Organisations take workplace safety very seriously and provide a high level of training, education and support to their employees to ensure an incident-free environment. However, at the end of the day, only you are responsible for your safety.
Ted Newton was fully aware of the importance of safety at his workplace, Unitywater, where an excellent standard of workplace safety has been in place for several years to significantly reduce injury rates. The problem was not insufficient training, lack of awareness or inadequate equipment; it was simply that Ted did not take safety seriously.
Ted explained that he focussed on getting the job done and often thought that safety got in the way.
But Ted's injuries did not happen on the job; they occurred at his home and could have been avoided if he had followed the simple procedures that he already did in his workplace. His accident at home only highlighted to him how a similar incident could have taken place at work due to his careless attitude.
While employers can create a safe environment at the workplace through information, support and assistance, it’s up to the worker to ensure the correct procedures are followed during the execution of any work to avoid accidents; very often, workers just want to ‘get on with the job’, often at the expense of their own safety.
In this video, Ted stresses the importance of conducting a risk assessment on any activity being planned at work or in the home so that safety processes are in place beforehand. This will also ensure all the necessary gear and equipment are also on hand so that important steps are not bypassed in the hurry to complete the job.
Ted learnt the hard way about the value of working safely. Make it your priority to use the resources you have available. Ultimately you are responsible for your own safety.
For more information, read the Working At Heights Manual by Sayfa Group.
