What's Going on in Safety: Dave Johnson

RSS

This column, depicting the case of a fictitious construction worker, is based on information presented at a session titled “Mental Health and Suicide Prevention” at ASSP's annual event in early June.

Imagine this: Mental health days are offered. Paid mental health days allow you to take time off to attend to your mental health and well-being.

It won’t be long before at least some workplace safety cultures become highly digitized. Think of the time savings and productivity gains.

No one protected this 15-year-old migrant worker who fell 50 feet to his death from a roof in Alabama where he was laying down shingles. What are these kids doing working dangerous jobs? Sending money back home — to Guatemala, Honduras, Venezuela and other parts of impoverished Latin America.

A disengaged employee, operating on auto-pilot, wanting to get the job done as soon as possible, is also an accident waiting to happen. These are your at-risk employees.

Money is behind the hollowness of many companies’ stop work policies. Sure, if you see something, say something. A change in weather conditions. An emergency situation. A near-miss incident. A lack of knowledge as to how to proceed. Unsafe conditions. Equipment used improperly. All legitimate risks. All often ignored by the workers who have the authority to halt work. Why? 

How many safety pros give CEOs a pass when it comes to safety? How many lower their expectations of what CEOs should do for safety? As a rule, the majority of CEOs have no schooling in occupational safety and health. They distance themselves from it, consciously or unconsciously.

A bias exists that white collar workers — more than their blue collar counterparts — are more prone to burn out, anxiety, depression, stress overload, work-life imbalances, emotionally draining work, and have a strong need for rest, gratitude and recognition. But that's not true.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos laid down the gauntlet in his April 2021 farewell letter to shareholders as he stepped down as CEO: "We are going to be Earth’s best employer and Earth’s Safest Place to Work.” OK, Jeff, here’s a question: What makes a company the planet’s safest place to work?

How many employees have died, or been seriously incapacitated, trying to rescue a co-worker in a toxic confined space? Without training and awareness, impulses and human nature can take over.