Sponsored by Nuffnang
When WorkSafe asked me to write a post about safety in the workplace, I thought “Absolutely!” You know those TV ads where the kid is waiting out the front for his dad to get home? The ad that has the Dido song in the background Here with Me.
I can't breathe,
Until you're resting here
with me
I won't leave, I can't
hide,
I cannot be until you're
resting here with me...
I would be watching that ad, imploring the
Dad to come home as his wife looks nervously from the window. And he always
DOES come home. But not after I shed a little tear, depending on the time of
the month.
When I watch the news and hear of someone
being killed in a workplace accident, I get beyond upset. I wonder what the
circumstances were surrounding their death, and whether it could have been
avoided.
In my experience, you are either a rules
person or a renegade. A rules person understands the boundaries imposed and
works within those confines, whether they really want to or not. My sister Mrs
Ryan is a rules person. She breaks out in a sweat if I suggest we pop down a one-way
street the wrong way.
She also does not park in No Standing or
Loading Zones, which allows her to hang onto her money far more than me.
When I am travelling on a plane and I score
an exit row seat, the stewardess will come and ask me whether I would be
willing to help in the event of an emergency. I always agree. I like legroom.
But if push came to shove, I am not sure I would be of much use. I suspect my
hysterical inner self would zip into overdrive and I suspect I would behave in
a rather un-charitable fashion. Thank god this has yet to happen to me.
People often obey and “follow orders” even
when it is not necessarily in the best interest of others. Common sense should
prevail in certain cases.
WorkSafe conducted an experiment, and found
that one in five supervisors admitted they would ask their employees to bypass
safety guidelines to complete a task quickly.
I have a word for those supervisors, but I
tend not to use profanities in sponsored posts.
Meanwhile one in four supervisors would
bypass safety guidelines if a $1000 performance bonus were at stake. A cheap price for the cost of a serious
injury, or a life. And supervisors
rate keeping up with productivity and meeting client deadlines as their most important
priority. Ahead of safety.
I am
glad I am not working for them.
In my workplace, which is in my house, the
only danger is that I might burn the house down with something on the stove if
there is a really good, engaging episode of Ellen on.
WorkSafe recently conducted an experiment,
asking people to pass a live wire to another person. 90% of participants did as
they were told.
Even more than once.
Which makes me believe that as general
rule, we should have the confidence to question those in a position of
authority, if your gut instinct tells you to listen up.
As
you might just save a life.
Do you know someone who has been injured on the job?
How could it have been avoided?
