As you go through your daily life do you consider the things you do such as your hobbies, chores at home and the work away from home safe activities? The plant where I work has actually made being safe a term of employment. If you can’t work in a safe manner then you simply can’t work there. Now that doesn’t mean that anyone who has an accident is automatically terminated…but if you prove to management that you really aren’t concerned with your own safety or that of others you will be let go.

Companies know that a safe work environment is a much happier and more productive place of business. If an employee has an accident that causes him to miss a day of work first of all that employee doesn’t get paid that day…bummer. Secondly someone has to fill in for the missing worker which causes the company to have to pay someone overtime or someone has to try an double up and do two jobs…which is less productive.

You see one little accident can set off a whole string of things that most of us would never even think of. The employee who is out he misses a day of pay which leads to stress. The employer has to quickly try to fill his spot which is never an easy task…now he is stressed too. Hey how about the employee that may be asked to do two jobs because someone is out…well he is now a little more stressed as well.

Thinking before we start new jobs at hand can often prevent these little mishaps that can down the road turn into much bigger deals. Because of my on the job training as far as safety is concerned I am now a much safer person at home as well. For instance…when I mow grass at home or use my chainsaw I always wear ear and eye protection. Once you lose sight or hearing you don’t get it back…you can never be too careful.

I realize that not everyone uses power tools and does that type of work but we are often faced with other simple things every day that can harm us. How about that old rickety step stool you use when changing a light bulb or maybe the frayed extension cord running behind your couch. People are injured or killed everyday by some small chore that they may have done a hundred times in the past but then one little mistake or change in routine and someone gets hurt.

How can we be safer at work as well at home? First thing is to slow down and not rush into any job headlong without thinking it through. Second is to make sure whatever job you are about to start on you have the correct tools at hand. Using improper tools for any given situation can and does often lead to accidents. This list could go on forever but what it all boils down to is common sense. Use your head to safely plan out tasks at hand and chances are the number of accidents you will have will drop tremendously. Have a great day and may you always be safe.