Exploring Safety Poem Initiatives for Workplace Safety and Employee Engagement

Hi all,

We can display this poem on the main entrance, visitor's room, canteen, and even get it painted as a wall painting.

[CENTER]Safety Helmet is required, but

Positive Thoughts are important

Safety Goggles are required, but

Conscious Vision is important

Safety Hand Gloves are required, but

Righteous Protective Action is important

Safety Shoes are required, but

Quick and Safe Steps are important

means

Safety Equipment is required, but Man is more important in any Safety program

Hi Hansa,

It's a nice poem. Good, keep it up, Hansa Vyas. Why can't you just say it like this:

Helmet is needed not for the head but for the brain.
Goggles are required not for eye vision but for internal vision.
Hand gloves are required not just to protect hands but to protect the whole family.
More importantly, humans are important only when we give importance to them and their work.

Eppudi?????

Hi,

I think you might need to add just one word shown below in quotes in the last sentence: Safety equipment is required, but "self-awareness in Man" is more important in any safety program. Generally, the poem is very simple, clear, and efficient and conveys the message easily across.

Dear all,

Here is another poem that i have circulated to all our employees during Annual shut down.

You all can also share it with your employees or display it at main enterance.

I could have saved a life that day,

I could have saved a life that day.

But I chose to look the other way.

It wasn’t that I didn’t care,

I had the time, and I was there.

But I didn’t want to seem a fool,

Or argue over a safety rule.

I knew he’d done the job before,

If I spoke up, he might get sore.

The chances didn’t seem that bad,

I’d done the same, He knew I had.

So I shook my head and walked on by,

He knew the risks as well as I.

He took the chance, I closed an eye,

And with that act, I let him die.

I could have saved a life that day,

But I chose to look the other way.

Now every time I see his wife,

I’ll know, I should have saved his life.

That guilt is something I must bear,

But it isn’t something you need share.

If you see a risk that others take,

That puts their health or life at stake.

The question asked, or thing you say,

Could help them live another day.

If you see a risk and walk away,

Then hope you never have to say,

I could have saved a life that day,

But I chose to look the other way

Regards,

Hansa Vyas

Hi,

This is my second post on this site, the first also on your short safety poem on PPE posted earlier. The current poem is well-structured with a nice jingle and food for thought! Keep going... cheers!

Hi,

This is my second post on this site, the first also on your short safety poem on PPE posted earlier. The current poem is well-structured with a nice jingle and food for thought! Keep going... cheers!

Dear Dipil,

When our employees come to the office, the first thing they do is check their mail. If they read the poem, it remains somewhere in their subconscious mind. When the job is unsafe, they remember the words of the poem or someone else tells them how they are performing unsafe work. This has a psychological effect. Let me tell you, we have completed the last two shutdowns accident-free, and there was a party from the company for the same. I see it as an achievement. Perhaps it can be considered as one of the factors that contributed to it.

Regards,
Hansa Vyas

Dear Hansa,

Thank you for replying.

If the things are as you explained, how easy is our (Safety Pro) role in today's scenario... Just need to send an email, and we can sit tension-free, thought all is going well and all are following what we write in the email... As per my knowledge, this maturity level is only in 1 or 2% of Indian companies...

I am just recalling the quote said by one of our senior management staff one year before: "Are yaar, bahut mail aata hai... Safety wala ka from dekte hi, me to vo delete mar deta hai..." In such an environment, who will read this much lengthy song... Maybe the situation in your plant is different... Maybe people reach that maturity level... All are conscious about safety and all... People do not even read the slogans of two lines displaying at the site... I am not agreeing to display such a lengthy poem at the site, that also in English, not in the local language... This will not create any help in accident prevention... Maybe your systems were very good in place, which helps you prevent accidents... Well and good, best of luck to continue the same condition...

Just my views... not criticizing what you are doing... if you are fully confident in what you are doing, and results are visible, and management is supporting, go ahead... All the best...

Dear Dipil,

I have always found you to be a positive person. If we all think that things don't work, then we will not be able to accomplish anything. Let's do whatever we can from our side; any small effort will make a difference. In your case, I believe that sending numerous emails may be the reason why people don't read them. Perhaps if you send quotes or information daily, they might become frustrated and delete safety emails without reading them.

Therefore, only send emails when necessary. The concept of using a poem for the shutdown was new to them. Also, make sure to keep the email subject lines attractive so that people are motivated to read them.

Stay positive and continue working hard. One day, we (safety professionals) will succeed.

Regards,
Hansa Vyas

Dear Hansa,

Good to see the poems, which are very meaningful and a very different initiative. However, as Dipil said, it would be better if the same is in the local language. Just a clarification, who is the targeted audience. Since the mails are surfed only by office people who do not show any interest, I have the doubt whether this would give any impact. Why can't we target the real users and create more awareness? This question is just because of curiosity to understand the people's mentality in different offices.

Any way, it's a good initiative, and I will also try to circulate the same among our office team and let me visualize the response.

Dear KVS,

The target audience is employees, and our minimum qualification for recruitment is a first-class graduate (with 10 first-class, 12 first-class, and graduation for all three years; you should have scored more than 60%, i.e., first class). So, this is for them.

Yes, about contractors, we have a pledge that they say in Hindi before going to their jobs.

Dear KVS, circulate this poem when there is a shutdown or any critical job is about to start and send it to that particular section's people, because if you circulate it to all, then as you and Dipil said - people won't read.

Try it out and let me know your experiences too.

"Drop by drop, the pot fills." So let this be one drop.

Regards,
Hansa Vyas

Dear Hansa,

Things are not as easy as you may think... Implementation is one of the hardest things even today...

Just before the shutdown, you sent a poem and all the shutdown tasks were completed without any accidents... It seems impossible to believe... You were asked to share a single line from the poem with at least ten people a day or two after sending it... Try doing this yourself and see the reality... I'm sure most of them will ask, "Which poem? Which email? When did you send it?" Don't have a false sense that these things will greatly benefit you...

In my previous post, I mentioned not reading the Safety Pro's emails... But has the situation changed now?... I will share how this change has impacted our organization for the benefit of everyone, and I believe it can work everywhere...

One of our top management personnel, whenever visiting the plant, asks our managers and engineers questions such as,

- What was the last accident that occurred in the group? What were the key learnings?
- What was the most recent accident in your plant? What were the key learnings?
- What was the latest safety-related communication from corporate?
- What was the latest safety communication in your plant?

Initially, people struggled to provide answers... But over time, this practice has trickled down to the lower levels to the extent that people now even inquire about the latest safety updates... Otherwise, they understand that one day they could be held accountable by the boss...

So, my suggestion to you, Hansa, is that sending out such communications is only beneficial when the atmosphere I mentioned earlier is present... If your organization already embodies this culture, that's great... Otherwise, try to foster this environment within your company with the support of top management before proceeding further...

Dear Dipil,

I didn't say that no accidents occurred due to the circulation of this poem only. It was one of the many factors. Safety should have a psychological effect, but you are making them learn out of fear of being preyed upon by their boss. Anyways, we should not argue over it. What is important is that we should prevent accidents, no matter which path we follow.

Regards,
Hansa Vyas

Dear Hansa,

I agree with what you said. However, bringing about these behavioral changes takes a lot of effort. What I mentioned is just one of those efforts. In the scenario I described, there is no fear involved. The top management person does not shout at them if they fail to answer his questions. However, this can create an emotional impact on the professionals.

Nevertheless, proceed with your style of working if it is yielding the desired results. All the best, and I am just concluding this discussion.

Hello Hansa
Nice
This show how we can pass a big message in short words..
WITH REGARDS
NIRAJ KUMAR
‘Your attitude say every thing before you say any things.’

Hello Friends,

What is the sense in fighting over the issue of whether the poem should be circulated or not? I am an Information Officer, and my role is to keep the employees of the company informed about the latest developments, new initiatives, safety measures, etc. I simply shared this poem with the approximately 200 employees in our company. My idea is, what is lost if even 20 of them read it? Our duty is to inform people, and this could be a small step towards that.

So, just forward the poem to your employees.

Regards,
Pawan R Agrawal

Hello Pawan,

Nice to see your comment. Actually, Dipil and I are not fighting; we were just discussing and exchanging our thoughts on how effective it is, that's it. And you rightly said there is no harm even if out of 200, 50 reads and 20 follow, and not letting the other 50 who are under his supervision do wrong work. I hope Dipil will agree with me.

Regards,
Hansa Vyas

Dear all,

Please find a poem in the local language in Hindi. This poem was written by one of our employees. Displaying these poems with the employee's name at prominent locations will increase creativity and interest in safety.

Regards,
Hansa Vyas

Dear all,

I would like to add something more creative. Have you heard of "Hanuman Chalisa," which is a religious hymn of Lord Hanuman? Similarly, one of our employees has created a "Suraksha Chalisa" on the same theme with the same rhyme. This also adds a holy touch.

Regards,
Hansa Vyas

Dear All,

Another Poem...

Thanks for these beautiful words in the poem.

Dear Rajesh,

I think the poem is in Hindi, and we don't have Hindi fonts. I am requesting you to convert this document into PDF and then post it so that it is readable.

Thanks,
Hansa

Dear Rajesh,

Thank you for your contribution, but I have to agree with Hansa that it is not readable. Please take the necessary steps to improve it.

Thanks and stay safe,

Inderjeet Singh

"Born to lead."

Dear All,

Here you will find the PDF version of the same file as requested.

Hi Hansa,

Great contribution. This poem creates awareness among shop floor employees and is easily understood by everyone. I will display it in my office and on the shop floor.

Again, thanks for such a great poem. Keep going...

Sathish

Hello,

I didn't find any attachment. Could you please send it to this email address: pradip.patel2@electrotherm.com?

Thank you.

Please share the poem highlighting the importance of safety in material handling in Tamil.