Safety programs are designed to instruct and inform workers regarding hazards that are found each and every day on the job. If you are not prepared for your work day, then you are an accident that is waiting in the wings, and ready to strike. Each and every day you are exposed to potential accidents 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and without the ability to recognize these hazards accidents do occur. Our everyday tasks can sometimes get turned into mundane repetitions that can lead to disaster. Routine work can dull alertness and a relaxed attitude can replace the caution that existed when the job was new. In many jobs the same route is traveled daily, over the same roads, or the same tasks are repeated with little conscious thought. Without some periodic reawakening to the ever-present hazards, lethargy deepens and the odds of an accident occurring can increase. Remember that familiarity can and often does breed contempt.
By remembering that simple basic steps are repeated and not accepted as the norm, we can continue to move ahead and control costs that are prevalent with Workers Compensation exposures. Only by being alert and watching out for ourselves as well as others, can we truly continue to control these costs. It will take a true team effort from all to match our achievements over the last year, and it will take a true commitment from each and every contractor, supervisor, client, work locations, and manager to reach even better goals over the next policy year.
Remember that the control of Workers Compensation Costs begins with the employee punching in for the beginning of his or her shift, and then proceeds all the way through their work day and even when they reach home. It also includes our managers, account reps, administrative assistants, recruiters, trainers, and all others, to share the information, and to make sure our workers realize that we truly care about their safety, and take a proactive stance regarding losses and exposures. It requires a commitment from each and every individual involved to echo the ideals that PDS plays a crucial role in controlling and preventing accidents and injuries on and off the job. Remember this the next time you have contact with any one of our clients and contractors. The positive feeling regarding the safety of our workers that you pass on to these individuals will have an effect on how they perform their tasks, or how they perceive the safety culture in general.
Our workers may not always recognize the importance of safety in general, or they might think of it as unnecessary because they’ve "been doing it for years, and know what they are doing." But an important benefit of reminding them about safety is that a danger can exist and that no one is immune from accidents. Therefore, it is important for contractors and workers to understand the purpose of the safety program, and why it is useful to them, and what can result from not following safety rules and procedures.
Take some time to review all safety policies that can affect you or the contractor’s job or assignment. Remember to pass on a positive safety awareness each and every time you talk to a fellow worker, contractor, client, or any one else that may be exposed to hazards related to their every day tasks. Safety is a way of life, it’s a major part of your job, and it’s something that can and will save your life.
