Changing Behavior


 Behaviors We Avoid

 Walking down the middle of an LA freeway

 Sticking tongue in an electrical socket

 Sitting on a balcony railing

 Swimming outside in a thunderstorm

 Lighting a match to look inside a gas can


 Why Worry about Safety?
 Loss
– Accidents can be fatal
– Accidents can be permanently disabling

 Pain
– No one likes pain

 Lost time

 Many other costs


 Getting Hurt Isn’t Fun

No pain, no gain?
– Needed to clean a smudge
– Didn’t shut off the machine completely!
– Rubbed the smudge with a rag
– Lost both her arms
– Everyone knew better, too!


 A Fresh Look at the Statistics

 Injuries/Illnesses
– 4.4 million
– One in every 20
workers is injured

 Fatalities
– 5,703
– Almost half occurred
on the highway

How Not to Become a Statistic

Employee had a choice between using a

stepladder or rolling safety stairs
– Stairs were a ‘pain’ to use
– Stepladder moved more easily
– Stepladder wasn’t tall enough
– Worker took a nasty tumble


 Seven Deadly Sins
of Unsafe Behavior
 Irresponsibility
 Cluelessness
 Tolerance
 Willfulness
 Procrastination
 Carelessness
 Complacency


Carelessness and Complacency

Carelessness
– Not paying enough attention
– Not thinking before one acts

Complacency
– No need for concern, everything is OK
– ‘We’ve always done it that way’


 Carelessness
Leads to Amputation
 She was operating two machines

 Boxes were set in walkway

 She dashed to shut off switch, but tripped

 Arm landed in machine’s drive belt


 Complacency Leads to
Chemical Poisoning, Death
 Room was closed for ‘detoxification’

 Employee thought the work had

been completed
 He entered the room and passed out

 He died days later


 Horseplay Is Not OK

Everyone enjoys a fun work environment,

but horseplay is dangerous:
 It distracts people’s attention
 It’s unsafe
– Throwing things
– Wrestling
– Hiding safety gear
– Startling people

 How’s Your Safety Attitude?

 Accidents have causes

 Safe work is efficient work

 My company is interested in safety

 My co-workers are interested in safety

 Working safely is a skill

 Co-workers respect safe work habits


 Some Unsafe Attitudes
 Safety is a matter of chance

 Nothing will happen to me

– Too strong
– Too fast
– Too experienced

 Company doesn’t care

 Safety takes too long


 Your Safety Responsibilities

 Recognize safety hazards

 Report safety hazards

 Follow job safety procedures

 Maintain good housekeeping

 Use PPE

 Make the most of safety training


 Summary
 Working unsafely impacts everyone, not just you. Others
could be injured by your unsafe actions.
 Avoiding the seven deadly sins of unsafe behavior will
go a long way toward keeping you healthy and safe on
the job.
 Carelessness and complacency are the most common,
and most dangerous, of the seven sins.
 A good safety attitude helps improve safety behavior

 Everyone has a responsibility when it comes to safety

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