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Depot Blog

Hurry Can Hurt: 14 of the most common excuses made in safety, and how to address them

October
14
2014

Hurry Can Hurt: 14 of the most common excuses made in safety, and how to address them.
Cooling Tower Depot is very proud to have reached another milestone in our safety expectations, 5 years with no lost time. As we continue to improve, challenge and succeed with our safety goals and expectations, we would like to help impact your goals as well.

In the same way that race cars are marked with racing stripes, people who race on the job are marked with cuts, bruises and bandages. Racing through a job at one time or another, no matter how big or small,  home or on the job, this is something that we have 100% control over.

~“Right is right even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong even if everyone is for it.” ~ by William Penn

 

Every day, CTD employees are encouraged to “do the right thing” by taking ownership over their own actions, and being accountable for leading and encouraging others safety habits.
Here are 14 of the most common hurry up acts within our industry. Have you practiced any of these lately?

  • didn't wear safety glasses because the job would only take a few minutes
  • used the wrong ladder because the proper one was too far away
  • didn't use the proper lockout procedures because no one was around and it
    was easy to fix alone
  • took a short cut between machinery and stockpiles of materials
  • used a wrench instead of a hammer because the hammer was in the tool
    box on the other side of the room
  • climbed a ladder with a pocket full of tools because the tool belt had been
    forgotten
  • cut the grounding prong of a three-way ground wire plug because there
    wasn't an adapter,
  • removed a guard to repair the machine or prepare it for a special run and didn't
    get around to putting it back yet
  • reached just a little bit further on the ladder because there wasn't time or
    energy to get down and move it
  • didn't unplug a power tool before making adjustments because it would only have to be plugged in again anyway
  • used a dull saw blade for just one more cut
  • gave a forklift truck just a little more pedal so one more load would be done before lunch
  • laid a board full of nails down with the intention of bending the nails
    over in a minute
  • climbed up the side of a bin instead of getting a ladder
  • didn't slow down at a blind corner this time because no one has been there before.

Did you answer yes to any of the above, or have you seen others attempt these acts? Even if nothing bad has ever happened and you have done this a thousand times before, safety is a huge deal.  You may have gotten away with a "near miss" experience; However, eventually a serious injury will happen because it is only a matter of time. Each one of us must have personal accountability for our actions. As leaders and experts in our fields, we can pass along our good behavior to encourage and motivate those we teach. Are hurry up acts worth risking our eyes, our limbs or our life or someone else's to save a few minutes on the job? When we hurry up on the job we are often not only speeding up our work but also speeding up our chances of having an accident.

Slow Down and be Safe!
Let's review some safe working practices:

  • use personal protective equipment when necessary
  • take the extra steps needed to do the job properly
  • always use the correct tool for the job
  • check to make sure safety guards are in place
  • follow lockout/tagout procedures as if a life depends on it-it does
  • keep the worksite tidy
  • return tools to their proper place
  • use proper lifting techniques
  • be alert to ways in which the workplace can be safer.


    Remember, practice safety -- don’t learn it by accident

    "We have an amazing company that is full of some of the most talented people in our industry that work hard every day to ensure that our crews have what they need to be safe and perform the work that needs to get done." ~Sean Villard, Former EH&S Director~


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