Safety Knights

Sounds cool! I've been really interested in the safety education space lately and researching a couple new learning platforms on the market. I'd be curious to get their thoughts on what type of education THEY feel would be most valuable to their team (in person training, hands on, classroom, etc)

Today I spoke with my trades workers and explained why they are having to wear PPE. Some said, " because you tell me I have to", and I got a good chuckle out of that, but I then went on to explain that PPE was the last line of defense and that we have done everything we can to make the tasks they are performing as safe as we can, and the last thing we could do is to provide you with the PPE to make you safe. I then asked them, what is it worth to you and your family to not take a extra second to put on that pair of gloves, or safety glasses. What are the costs outside your own self.

Wording questions in a manner of showing what's in it for them and expanding it into family and loved ones.

First, I was a Supervisor (“Foreman” in the old days) and a General Foreman several years on all three shifts, before being in HR (Personnel) and H&S. So, I know how they think and look at things because I was one! This is my favorite speel to Supervisors and the managers that supervise Supervisors.

Pick a topic, you can even say "Safety" but I do lots of Lockout Training so we will use that as the example. Let us say I am training 15 managers and supervisors. Here we go:

“Show me by a show of hands, ‘Is production and quality important?’” (15 hands explode in the air) “How do you show that production and quality are important to you?” (If I am lucky someone will say, “Well I go around and ask my people about it. I check numbers produced, and I pick up parts and examine them.” If I am not lucky, I will help them with the answers.) Then I say, “That is what we do right?” (Many heads bobbing up and down.) “Those things are important, so we show them, right?” (More head bobbing)

Then I sock it to them!

“Who here thinks Lockout is important’ (Hands go up slowly and tentatively as everyone looks to see what others are doing, a few get what is coming next) “Ok good,” I respond. Now I zing’em and I say, “OK, so how do show Lockout is important?” (I see most people immediately look down.) Now I drive it home! “So, you say Lockout is important, but you do not actually show it is important to your employees?” (Still looking down).

Then I go into my talk about how our words must match our actions. I talk about praising people for doing things right! Yes, correct someone’s injurious behavior, but praise people for doing good things! Then I say, “I can feel it now, ‘Fitz, we do not have time for all that!’”