Split Second

Can you work today without an injury?

Can everyone on your crew work today without one?

How about everyone one on the job?

I think we all agree, that as we add more people, the likelihood that someone gets injured goes up.

I feel very confident in myself and my attitude but it’s everyone else that worries me. Is this what you were thinking?

How long does it take an accident to happen? Most accidents take less than a second to happen.

So let me do the math for you. During an 8 hour shift, we have to watch our actions for 28,800 seconds.

Do you still feel confident that you won’t get hurt?

I do, and I’ll tell you why:

I simply don’t like pain. I’m 48 and I don’t heal like I used to. I may also have a little bit of peer pressure given that I’m the district safety guy. I really don’t think any of us want to get injured. So how do we keep each other safe?

Well, we have a great tool and it is our JHA. Our JHA is so powerful because it drives the bringing together of all the crew members to help point out the hazards they are all facing on the job. Next, we use what we learned with the JHA and we implement that by helping watch out for each other during the operation. When necessary, reference back to your JHA. Has anything changed on the jobsite? Are there new hazards?

If someone starts to veer away from the plan and is taking a shortcut, the whole crew should be ready to hold the person accountable and stop the action.

Step back for 60 seconds every now and then to see the whole picture and look at things from a different angle.

Finally, if we have an incident, no matter how minor, bring it forward so we all have a chance to fix it. It takes everyone one of us to work safely; every split second, of every minute, of every hour, of every day.

Your JHA is an incredible tool and can be the anchoring point of safety if you allow it to be. Take some time to think about your own internal processes with your JHAs.

Are they something you pull up routinely? Are they reliable? Do they accurately represent the hazards you are seeing in front of you? If not, make that your goal this week to be intentional with your JHA. Make it work for you. Sharpen your tool.

Have a great week everybody! Stay aware, and stay safe.