Every March, we focus on getting sites ready for a new season.
We review a checklist for correcting latent landmines and addressing conditional hazards before they hurt someone.
Safe sites are foundational. But they’re only part of the equation.
Our sites are relatively predictable. How we interact with them – and with one another – is not. That’s where daily habits shape safety culture.
This month, we explore three simple daily habits that help ensure you go home the same way you came in. Compliance, of course, matters. But getting home safely is the real goal. Metrics and written rules are not what get anyone home safely. Actions, behaviors and values do.
With that said, let’s review three habits worth instilling.
Ergonomics fit the work to the worker
Ergonomics became a buzzword in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Chairs were ergonomic. Keyboards were ergonomic. Even pizza advertising joined in. (I’ll never forget the “ergonomic pizza crust” of the late ‘90s.) The word became vague and overused.
But ergonomics is simple: make the job and the worker fit better together.
Unlike many injuries, ergonomic injuries rarely happen in a dramatic moment. Carpal tunnel, rotator cuff damage, and many sprains and strains develop quietly over time. Small exposures accumulate – until one day they don’t.
A few daily habits reduce that risk:
■ Lift with intention. Use your legs, not your back, and get help when loads are heavy or awkward.
■ Take breaks during repetitive tasks.
■ Adjust equipment to fit you. This includes mirrors, seats, steering columns and controls.
■ If a task feels particularly burdensome, engage your supervisor, safety rep or peers to analyze it.
Remember: Minor adjustments prevent major problems.
Portable ladders: Be deliberate
Falls to a lower level remain one of the leading causes of workplace death year after year. Many of these falls don’t happen from rooftops; they happen from ladders during routine tasks.
I’ve investigated serious incidents involving ladders, and I’ll say this: An uncontrolled fall from any height can have serious consequences.
“Ladders last” is a strong philosophy. I fully support organizations that replace ladders with stairs and engineer better solutions. But let’s be realistic: Ladders will always play a role in our operations. There will always be something emergent to fix, assess or access.
Still, minimize ladder use when you can. When you must use one, do so deliberately.
Here are a few basic tips when using portable ladders:
■ Inspect ladders before every use. If a ladder doesn’t pass inspection, it doesn’t get used.
■ Secure ladders whenever possible. Lashing or tying off reduces shifting.
■ Never work from the top two rungs. That convenience has ended too many careers.
■ Most ladder injuries aren’t caused by lack of knowledge. They’re often caused by rushing, cutting corners or complacency.
PPE: No exceptions
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is our last line of defense. Wear it every time it’s required. No exceptions, because what you tolerate today becomes tomorrow’s culture.
■ Overhead hazards? Wear your hard hat.
■ Grinding or cutting? Put on eye (and sometimes face) protection.
■ Have to raise your voice to be heard over site noise? You likely need hearing protection.
■ Know your site rules. Model the behavior consistently. Culture follows what it sees.
■ Safe sites matter. But daily habits determine outcomes.
Three simple daily habits
Ergonomics awareness. Ladder deliberateness. PPE consistency.
Practice these three disciplines every shift, every task, and you dramatically improve the odds that everyone goes home the same way they came in.
At the end of the day, that’s the only metric that truly matters.
Stay safe, and please send any photos you’d like spotlighted, questions, comments or thoughts to me at steve@stevefullercompany.com.
Steve Fuller has worked over the past 20-plus years with a variety of industries – including aggregates – in operational and safety leadership roles. Now representing Steve Fuller Company, he can be reached at steve@stevefullercompany.com.
Related: A preseason checklist for safer, smoother operations
