Most practicing safety professionals in the USA have seen The Wizard of Oz. This is an excellent movie, and it reminds me of our journey to achieve a safe workplace. First … the Ruby Red slippers – many managers today state that “safety is #1”, that “our people are our #1 asset”, or “we do not want to see anyone get hurt.” We should believe them – take them at their word. We fall short because most managers have no idea what it takes to achieve these lofty desires. I do not call these statements “goals,” but rather “desires” we can measure goals – desires not so much. Like Dorthy and her Ruby Red Slippers – click the heels three times, and Dorthy would be taken home to Kansas. But even for Dorthy, it was not that easy; even she had to take a journey to make it to her promised land.
Dorthy was lucky; she had a yellow brick road to follow.
Safety professionals need more than a yellow brick road to achieve the level of safety desired by management – we need a brain, a heart, and courage to succeed. And as long as she stayed on the yellow brick road, it would lead her to the Wizzard of Oz. When she ventured off the path, trouble always ensued. And as we learned from the movie, Dorthy found a Brain, a Heart, and courage along her journey.
We need a brain to ensure that our path is right.
We need the heart to be compassionate and driven by compassion for others.
We need the courage always to do the right thing even when we stand alone.
Like in the movie, these three characteristics move us down the yellow brick road. We need them all to reach the City of Oz (our promised land). A path paved with yellow bricks is not enough, just like a safety plan/program is NEVER enough. It is how we implement and manage this program – ALWAYS putting the worker’s safety above all else.
