Is It Safe?

by Patrick VanTyle, Founder of VanTyle Business Solutions.

On a trip to California, I was flipping through an airline magazine. I happened upon an advertisement about older movies that are now available on DVD. One specific movie title caught my eye and the plot made me think about the relevance in today’s work environment.

In 1976, Paramount Pictures released a movie starring academy award winners Dustin Hoffman and Sir Laurence Olivier. The name of the movie is Marathon Man. In this movie, Sir Olivier plays a rather nasty antagonist with a penchant for practicing root canal dentistry without the use of Novocain in order to extract information. Hoffman was the victim of this torture in one of the most memorable and horrific scenes in cinematic history. Hoffman being held down while Olivier drilled away without mercy and then Olivier would stop and calmly ask, “Is it safe?” I have never forgotten that movie and decades later will always remember those three words. IS IT SAFE?

Flash forward to today, to the real world and all of its daily tasks. The lessons we learn in real life are much harder because we must deal with the repercussions of our decisions. Owners of companies know this reality all too well. One single decision can be the difference in growing your company to the next level or going out of business. Decisions made consciously or not by owners in the creation of a safe working environment for their employees has an impact on everyone.

I am always amazed at the amount of effort a company will put into the creation of a company handbook while ignoring safety in the workplace. So stop for a moment and take a long look at your company. What do you see? Do you feel everything is in order? Do you have all the safety plans, training, and knowledge in place you should? If you have plans, are they up-to-date? Now the most important question of all about your company and your work environment: Is it safe?

As the owner of your company, you alone are required to have these policies and procedures in place when necessary. Do you know the benchmarks, under OSHA standards, that drive some of the rules and regulations?

Here are a few OSHA standards you should consider: Emergency Action Plans, Emergency Evacuation Plans, Fire Prevention Plan, Lock Out Tag Out Procedure, MSDS Sheets, and Power Industrial Truck (forklifts) safety training. Chances are your company is required to have some if not all of these in place right now. The specifics of your formal plans and documents depend on the number of employees you have, the industry you are in, and the facilities you operate. Are you aware of the three key components necessary to ensure your companies compliance? If you are not sure of the safety related policies and procedures you need to have in place, seek guidance from someone who does.

Far too often safety and creating a safe work environment is a low priority within a company. Procrastinating in the area of safety is dangerous. Ignoring these rules and regulations can lead to unsafe working conditions, a catastrophic accident, and the possible loss of life on your premises. Most companies fail to realize the benefits of compliance with these regulations. Better working conditions mean higher employee morale. A great way of looking at safety and training is as a positive investment in your employees. Attracting and retaining good employees is a top priority on everyone’s list.

In the movie, Hoffman found himself running for his life. Eventually he prevailed over his adversary. When it comes to safety, I have found prevention is best. If you plan, train, and implement a good safety policy you should never find yourself behind the eight ball. Best of all, you will be able to ask yourself “Is it safe?” and your answer will be yes!