Do You See the Elephant?

Safely Working — we’ve associated that phrase with everything.  There’s a nuance to Safely Working that distinguishes it from working safely.  Grammatically, there is no difference.  But, it makes all the difference in the world as far as The Safely Working Project is concerned.

If you’ve been following our discussions over the past 12 months we’ve built a strong case for Safely Working.   In fact we’ve been talking around a very important characteristic all that time.  Maybe you know what that is. If so, you get it!  If not, you will shortly.  From our viewpoint it’s the gravy that holds the stew together; it’s the frosting on the cake; it is the cherry on top of the sundae.

Not to be confused with Safety, Safely Working influences all aspects of a workplace including training, supervision, processes and procedures in real-time.  Safety is the science that quantifies Safely Working as it reflects on business success (profit) or failure (loss).  Safely Working is not an ancillary or staff function like safety or HR, but one of the required ingredients for assuring quality.  Accordingly, Safely Working is arguably a part of an organization’s mission whether stated or not.

Safely Working encourages employees to use Sensible Care, not common sense.  It is the employer’s responsibility to assure the Sensible aspect of Safely Working guidance and information through training and mentoring.  The Care aspect is the employee’s responsibility to use the guidance provided by the employer correctly and safely.

Safely Working is facilitated through the adoption and implementation of Safe 6 in the workplace.  Safe 6 encompasses all aspects of getting the job done.  It does not work in isolation to the task.  It is integral to the task.  Safe 6 provides a frame of reference for procedures, practices, plans and programs.

So, that’s what Safely Working does even though we never state exactly what Safely Working is.  Well, it’s about time we told you.

Working is an activity;
Safely is a description;
Working Safely is an expectation;
But, Safely Working is a VALUE.

Yes, Safely Working is a Value like dedication and honesty.  Remember it this way……

Safety is a Science—Safely Working is a Value!

That’s the elephant.  It’s been there the whole time.