It takes a lot of things to make a workplace safe—engineering controls, safe work procedures, protective equipment, etc. How do we know that what we’re doing is working? Check the reportables? Yeah, I guess. But reportables are just numbers. If we really want to know if we’re getting it right, we need to ask another question: Do our workers trust us to protect them?
If you want a vivid demonstration of what the kind of trust and confidence we want to build in our workers looks like, take the next 3 minutes and 11 seconds to watch this video

The Safety State of Mind

The work operation shown in the video is described by the gentleman performing it as being “well thought out and rehearsed.” That much is obvious. But the statement that he considers the whole thing “as safe as crossing the street” is breathtaking.

Think about it, folks. A man working directly on extremely high voltage power lines, sometimes hundreds of feet above the ground, all of which has to be accessed from a platform attached to a helicopter which flies and delivers him to these electrically-charged high-rise workplaces! How would you like to do work like this every day?

But does this guy look or sound at all worried? Heck no. On the contrary, our high-wire electrician apparently couldn’t be more at home. He considers himself to be in a safe work environment—just like crossing the street. All of this from a man with a fear of heights and electricity!

Conclusion

I think we all need to reflect on all the hard work that goes into generating this worker’s serenity and peace of mind. Although it may not be as dangerous as overhead electrician work, the jobs our people do carry their own perils. If we could get our workers to trust our safety measures the way this guy believes in his, we’d go a long way toward keeping the workplace safe.

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