Safety as a Forlorn Hope……

Recently, I organized my “safety” bookshelf after gathering several stacks of books scattered around my office.  I have accumulated a significant library over the years in support of my training, safety and industrial hygiene activities.  Many are recommended references and textbooks for the environmental, health and safety profession.  Click on the photo to get a closer look at the titles.

It occurred to me that my bookshelf provides additional evidence of why many managers and company owners see a barrier when it comes to safety.   I don’t mean the expense involved in buying the books.  I’m referring to the implied expertise required to find, interpret and apply the appropriate information and guidance.   It’s not unlike the perception of a “forlorn hope.”  This perception suggests that safety is not without great perseverance and incredible expense.

Are these books required for establishing and building a Safely Working Environment in a workplace?  Is safety really a “forlorn hope?”  Certainly not.  I’m confident many successful safety programs have been established without these books, even before the Internet existed.  A Safely Working Environment is more than safety, it’s how things get done.  It doesn’t take a huge budget to make it happen.

That doesn’t mean these books aren’t useful.  They’re great when you have a program already.  They are very helpful when you know what you need.   But, if you aren’t sure what you are looking for, these books can be overwhelming.  That’s why The Safely Working Project is focused on assisting employers build a Safely Working Environment in their place of work.

It doesn’t take books to create a Safely Working Environment.  It takes supervisors and employees using “Sensible Care.”  Safe 6 needs to be the one workplace rule that rules them all!   It really works when an employer is committed to Safely Working 100% of the Time.  It doesn’t take a technical library to do it.

(Originally published 5/20/15)