“The goal of decision making is really very simple: doing the right thing, at the right time.”  Why should we care about decision making? The numbers speak for themselves. Poor decision making is the root cause of many—if not most—accidents. You don’t have to be a high-time worker to make consistently good decisions about the task.  New workers already know most of the things that are likely...

WE do many wonderful and useful things with our hands.  We work, we play, we eat, and we ask important questions “WITH OUR HANDS”.  Some of us may hold our children and grand-children with our amazing wonderful hands.  Young or Old, BIG or small, we need our hands. My hands are worth caring for, are yours??? I guess you figured out by now we are talking about “HAND SAFETY.”  Did...

If you don’t understand, ASK?? Sandy usually sat at the back of the room for safety meetings and kept her head down same as she did at school so she wouldn’t be called on.  She listened to what her supervisors and co-workers said, but she never participated in discussions, offered suggestions, or asked questions. That just wasn’t Sandy.  Usually, however, she learned what she needed to learn...

Every person is the architect of their own fortune, good or bad, depends on the individual’s acceptance of personal responsibility. At a young age, we are taught to assume responsibilities. (“Look before you cross the street . . . playing with matches is dangerous . . . be home before dark . . .”) Even today, as adults, we still learn and decide whether to accept certain obligations. Young...

Have you ever found yourself reading an incident report concerning an injury to a worker or damage to equipment and wondered “how in the world did that happen?” More than likely it happened because someone didn’t recognize a hazard.  Hazards are the source of personal injuries and damage to vehicles, equipment, and property. Hazards abound at home, work and play.  The problem: We may...

77.1605(b) A Adequate brakes 77.404 c L LOTO 77.1710(g) W Wear fall protection 77.1606(a) A Always do a Pre-op 77.1607(g) Y You should signal before moving 77.1710(i) S Seatbelts 77.405(b) B Block raised machinery 77.1607(n) E Equipment shall be chocked & brakes set 77.404(a) S Safe operating condition must be maintained 77.1000 A Always remember the Ground Control Plan 77.1607(b) F Full control...

My neighbor works in a misc. metal fab shop.  He was working a hydraulic press to bend steel.  He was complacent and tired and made a mistake by positioning his finger too close to the press while bending a small piece of steel.  He has insurance but had to go to Maricopa County Hospital for trauma surgery.  He is now on temporary disability and does not know if he will regain the...

Unlike a television shootout, serious accidents cause real anguish and suffering. So real and vivid that those involved rarely forget the flow of blood, the broken limbs or the screams of pain. Any accident without injury, though, is more like the bloodless, painless fakery of television violence. Without sense or propose in the drama and therefor easy to forget. In real life however, there is danger...

Most of us have the necessary knowledge and experience to do our jobs and we don’t want to hurt ourselves or others. Why, then, do we often ignore our good friend “safe practices” and set ourselves or others up for an accidental injury? Carbon monoxide can kill – but we sometimes work in a closed garage with our automobile engine running! A bump on the head hurts – but we don’t...

By far, the single most important aspect is the personal interaction with the hourly employee is in “Their Comfort Zone” (e.g. their work area).  Come to them on their terms, watch and absorb , don’t judge.  Take off the “Production Hat” and become human for an instant.  Watch the work task being performed in it’s true and unfettered conclusion, make mental notes on: how...

Excuses Heard After Someone Gets Hurt! Bullet Aiming Toward an Accident/Incident   I was hot. I was cold. I was tired. I got distracted. I was in a hurry. The PPE is too hot. I did not notice that. I did not know any better. I was not properly trained. I was not paying attention. I don’t know what happened. I thought I could do it myself. I just was not paying attention. I did not expect...

(Winston Churchill loved them) are figures of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected; frequently humorous. 1. Where there’s a will, I want to be in it. 2. The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it’s still on my list. 3. Since light travels faster than sound, some people appear bright until you hear them speak. 4. If I agreed with you, we’d...