When it comes to workplace safety, are you using your “safety sense”? Are you making good decisions when it comes to working around hazards?
Safety sense is a combination of common sense and workplace safety. Common sense is defined as the ability to think and behave in a reasonable way and to make good decisions. Safety is then defined as the condition of being protected from or unlikely to cause danger, risk or injury. If you put those two definitions together you get the definition for “safety sense” which is using good judgment to work safely so that you prevent injury to yourself and others.
So, how do we apply this to our daily work life? First, safety must be a part of any job planning before work can begin. If you don’t consider safety as a top priority, then you can be setting yourself up to be vulnerable to being exposed to hazards. Speaking of hazards, when there is a hazard present, then you will need to act immediately to eliminate the hazard if possible, and if not then make a plan to properly deal with the hazard. Some hazards can’t be eliminated so there has to be a plan to mitigate exposure to the hazard.
This is where following safety regulations can really make a difference. These regulations may seem like a time-consuming hassle, but they are there to protect you from the hazards that can cause injury. If you discover an unsafe condition or witness an unsafe act, have the courage to speak up. Addressing these issues is vital to having a workplace that provides you and your coworkers a safe atmosphere. By developing good safety practices, you build a great safety culture in your workplace. Going home to your loved ones is what all employees should want at the end of the day.
When you take responsibility for your own safety and the safety of others you will find that working safely isn’t that difficult of a task. When all employees share the same level of commitment for workplace safety you will have better morale at work, and it will show in a reduction of injuries and incidents involving safety.
Using safety sense means making the right decision and sticking to it. It is following safety regulations and adhering to safety training even if it is difficult or inconvenient. Using your safety sense means you are willing to speak up when you see hazards, have questions or see an unsafe act by a fellow employee. You are not born with common sense, but we do have the ability to develop it over time. It takes life experiences to develop and it’s the same with safety sense. It will not come naturally, but with experience, training and making good decisions, you will develop a safety sense that will keep you free from injury.
