Sports cars speeding over racetracks are marked with racing stripes. People speeding through tasks on the job are marked with cuts, bruises and bandages. We forget, until it’s too late, that hurrying can hurt.
In just about every instance, hurrying on the job does not do much to increase productivity. When we hurry on the job, the only thing we really accomplish is increasing our chances of an unsafe act happening.
Sound Familiar?
- Below are a few “hurry up” scenarios. Have you been guilty of any of the following?
- Did not wear safety glasses because the job should only take a few minutes
- Used the wrong ladder because the proper one was too far away
- Did not use proper lockout procedures because you could fix it yourself
- Took a shortcut between machinery or stockpiles of materials
- Used a wrench instead of a hammer because your hammer was located across the room
- Climbed a ladder with tools stuck in your pocket or in your hand because you didn’t have a tool belt
- Cut the grounding prong off a three-way ground wire plug because you didn’t have an adapter
- Removed a guard to repair your machine and did not put it back
- Reached “just a little bit further” on the ladder so you did not have to climb all the way down and move it
- Did not unplug a power tool before making adjustments because you would only have to plug it in again
- Used a dull saw blade for just one more cut
- Gave the forklift truck just a little more gas so you could get one more load in before lunch
- Did not completely brace the scaffold because one of the braces was missing
- Laid a board down full of nails with the intention of bending the nails over in a minute
- Climbed up the side of a bin instead of getting a ladder
- Did not slow down at a blind corner because you had never seen anyone there before
Sometimes when you hurry, nothing bad happens and other times there may be near misses. But eventually, a serious injury will occur. Is it really worth your eyesight, your limbs, or even your life to save those few minutes?
Slow Down, for Safety’s Sake
When hurrying on the job, you don’t end up speeding up the work—you just speed up your chances of an accident. Practice safety, don’t learn it through accidents.
