Humans instinctively seek to avoid pain and death. And yet, we may act in a way that is a threat to our personal safety and well-being. There are a couple of reasons why this happens: 

• The first is lack of knowledge. What you don’t know, can hurt you! 

• The second reason is attitude and the risky choices we make. Now might be a good time to do a quick self-analysis. What is your attitude toward safety? 

When asked, some may say they are all for a safe workplace. Others may complain about any safety effort being made; it takes too much time and holds up the work. The difference between the two is one of attitude. Your attitude affects almost all that you do and how you do it. 

Have you ever noticed that people who are successful in life, or are just happy, tend to have a positive attitude? The same is true with safety. Look at it this way. Safety rules and procedures are written to protect you from harm. They are not written to make your work life more uncomfortable or inconvenient. After all, safety equipment and training have an up-front cost, even before the work starts. 

If you cooperate in safety matters, not only is there a lesser likelihood of you getting hurt, you will not be doing battle with the boss who is just trying to do his job by enforcing the safety rules. In addition, you should feel more confident on the job knowing you have a better chance of making it thorough the day without injury. Less fear of injury and the boss no longer on your back has to brighten up your day! 

We are not perfect. Even the best of us can forget or make errors in judgment. To maximize our safety efforts, we must look out for one another. If someone tells you that you’re not being safe out on the job, don’t become angry or defensive. They are just looking out for your well-being. If you didn’t know you were doing something wrong, be thankful someone noticed your mistakes before you or someone else got hurt. If you simply forgot or got a little careless, be grateful that someone cares enough to get you back on track. 

If you see someone doing something unsafe, speak up, but do so diplomatically. Treat others just as you would like to be treated in the same situation. Remember, attitude affects behavior. If you have a positive attitude, odds are you’ll be safe. A negative attitude toward safety will only cause conflict, stress and, ultimately, an accident.