It has taken me 25 years to diagnose it, but I have finally establish the “Delusional Safety Syndrome” (DSS). It is the only mental illness known at this time that is actually contagious. It is spread by close contact with an infected person. It can lie dormant for years and the infected person can spread the disease before they even recognize they are ill. Some symptoms include:
- thinking that OSHA compliance is the same as being “safe”,
- the OSHA rate is an indication of how well our risks are under control, and
- fearing the results of a safety audit more than the outcome of the hazards they know exist in their facility
We are doing research on a cure and one day hope to even have a vaccine available. Numbers are sketchy, but first pass we believe DSS may account for over half of all occupational fatalities in the world. But of course our data is badly skewed because DSS actually leads to under reporting and very poor investigation methods.
Treatment: The best course of action is to expose the disease to a “safety radical”. These radicals, similar to antioxidants, can identify those infected and begin to corral the disease. Eradication is very difficult and it takes years of treatment, but the disease can be contained and one day we hope to have a cure. But without a safety radical to combat this disease we know it is lethal. So please consume your daily dose of a safety radical to aid in the prevention of this tragic disease. Your family is counting on you!
I stand proud to be called a “safety radical”! And by the way, this is a JOKE, a little fun at the mindset of so many when it comes to safety. I am not poking fun at mental illness – heck those who know me say I am crazy (and most are not kidding!).
