safety as follows:
Ignorance – The condition of being uneducated, unaware or uninformed.
Apathy — Lack of interest or concern, especially in matters of general interest or appeal; indifference.
Safety — The condition of being safe; freedom from danger, risk or injury.
Ignorance, apathy and a poor safety record all have a synergistic correlation. Think about the terms, “I don’t know … I don’t care,” or “One of us is gonna get killed if we all don’t do something about facing the issues…
” I am willing to bet that you don’t have to wait very long to hear that in some workplaces. But in many of our minds, the bad things always happen to someone else or we have the attitude of “What can little ol’ me do about this?”
This pretty much describes the attitude of many workers today. Many of us continue to live by the “ostrich theory.” Our head is in the sand and our butt is in the air just waiting for someone to come along and kick it. Some workers may be ignorant about important issues and by their actions— or lack thereof — they surely don’t care.
The negative forces usually perceive change such as the implementation of safety changes as causing problems and long for the good ol’ days when nothing ever changed.
The role of workers, managers and industry experts is not restricted to their observations of what works and what does not. Their capabilities and attitudes will vary from one context to another.
Safety does not just depend on design and procedures, but on how those working in the industry choose to engage with design and procedures. Workers and managers alike are required to be knowledgeable, diligent and dutiful with regard to correct procedures and observant of safety risks, with willingness and capacity to act to correct potential or actual harm.
If they don’t bring such human capital with them to their work situation, design and procedure will invariably fall short in ensuring work safety.
“Ignorance of the law excuses no man: not that all men know the law, but because ’tis an excuse every man will plead, and no man can tell how to refute him.” John Selden