Go to the corners of the jobsite that no one likes to go to

My heart hurts today. Safety statistics started to play out early this morning.

Today in Minneapolis, a construction worker died when he fell 50 feet.

Today in Franklin County, Virginia, two journalists were killed by a disgruntled former employee of their station.

Falls are the leading cause of death in construction. 

Homicide is the leading cause of death of women in the workplace. 

Think about your employees’ exposures. Are your plans adequate to protect them? Do they receive training and are you verifying they understand how to protect themselves in the workplace? If something were to happen, do you have a rescue or emergency plan in place to respond?

Think harder.

Go deeper.

Go to the corners of the jobsite that no one likes to go to. What is there? Are employees protected?

Think about the “soft skill” related exposures. Yes, mental health. Discipline programs. Is your program adequate? Have you covered the things that make people squirm and feel uncomfortable? In America, we have now seen more than our fair share of workplace homicides. It could happen at your company. It could happen on a sunny August day. Are you ready?

These are only three horrible workplace fatalities that will happen today in America. Only three of the over 4,500 workers who will die on the job in 2015.