Play to peer pressure

by Clair D. Urbain

It’s May and its National Safety Awareness Month. What are you doing to make your jobsites safer?

The required safety meetings are year-round events on professional jobsites. The best ones point workers in the right and safe direction for their daily tasks. The worst ones are considered more of a hassle and an encumbrance instead of a helpful way to start the day.

Much of that is because of the attitude of everyone in the organization. From top down and bottom up, if there is any link in the chain of command that only pays lip service to safety, there is a weakness on the jobsite that puts every worker in some element of danger.

I’ve had my share of jobsite tours where safety is preached and not practiced. I’ve tailed safety directors who have repeatedly stopped the tour to talk with a worker or supervisor about some safety hazard that’s not being addressed.

These aren’t obscure safety problems, either. Where are those safety glasses? How come you’re not using hearing protection? Why aren’t you tying off? These are common questions to uncommon ignorance. After all, it’s not that workers don’t care about their own safety. It’s often that they don’t know what they are doing could cause them or others severe harm.

Why should the safety director be the only watchdog for safe behavior? It’s well past the time that everyone step to the plate to encourage safe business practices. After all, many injuries and fatalities are to workers who happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when some unsafe event occurs.

That’s why it’s important for every person in the organization to become a soldier for safety. It doesn’t take brute force or barking orders to make it a reality. All it takes is setting an example and reinforcing good safety work habits.

When was the last time that you commended a fellow worker for using safe practices? No matter what your position, thanking someone or acknowledging their safety efforts can go a long way to reinforcing that safe behavior.

Conversely, when a fellow worker complains about some safety practice, use the chance to dig deeper as to why they think it’s not such a good idea. Often, it may be tied to safety equipment that hinders work or is uncomfortable to wear. If that’s the case, it’s time to talk with your distributor about these concerns and see if there are better options. Or, are there other ways the job can be completed that circumvents the complaints? Many times, workers are the best source of solutions to these types of problems.

It all comes down to setting an example and encouraging others to follow. Using peer pressure constructively can help your jobsite be safer and more productive.

Published in the May/June 2007 issue of Contractor Tools and Supplies magazine.

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