Page 4 - OHS, July/August 2021

FROM THE EDITOR
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SYDNY SHEPARD
sshepard@1105media.com
ID STATEMENT
Occupational Health & Safety (ISSN 0362-4064) is published 9 times a year, Jan/Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul/ Aug, Sept, Oct and Nov/Dec by 1105 Media, Inc., 6300 Canoga Avenue, Suite 1150, Woodland Hills, CA 91367. Periodicals postage paid at Woodland Hills, CA 91367, and at additional mailing offices. Complimentary subscriptions are sent to qualifying subscribers. Annual subscription rates payable in U.S. funds for non-qualified subscribers are: U.S. $79.00, International $149.00. Subscription inquiries, back issue requests, and address changes: Mail to: Occupational Health & Safety, P.O. Box 2166, Skokie, IL 60076-7866, email OHSmag@1105service.com or call 847-513-6011 or 888-768-8759 for U.S. & Canada; 00-1-847-513-6011 for International, fax 847-763-9564. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Occupational Health & Safety, P.O. Box 2166, Skokie, IL 60076-7866. Canada Publications Mail Agreement No: 40612608. Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to Circulation Dept. or XPO Returns: P.O. Box 201, Richmond Hill, ON L4B 4R5, Canada
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n America, there are 382.2 million people, of which 164.4 million are employees in a field of labor at an increased risk of injury or fatality due to the nature of their work. These employees are humans with lives, spouses and children.
They have anxieties, worries and dreams. They deal with co- workers and quotas.
It is important, when thinking about occupational safety, to take a moment to humanize the workforce as these workers deal with inherently human issues such as distractions, peer pressure and complacency daily.
In a recent conversation with a safety professional, he told
me that during the over 100 interviews he had conducted after
an injury on a worksite, the injured worker almost always said the same two things. First, “I know I shouldn’t have done that.” And second, “But we always do it like that.”
What does this tell us about the mindset employees are in when they come to work? It tells us they understand the risks and hazards associated with their jobs. They know that the corners they are cutting could lead to injury—or worse, a fatality on the job—but that there are external factors keeping them from completing tasks safely.
These external factors can be distractions from life outside of work, or peer pressure from co-workers to quickly finish tasks. This is something that often happens in the workplace—a procedure is seen to be too monotonous and shortcuts are created to speed up the process.
Workers believe this new, somewhat speedier process is the way to work “smarter” and not “harder.” Any worker that comes in trying to complete the task in the “safe” way, might then be peer pressured by those around them to complete the task using the shortcut so they can finish early, or meet their quotas.
What these employees may not realize, however, is that the longer, more monotonous process was created to safeguard them from hazards that could put them in harm’s way. OSH professionals are looking out for the safety and health of employees first and foremost. This can often collide with the C-Suite’s idea of how fast employees should be moving, or how much should be getting done in a particular time frame.
It is important to factor in safety when judging or timing for productivity or performance. Make sure safety has a seat at the table to help manage expectations of higher outputs. Remember, injuries and fatalities cost more time and money than having employees work safely in the first place.
It is important to take a moment
to humanize the workforce when thinking about occupational safety.
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Occupational Health & Safety | JULY/AUGUST 2021
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VOLUME 90 NUMBER 6
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