Despite the fact that Animal Science Products has been able to maintain an excellent safety record for several years now, it is important for us, as well as for any business, to remember that past performance is no indicator of what the future holds, especially when it comes to something as fluid as safety. However, one thing that any business can do is to reach down to the basic heart of safety; it is an attitude, and attitudes are a direct result of what the company does to mold them.
It is a common misconception that the company can ‘do’ safety for their employees, and that safety failures are management failures. Of course, it is the duty of a company to provide a safe workplace for their employees, OSHA tells you that and enforces it. It is management’s duty to train employees on where hazards exist and how to avoid them, but in the real world, that is not “safety.” It is nothing more than the basic preparation for safety. The essential element that makes the difference in the long run is creating attitudes. Here is the message that needs to be conveyed: “The ‘Safety Guy’ cannot come out here and be safe for you every day. It is up to you to pay attention, follow the rules that you’ve been taught, and fix or report hazards”.
Can you get your workers to think like that? Sure, but it isn’t easy. What it requires more than anything else is consistency in bringing that message out. All managers must convey the same message to each employee from the day they start until the day they leave. That is the one and only way to develop the right attitudes. A major part of being consistent is that to certain your words match your actions. If you say that you won’t tolerate unsafe actions, and then, when the pressure is on, you allow them, your credibility is gone and it will be time to start from scratch redeveloping the attitude you want to have.
Ultimately, the secret of success is that there is no secret for success. Every work force is different, every plant and mill is unique. But at the root of safety, there is one basic truth; each person will achieve it for himself, and it is up to the company to nurture that Safety Attitude!