Tool Box Talk: Safety, A Word About SAFETY

“A Word About SAFETY”

You won’t find the meaning of “SAFETY” tucked away within that six-letter word. The meaning we associate with the word was shaped and continues to be shaped by many things:

Our experience; the work we do; the thoughts we think; the way our parents used the word during our childhood; our outlook on life and on our fellow man.

That’s the way it is with all words.

Safety, for too many is a “blah” word – drab and colorless. A ho-hummer of a word that turns some people off, a word that deepens apathy instead of spurring action.

The word Safety doesn’t jab some minds , it merely nudges it or curls around it and floats on past.

To Some Safety just doesn’t have the zing of “touchdown”, or the flavor of a “sirloin” or the appeal of a blond nor the color of autumn.

To Some there is no magic in the sight or sound of the word, nothing that mystifies, stirs excitement, cranks up the curiosity, jumps the pulse rate, or opens the adrenal glands.

Ironically, the many things that safety programs are pitted against are couched in terms that do grab us: “Pain”, “Laceration”, “Mutilation”, “Paralysis”, “Crippling”, and “Death”.

But the things that Safety works for should also grab us.

Whenever we read and hear the word: SAFETY
We should SEE people driving happily (and defensively).
We should SENSE the aliveness and able-bodied.
We should THINK of unimpaired earning power.
We should FEEL the joys of keen appetite and a deep night’s sleep.
We should REFLECT upon the miracles of vision, hearing, touch and smell.
It’s all there, invisible but part of that grab, two-bit, ho-hummed word –safety.

When we develop the sense of all those positive meanings, then we can put all our power into the perpetual business of personal safety and the safety of our fellow workers.

Each one of us is special, in some way we’re all unique
We all can make a difference, have you made one yet this week?
It doesn’t take that much to affect others in a positive way
A simple smile, a ‘how are you’ or a compliment you choose to pay
Reaching out to fellow man is one reason why we are here
So many people feel all alone and yet we stand so near.

So be alert, pay attention there are opportunities everywhere
Get involved – say hello, ask a question – show others that you care
Nobody wants to get involved, though we all have so much to give…
But by making a difference in someone else’s life, that’s when you truly live.
So get involved – make a positive difference: it’s something we all can do
Mentor a child, assist the elderly, or donate to those less fortunate than you.

The need is oh so great and the opportunities are plenty
Please remember the thing needed most is your time not your money!
And co-workers, don’t forget to watch out for each other
Every single one of us is a son or daughter, a sister or a brother
Stand up for safety when you see an unsafe act or condition
Protecting our fellow man is all a part of the mission

And a bonus quote from Benjamin Franklin:

“Watch the little things; a small leak will sink a great ship.”

Thanks for the share, TO!