08/18/2015

When it comes to safety, attitude is everything!

submitted by State Auto

Most people — including your employees — know how to act responsibly, for their own safety. They follow the rules, attend safety meetings, and besides ... accidents happen to someone else, not to them, right?

Wrong! Accidents affect everyone — the injured person, the injured person’s family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and customers.

The pain — physical or emotional — financial expense, and additional stress for everyone after an accident emphasize this point. If you’ve ever had a family member, friend, co-worker, or business associate experience this, you probably found yourself more alert and careful after the accident than you were before.

Make sure you don’t wait until someone has an on-the- job accident to drive this home! A positive safety attitude can be infectious — and it can help prevent accidents.

A Positive Safety Attitude Requires

• Focus — Employees should be well-rested. Make sure they concentrate on the task in front of them and avoid distractions. Lack of focus creates opportunities for accidents.
• Time — Tell employees not to rush and not to take shortcuts. If they manage their time effectively, prioritize their assignments, and do the most important things first, they won’t feel as if they’re always in a hurry to catch up. Make sure they take the time to wear protective equipment, too, if needed.
• Consistency — Employees should never skip safety precautions — not for anybody or any reason.
• Teamwork — Safety is everyone’s job. Employees should steer clear of the “not-my-job” mentality. Each employee is a part of his or her organization’s team — a key member. If everyone works together, the team wins.
• Communication — Encourage employees to open up and let their team know if they see a problem. Remember — there’s no such thing as a dumb question, and they may see something others have overlooked.
• Be smart— Discourage employees from taking undue risks. Some risks, such as getting out of bed, are worth it. Others — such as gaining experience as a professional spear-catcher... well, you err only once.

Start the safety habit at work, at home, and at play. A positive attitude helps minimize the chance of an accident. When it comes to safety, attitude is everything.

Disclaimer:

The information contained in this publication was obtained from sources believed to be reliable. The State Auto Insurance Companies make no representations or guarantee as to the correctness or sufficiency of any information contained herein, nor a guarantee of results based upon the use of this information and disclaims all warranties expressed or implied regarding merchantability, fitness for use and fitness for a particular purpose. State Auto does not warrant that reliance upon this document will prevent accident and losses or satisfy federal, state and local codes, ordinances and regulations. You assume the entire risk as to the use of this information. Further, this document does not amend, or otherwise affect the terms, conditions or coverage of any insurance policy issued by the State Auto Insurance Companies.

Courtesy of the State Auto Insurance Group (www.StateAuto.com).