It All Started Out With a Bang!

No theory here, just deep space thinking……  If you’ve read any of the posts over the past months the phrase Safely Working Environment has popped up from time to time.  It is one of the overall elements describing the mission of The Safely Working Project.  More importantly, it represents the brass ring for employees and supervisors using sensible care in the workplace.

In mentioning the Safely Working Environment it has been paired with “Safely Working 100% of the Time.”  Sensible care is also integral to Safely Working and building the Safely Working Environment.  But to this point we’ve only alluded to what it is and how it can be realized.  Taglines and slogans are empty without a practical and sound basis.

There are 6 aspects or dimensions that shape the Safely Working Environment.   If one dimension is ignored the Environment fails.  Just like the element “carbon,” it would not be carbon if it didn’t have 6 protons. (That’s the limit to my chemistry background.)  The aspects that contribute to safely working are:

• Activities
• Awareness
• Avoidance
• Abilities
• Attitude, and
• Assets

Each aspect has its own inherent requirements and implications for achieving a Safely Working Environment.

The various dangers in a workplace must be recognized and described based on the Activities and the conditions to which employees may be exposed.  Awareness of those activities in the workplace determines what knowledge and information is needed to control dangers.  Avoidance encompasses the need to do what it takes to prevent mishaps either by elimination or control of the conditions and activities.  What we understand so far, is that a good knowledge of the workplace is essential to establishing the Safely Working Environment.

The remaining aspects reflect what employees and supervisors need to contribute to Environment’s framework.  Knowledge of the workplace determines the information and training, fashioned as skills.  The skills represent the Abilities an employee needs to be able to complete a job safely.  An employee’s personal values will affect their behavior and their Attitude.  Finally, Assets represent employee lifestyle goals…… what’s important to them.  It’s probably why they work in the first place.

The Safely Working Project firmly believes that these aspects are all required elements for Safely Working 100% of the Time.  Nothing less than 100% is acceptable.  None of this is new.  None of this is rocket science.  All of this is sensible.  The Safely Working Project is providing the concepts and tools to assure employees and supervisors are able to do their work with sufficient care to guarantee their lifestyle goals.

(Originally published 1/4/15)