Caring About Safety Has Never Been More Important
How safe do you feel on your job? As a workforce safety speaker who once suffered a tragic workplace related accident, I ask you to think carefully before answering. The data for 2022 were not encouraging in terms of improvement. U.S. Workforces are still experiencing more than 2.8 nonfatal accidents each year (with nearly 5,000 fatal accidents).
According to the most recent statistics:
“In the United States, 84% of all nonfatal injuries resulting in time away from work are caused by overexertion and bodily reaction, slips, trips, falls, and contact with objects and equipment.”
What does that have to do with you and your co-workers? Everything.
It could get much worse
It is time for workforce safety honesty and as a workforce safety speaker, I need to point out the obvious: companies are finding it difficult to get qualified employees; experienced employees are “aging out” or going on to other opportunities; workers who were previously locked down are back in offices part-time and as much as organizations try, virtual safety lessons are never as impactful as on-the-job training.
Whether you are highly experienced or a newbie, you have probably faced at least one of the factors I have stated above – and then some.
Whether you work in a large restaurant, an office, construction or production facility, it is clear that workplace accidents have not gone away. Often, the lack of safety training affects both clients and customers.
Pre-pandemic, McKinsey & Company reported worker fears over reporting injuries resulting from safety violations. Therefore, many workers never reported injuries over fears of losing jobs. In 2022, the New York Times reported a rise in construction complaints and even the foodservice industry has dealt with something like 48-million food poisoning complaints.
In 2023, workforces, products and ultimately customers are seeing the results of a lack of training.
Beyond all of the statistics, remains the basic question: what can be done to reverse the accident rates and effects of poor training?
Having the courage to care
In your workforce, who are you looking out for, and who is looking out for you? When I get reports of an administrative assistant falling off a ladder while hanging Christmas lights, a production worker suffering burns from a faulty steam valve or a transportation worker, under the influence of controlled substances, getting involved in a tragic accident, I know that no one was looking out for them. They were not looking out for themselves and chances are, they lack the mindset to look out for anyone else.
In 2023, the workforce desperately needs to re-set its culture of caring. If organizations re-set their cultures of caring, if they are determined to care, the results of accident rates and poor training can be reversed.
Workforce safety is a common, focused mindset. The courage to care means to steady ladders, reporting a faulty steam valve, or preventing someone who is intoxicated from driving. Caring about safety has never been more important. Please make sure that in your organization it is at the top of the checklist.
To reach Scott Burrows, Workforce Safety Motivational Speaker, contact Scott today by phone at: 520 – 548 – 1169 or through this website.
