Safety in the Workplace: Is It Truly a Core Value or Just a Priority?

For quite some time, I wanted to be a part of this useful forum. I was also initiating a few discussions which I felt might be useful to aspiring safety professionals. However, I later found that members were just copying and pasting things from here and there just for the sake of getting their names to appear. A few were asking for spoon-feeding. I could not appreciate professionals in safety gaining knowledge without involvement. In most of my postings, you may find the reflections of the teacher in me.

Am I realizing the mistakes in me? The answer is "yes"! I could have very well initiated new approaches to get the issue resolved.

Time permits, I will now try to involve myself to the extent possible.

Safety: Is It a Value or a Priority?

Kindly feed your ideas on the above question "SAFETY IS A VALUE OR IS IT A PRIORITY?"

Regards

I am very happy to see this thread initiated by you. Also, I am very much excited by your statement, "Time permits, I will now try to involve myself to the extent possible," and happy to have a great senior like you back in this forum.

SAFETY IS A VALUE OR IS IT A PRIORITY

Safety is neither a value nor a priority in the majority of Indian industries—say, 80% of them. So, what is it? They consider it a burden or barrier to achieving their production targets. They do something for the sake of fulfilling mere statutory requirements. Safety is getting implemented by chance, not by choice.

Ideally, safety should be considered a value rather than a priority. Many companies are doing this as well. One company that considers safety a value is implementing world-class safety systems and believes that if any leading newspaper reports issues related to EHS (Accidents, Environmental Releases, or Occupational Diseases) against this company, they will consider it equivalent to losing billions of rupees. Safety is directly linked with the company's reputation, where safety is implemented and followed by everyone by choice, not by chance.

So, I am concluding my views as Safety Should be a Value rather than a Priority.

Looking forward to hearing from other members as well as from you.

The Role of Value in Determining Priorities

Value determines the priorities. Safety is the value. It determines other priorities like quality, progress, timely completion, end results, etc. If no value is accorded, the whole project or endeavor goes haywire and does not reach its logical conclusion.

Safety is a value. If we have passion towards the value, things automatically get prioritized. However, if we fail to prioritize safety, its importance and the message do not penetrate into people. Consequently, things will be done only for the sake of it, as individuals are forced to comply.

Thank you.

I do not know if I have understood the question properly. However, from what I understand, I think safety is a priority. If an organization cannot ensure the safety of its employees or is careless about it, then it has no business to continue or exist in the business. Employees are not meant to be sacrificial goats for the employer. Safety comes first and always!

Warm regards.

I think any organization that takes safety as a priority will gain value as well. The moment we start calculating accidents, man-days lost, resulting loss in production, absence of skilled personnel, etc., as a base, safety activities and precautions will certainly become a priority. Organizations will also realize the value in it.

The Importance of Safety in Organizations

All types of organizations require people, in addition to machines, to carry out desired activities. We often discuss our target of achieving objectives effectively and efficiently. Providing a safe environment at the workplace is essential to attain targets effectively. Planning for safety involves taking proactive measures to prevent or minimize possible hazards that may harm the organization's people, including management.

Organizations that have established Safety and Health Management Systems have added value to their reputation in the eyes of their employees, stakeholders, and the public. Similarly, establishing a Quality Management System (QMS), Communication Management System, or Environmental Management System (EMS) has added more value to their organizations.

Safety Awareness: A Collective Responsibility

It is interesting to see such safety awareness debates in this forum, and I especially appreciate Mr. Kesava Pillai for initiating this thread. As a matter of fact, here we are discussing safety as a value or priority. But safety should be in the minds of everyone.

Safety and security are the responsibility of everyone. The safety part is taken care of by my father in my house, so I will touch the live electric wire, and it will not give an electric shock to me... Does anyone speak like this? The security is taken care of by my father in my house, so if some unknown person tries to break open the door of my house, I will not say anything because it is my father's duty... Does anyone think like this? The apparent reply is known to everyone.

Safety and security are everyone’s concern. It must be inculcated in the minds of everyone. The change in attitude towards safety will add value and make everyone give priority to "Safety First & Work Next."

Regards

Nice to see this discussion gaining due attention. From the comments being posted, I further get an idea to add more for your involvement. Maybe this is because we have friends from other disciplines also involving in the discussion and bringing out certain points they consider apt.

Point for Your Views

Do you continue to accept the slogan "safety first" for a safetyman? Kindly express your views.

Regards,
Kesava Pillai

Thoughts on the New Topic: Safety First

Let me share my thoughts on the new topic you have brought up for discussion: "Do you continue to accept the slogan 'safety first' for a safety man?"

My answer is no if you specifically ask about the safety man only. Why should "Safety First" apply only to a Safety Man? Safety first should be for everyone: for a Production Man, for an Engineering Man, for all line management function professionals. Everyone should give at least a minute's thought to safety before executing any job.

Safety should be the responsibility of line management. The Safety Man should be able to perform his own duty of managing safety. When it comes to safety, managing it plays a more vital role than execution.

Regards

In my thread, I clearly mentioned that safety is everyone's concern and not only for safety personnel. Reading between the lines will not make any meaning, and it will twist the concept itself. Safety first is for everyone and not only specific to safety personnel. Even though we are from another discipline and do not have any link with the safety discipline, out of curiosity and interest towards safety, we are involving ourselves and giving our opinion. Unlike Facebook, we do not have such a limited user group, so others will have access to your safety group in this forum. Furthermore, I will restrict myself from involving and giving replies to any safety-related threads.

Have a great weekend.

Thank you for the response. I believe you may have misinterpreted the point Mr. Kesava Pillai was trying to make. It is always enriching to have individuals from diverse backgrounds contribute to safety-related discussions. He did not prevent anyone from participating in the threads. The discussions become more engaging and beneficial with the involvement of a wide range of people.

Whether you choose to participate or not is entirely up to you. As a longstanding member of this forum, I trust you understand my intention in joining the conversation and offering comments. Let's strive to engage more actively and keep the forum vibrant for the benefit of all.

Regards.

If you feel offended in any manner, I take this opportunity to express my regret. I really expect none others to feel so without getting the spirit of my posting by the end of the day.

My intention is purely professional, and I am sure that you have misinterpreted my posting.

I do not have to prove myself by stating my qualifications, experience, exposure, involvement, and so on in safety. Some of my technical explanations will speak for me. Yet, I am proud to say that I am still a student in safety engineering.

While contributing to these columns, I wanted to be of some help to young safety professionals specifically and to people from other disciplines in general.

Theories on Accident Prevention

In the past, there were various theories on accident prevention. Of these, the first one was the Domino theory. To help accident prevention, many slogans were developed. For some time, the most popular one was "Safety First." Many who have little knowledge of later developments in the field still hold on to it. We have come a long way. The slogan is outdated. Slowly, I wanted to move on to the present situation and wanted the practicing safety men to come out with their understanding. I reiterate; my method is not spoon-feeding. I wanted to know how much they hold, then interpret and add to it for their own benefit.

Hope I have clarified myself, and now it is up to you to decide what to do or what not to do.

Being a safety professional, I am capable of controlling my emotions to some extent and thinking well before reacting.

Regards,
Kesavapillai

Safety Consciousness for All

Please note that safety and safety consciousness are not only required for safety personnel but also for all personnel involved in day-to-day activities. Hence, "safety first" is not only warranted for safety professionals; it must be inculcated in the minds of everyone. Due to a lack of safety awareness, if someone inflicts an injury, safety personnel will not necessarily be held responsible. Nowadays, even the government is first arresting the safety professional and the project head because it has become the moral responsibility of both to provide a safe environment for employees. Safety personnel are required to identify unsafe conditions and ensure they are rectified to provide a safe working environment for employees. Similarly, unsafe acts due to lack of knowledge and ignorance must be identified and addressed with necessary corrective actions.

Understanding Murphy's Law

I would like to quote Murphy's Law, which states, "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong." Initially, this sentence may seem comedic, but upon deeper analysis, the real meaning becomes apparent. Where there are opportunities for things to go wrong in any activity, mistakes are likely to occur. It is not that someone will intentionally commit errors, but rather that due to lack of knowledge or ignorance, mistakes may happen, sometimes leading to irreparable damage.

Emphasizing "Safety First"

This is why I emphasize "Safety First and Work Next." Although I have not specifically mentioned it is only for safety professionals, I hope you understand the message and its meaning in a positive light.

Thank you.

Safety: A Priority and a Value

Safety is a responsibility that should be given priority, and in a sense, it always reflects the value that we are giving to the people around us and also in the workplace. Acquiring knowledge on fire safety is always a good idea, as it is essential to handle fire accidents effectively.

Regards

Safety Management: Better Safe Than Sorry

The saying or slogan "Better safe than sorry" is the underlying principle of all safety management. The recent accidents are a grim reminder of this. Therefore, the slogan 'Safety First' is all-inclusive in its applicability. The people discharging this responsibility are experts in their field and thus are trusted by all others to ensure their safety. Of course, safety personnel need to take care of their safety first to be in a position to take care of others' safety. Thus, they are to be provided with all material and infrastructure like safety gear, tools, and equipment to discharge their responsibilities effectively.

I appreciate Mr. Kesav Pillai for initiating this discussion on safety to spread awareness. As one learned member, Mr. Dipil, has rightly commented, safety is more viewed as a cost rather than a value by the employers.

Regards,
B. Saikumar
HR & Labour Law Advisor

If we know the value of life; if we know the value of our kith and kin; if we know the value of our accomplishments, we decide the priority and deliver according to its values. My point is that priority is based on values. So, safety is a value and accorded first priority.

Regards,
Pon

Being such a senior member in this forum, we never expected even a slightly negative comment from your end. I am very happy to see your explanation in response, but why does a situation arise where we all need to spend our energy on a cause that will not add any value to anyone? So, I humbly request you to be a true professional when replying to threads. We are not supposed to hurt the emotions of anyone, not even through a single word.

I hope, being a senior member in this forum, you will take my words in the right spirit. More importantly, I look forward to seeing your more active participation in the EHS threads.

If we say safety as "priority," then priority is temporary because priorities may change depending on the situation and needs of the organization.

If we say safety as "value," then whatever we do has been done safely when nobody is watching. This is a transformation from priority to value; it will take time.

Regards,
Mallikarjun Arbole

Safety is everyone's responsibility and should be inculcated from childhood as a VALUE.

However, there are barriers. It is the responsibility of parents, teachers, society, and the government, through enforcement, to create safe living and working conditions, whether in schools, on roads, in public places, churches, residential homes, workplaces, and even in retirement homes. By addressing these Barriers, we can redirect and prevent unsafe practices in life.

- Hazards: Recognition and Response. When you are not aware of the risk.
- Business System: Maintenance never has time to fix it, and no goggles are available in stores.
- Rewards and Recognition: Wrong attention, wanting to make my performance bonus, wanting to get home early. Getting attracted by friends as a hero when you ride a two-wheeler without a helmet.
- Facilities and Equipment: Father has insisted on using an old helmet (old-fashioned, dirty). The handles are broken, and the guard falls off all the time.
- Disagreement on Safe Practice: Father asking for urgent work to use a two-wheeler without a helmet, Father is not using a helmet while riding a two-wheeler. The customer lines are stopped - got to do this quickly, maintenance crew says it is all right, but I think otherwise.
- Personal Factors: I have to lift with a bent back because I can't bend my knee. I can't reach without standing on a box - I'm shorter than the rest of the crew.
- Culture: Co-friends in college are not wearing helmets. Everyone does it this way; if I do it differently, they might give me a hard time.
- Personal Choice: I feel more comfortable, I like doing it this way, I don’t care.