Workplace Injury is an Inevitable Part of Life

I disagree. What's most interesting to me, is that while you need people to believe it's possible in order to prevent injuries; you also need to prevent injuries in order to gain the confidence of individuals that improvements are possible. Where to start? I think sharing successes and catching people doing it right are viable ways to make gains. Systems help sustain the gains, and actions by leaders keep it visible. Bottom line is that people, especially young ones, are worth it.

I believe all workplaces can be made safer. It takes good supervisors and managers enforcing safety procedures and rules. There has to be zero tolerance for safety violations in the workplace. Strong consequences get results. A suspension will cost an employer less than an injury and will send a strong message to employees that their employer does care about their safety. I have worked for employers whose only objective was to get the job done at all costs. I have had young workers who wanted to operate equipment without any training and I can tell you, young workers tend to react instead of think. Young workers require more supervision and in my opinion are worth it. No life is worth getting a job done at all costs and I hope all workers, young and old know they have the right to refuse work they feel is unsafe. Ask yourself, "Is any job worth getting injured or killed over?" Employers, Aside from the high cost of having an employee injured, you have a moral obligation to keep your workplace safe. I'm not suggesting that an employer become a babysitter but am suggesting that employers need to put the people in place who care about safety and are willing to enforce it. Ongoing safety training programs are an important tool in keeping your workplace safe.