Safety Speaker Insights

For years, as a safety speaker, I have focused on teaching people ways to watch out for the safety of others. I saw an excellent example of another way each of us can watch out for everyone’s safety. I arrived 2 hours early (as a safety speaker, I do this so my client can relax knowing I have arrived) for my safety presentation for MDR Construction in Mississippi. After a few introductory comments from the leadership of the company, one of the leaders led an activity. The leader asked people in the audience if they had a safety share for everyone. Using great presentation techniques, they did not wait for hands to be raised; they just called on one of the people in the audience they knew would be able to contribute. The first person took the microphone and shared a close call they had recently experienced.

Safety Speakers Who Share Real Situations From Fellow Workers

These insights about safety were very powerful because they were coming from their fellow workers. Peers who do the same work and who are faced with the same hazards and risks everyday. Peers can serve as a powerful safety speaker at any safety meeting or briefing. These safety shares were primarily close calls that people were sharing. The power of this is when someone cares enough to share their close call it alerts other people to the potential for injury. Instead of them being the only one who could learn from their incident; everyone benefits. Once the ball started rolling many more people shared their own experiences.

Lessons Learned

The openness people had was an indication of trust in their leadership. They knew they could share their shortcomings or close calls without fear of retribution. The leadership, in the early remarks, reminded everyone that sharing a close call would never be used against someone. If you want to find out what is happening on the job every day nothing beats the stories people doing the work tell. Gaining their confidence allows the safety team to address issues before someone is injured.

Sharing stories without fear and preventing an injury sure beats doing an incident analysis and hearing those same stories after someone is hurt. As a safety speaker, I have interviewed employees at many sites where sharing close calls is common and found out how they got there. I am often told when the process begins there is some hesitation to share for fear of negative consequences. At some point, someone “tests the waters” and everyone watches to see what happens. Once they see the leadership is sticking to their commitment more and more sharing happens.

Thanking People Who Share

During the break, as their guest safety speaker, I sought out the first person they brought up on stage. I made a point of thanking each person who spoke and thanked them for watching out for the safety of others by sharing their story. This is as powerful as pointing out a hazard or an unsafe behavior we observe. The difference is the person we have observed is ourselves.

Solutions For Your Safety Challenges

When you need solutions for your safety challenges a great safety speaker like John Drebinger can help you succeed. Give Diane Weiss a call at 209-745-9419 and bring John to your site to discover injury preventing solutions. You can email her at diane@drebinger.com
Until next week,
I’ll be, “Watching Out For Everyone’s Safety™”
John
© 2015 John Drebinger Presentations
Permission to use granted when credited and contact information included. www.drebinger.com +1 209.745.9419