Maybe you’ve heard about the Fukushima water release plan.
Or maybe you heard something about the drinking water debacle in Flint, MI.
Or maybe you’re an emergency responder and are being bombarded about the Alcohol Film-Forming Foams (AFFF) you were exposed that had the “forever chemicals”.
Or maybe you have a home with a basement and learned about Radon and its hazards.
It all boils down to the TRSUT and CREDIBILITY of those delivering the message!
I preach and preach about the key to any safety effort lies in the TRUST and CREDIBILITY of those involved in leading the effort. I enjoyed spending most of my career working for companies and, more importantly, management teams that truly believed in safety as a core value. This was always driven by the plant managers I had the privilege to work for. We were never perfect – we/I made many mistakes in our journey to world-class safety. Still, when the workforce truly believes in what we are trying to accomplish, they forgive our mistakes because they believe they are HONEST mistakes. And as long as we learned from those mistakes, we were all better because of our LEARNING.
But in today’s society and many workplaces, trust and credibility have been badly damaged, creating a lot of strain in the OSH/PSM world. The Pandemic we just emerged from seriously damaged the credibility of “safety and health.” Politicians were putting mandates on their citizens and then being caught not following their mandates (e.g., lockdowns, masking, vaccines, etc.). The debates and outright lies and some really stupid videos (many from so-called safety professionals) about the “efficacy” and some declared “hazards” of masking. These topics still arise today in many debates in the workplace regarding new safety initiatives. We should not take this distrust personally, as in all the cases I see, the safety pro is simply trying to right the ship that was sunk in society and the media during the pandemic. But it is REAL; we must recognize this lack of trust and credibility.
Add in today’s bombardment of the “forever chemicals” and all the lawsuit ads, and one has to begin to wonder (at least I do)… just how far do our exposures go?
There are the “vaccine” concerns, which again was hugely damaging to our efforts during the pandemic, but even before the pandemic, some claim vaccines are part of the increase in autism in children. If you are a Firefighter, you have certainly been targeted for your exposure to the “forever chemicals” that have been used in Alcohol Film-Forming Foams (AFFF). I can not even begin to count the number of times I was soaked to the bone with AFFF. We were told and shown how effective it was in suppressing vapors and extinguishing stubborn fires and told EXPLICITLY that it was safe. Now we are told it is very toxic.
This all brings me to the Fukushima water release. We are being told that the “wastewater” that contains radiation will NOT impact our health. The radiation levels are not higher than “naturally occurring radiation,” and the oceans can “safely handle” this wastewater. I remember an old saying I learned in my first HAZMAT class and one that I still hammer on today when I teach my HAZMAT courses… DILUTION IS NEVER A SOLUTION! That may be true, but apparently, it does not apply to radiation sources and our oceans. One of the ways our rivers have been cleaned up is that when a plant pulls water from the river for use in their facility, the water that is returned to the river is actually CLEANER than what they pulled out. Of course, we still have upsets and send pollutants out, but for the most part, these facilities act as a huge filter for all our previous environmental sins.
So if the water has no more radiation than what is already present as “background radiation sources,” making it OK to discharge to the ocean, then why do I need to sample the air in my basement annually for Radon? Radon is naturally occurring, and a dose is emitted to my home and family. Yet, there is a good size market for DIY test kits, companies that sample for Radon and install Radon exposure controls. Drive through my neighborhood, and you will see dozens of homes with Radon exhaust ventilation systems installed. So why all this fuss about Radon in homes if it is “naturally occurring” but at a very low dose?
It all comes back to the TRUST and CREDIBILITY of the source making the statement(s). Whether that is a safety pro within their business, a member of management, or the government – a lack of either will seriously hamper the message and cause cultural issues within the business or society.
I will just say five more words to drive this point home… Flint Michigan Drinking Water Pipes!
And in OH, we just have to say East Palestine (2023 train derailment).
