In his novel, Alaska, James Michener credits the British naval explorer Captain James Cook as being not just a discoverer of new lands but of new health and safety practices. Captain Cook created a five-point safety program for sailors that revolutionized the state of medical care aboard ships of the Royal Navy. Cook’s greatest accomplishment was the elimination of the dreaded scurvy contagion that caused the death of so many sailors. Wouldn’t it be great if all safety programs were as effective as Cook’s?

Captain Cook’s Five-Point Safety Program

When Captain Cook took command of a ship, he carefully explained to the crew of 400 that almost half of them could expect to die on a two-year voyage. If they had really rough weather, then the death toll estimate would rise to almost two-thirds of the crew.

Cook then offered a safety program consisting of five measures that sailors could take to improve hygiene, health and save lives. Cook ordered the sailors to:

• Keep your quarters clean.
• Keep your clothing dry – despite the high waves and heavy rain.
• Get plenty of sleep and rest. Here, Cook introduced the 8-hour shift. Eight hours on and 16 hours off was an idea that was easy to sell to the crew.
• Take your daily portion of Wort, a blend of sauerkraut and yeast.
• Take your daily portion of Rob--a juice mixture of lime, lemon, orange and other citrus fruits.

Likely motivated by the dire statistics and knowing that fewer hands on deck meant more work for the survivors, Cook’s crew followed this program faithfully. And, with a healthy crew of Rob-drinking British sailors (who became known as “Limeys” after the principal ingredient in the mixture), Captain Cook was able to explore far-off lands with minimal disease and loss of life to his crew.

Today’s Five-Point Safety Program

Since the latter part of the 19th century, others have sought to develop HS&E programs along the Cook model. These programs have addressed issues such as:

1876    Engineering
1877    Equipment
1878    Education
1879    Enforcement
1880    Ergonomics (which worked its way into both Education and Equipment.)

But with all of the strides made in engineering and safety equipment, and with fantastic training programs and the often-rigid enforcement of safety rules, there are still injuries.

The Buddy System

What’s missing from today’s safety program is a unified commitment to safety. I’ve been observing on-the-job behavior for over five decades and I’ve found that often, following a serious injury, some witness will say, “I just knew he was going to do that.” When asked why they didn’t try to prevent the incident, the co-worker generally replies, “Oh, you just can’t tell him anything.”

As far back as the late 1970s we talked about becoming our Brothers’ and Sisters’ Keepers and looking out for one another’s safety. This was nothing new, of course. GIs have been looking out for each other for a long time. In combat the buddy system is necessary just to stay alive. And it’s just as necessary in the workplace. You can bet that Captain Cook’s crewmates were encouraging each other to follow the five points.

Emulating Cook’s Safety Success

Cook’s plan to deal with scurvy hazards aboard naval vessels was in its essence a workplace safety program. Cook had to win buy-in from the workforce to ensure successful implementation of that program.

Safety directors of today face the same challenge. Based on years of experience in implementing safety programs at numerous corporations, I know the importance of commitment to program success. I have learned that safety programs work best when they have the commitment of the various workplace stakeholders, including top management, labor unions and employees.

Securing Employee Commitment

I’d like to focus on the employee commitment. When I say employee commitment I’m talking about commitment at the individual level. The safety director should secure the personal commitment of literally each employee.

One way to do this is to have each employee sign a document called a commitment statement. The personally signed commitment statement is not only a consent to work safely, but a license allowing for the personal interaction of employees with their colleagues to work together to identify and eliminate dangerous conditions. This aspect of the safety program also includes a one-on-one (101) hand signal, which allows everyone to interact immediately and clearly, without offense or ambiguity.

Signing the Commitment

The commitment statement is a solemn covenant. Signing it shouldn’t just be a piece of paperwork. The signing should have the trappings of ceremony. One effective approach is to distribute the statement to employees for signing after a stirring safety presentation on positive interaction and personal responsibility.

Drafting the Commitment Statement

The words and tone of the commitment should also capture the solemnity of a covenant. At this point, I would like to move from Captain Cook to another historical model from the 18th century. When my company first developed a form of commitment, we modeled it after the American Declaration of Independence. Today’s pledge, tailored to each client’s needs, is not very different from the original.

THE 101 SAFETY PLEDGE

Realizing that we are human, you and I, and that sometimes we forget or just react wrongly, not doing what is right and reasonable for our own safety and for the safety of others; therefore I hereby agree to personally interact with you in a positive manner when I observe you acting unsafely.

I also promise to be my own best friend and to do a 101 check on myself both on and off duty when I am about to operate any motor vehicle.

Conclusion

When the American Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence, they pledged their lives in the cause of freedom. Their exact words:

“And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”

Although the stakes might not seem as high, it’s not too much of an exaggeration to liken the principles of the Founding Fathers to those of employees who sign a statement pledging their commitment to the success of the company’s safety program.

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