This can be a dangerous business. So let’s focus on personal safety! That’s right- each job is a potential mine field just waiting to blow up and injure your customer, employee or YOU!
Of course you must follow OSHA regulations. (Many of which actually make sense!) And you should also enforce written safety rules in your company. (Including each employee being held accountable for their PPE inventory.)
However, the single most important “working safely” rule is a simple one-size-fits-all question…
“What happens IF I do this?”
That’s right- every time one of my employees was hurt or injured they had forgotten and/or ignored this simple “What happens IF…?” question! For example, I personally blew off the “What happens IF…?” and suffered BIG TIME! So learn from me…
1. Slow down- Yes, production is important. But “what happens IF?” you rush around the job site? Accidents and injuries! Yes, it does take time to maintain a clean, orderly and routine workplace. But you lose time in a hospital bed too!
NOTE: Download these free, step-by-step Job Set-up Lists to work safer and be more productive:
2. Add accountability- Speeding to the next job is dangerous and especially in winter time! (Plus discourteous driving creates big negative Moments of Truth.) So equip each van with online GPS tracking that alerts you by text if your vehicles are going over the speed limit. And verify safe working procedures during your random, “just stopping by” checks. You should also…
3. Make safety easy- Each employee should have their own PPE bag.
4. THINK! That’s right- simply THINK about “What happens IF I do this?” BEFORE you do anything! If you and your employees focus on this question you will save sooooo much time, money, grief and PAIN!
5. Do a “post-mortem analysis”- Every time there is even a minor accident bring it up at your next staff meeting. “Who (or what) was responsible? How can we prevent it from happening again? What do we need to change?”
Steve