-Carola Mittag
When I was a child and pennies were still in circulation, it was always interesting to see who would bend over to pick up the penny that was laying on the sidewalk on our way to or from school. The younger the child, the more likely it was that they would pick up that cent. As we got older it became uncool to bother stooping for that penny (although I always did secretly). And as we progressed from elementary school to junior high and then secondary school, bending down to pick up even a nickel or dime became less likely. Not only was it uncool, but it also gave the bullies reason to make snide remarks or tease the person who “lowered” themselves to pick up that coin.
Having gone to university, held a professional job for many years and am now happily retired, I still have to do my regular grocery shopping. I shop at a grocery store that has its buggies chained together. To release one of these shopping carts it is necessary to insert a quarter into a slot on the buggy; then, when your shopping is done, you can retrieve your quarter by retuning the buggy to the chained carts. I find it amazing that, no matter the weather, rain, sleet, hail or snow, people conscientiously return their cart to get back their twenty-five cents. Very, very rarely will you see an abandoned cart in the grocery store’s parking lot.
Today, even though a quarter has little buying power, people go to great lengths to get back their coin. I wonder if they ever think back to the times that they just walked by a penny, nickel or dime.
What has all this got to do with health and safety? I thought about a saying that is as old as the hills “The devil is in the details.” Those who return their carts to retrieve their quarters are paying attention to a little, seemingly, inconsequential detail; after all it’s only twenty-five cents.
“It will only take a second”; I’ve always done it this way”; Only this once”; It won’t happen to me”; What can go wrong?”; “But they did it like that”; “It’s only …….”.
How many times have we heard someone say any of these things or thought and said them ourselves? Whether it is workers following written safety procedures, or supervisors conducting site inspections, or JHSC members conducting an accident investigation, the devil is in the details! It sounds like an ominous warning, doesn’t it? But in fact, it is an expression used to point out that one should pay attention to all they do. Even the grandest project depends on the success of the smallest components. It may be the tiniest detail that, if not paid close attention to, could possibly ruin all your efforts not to mention cause injury, illness or even death. It is important to identify the details to avoid tragic consequences.
Safety audits are used to identify weaknesses in safety programs and processes in order to identify corrective actions that must be taken. Safety audits also identify whether or not a company is in compliance with the appropriate safety regulations. MENTOR’s safety audit is a structured process that is used to collect information relating to your company’s efficiency, effectiveness, and reliability. This type of inspection is more thorough than technical inspections or spot-check inspections, as it also involves reviewing your company’s safety documentation in order to determine how the company can improve its total health and safety management system.
People choose their actions, some in great detail and some lackadaisically. The consequences of those choices can mean the difference between a happy healthy future or one with lasting negative implications. Paying attention to details is never time wasted!
Watch for next month’s Blog published in the second week of June.
Sincerely,
Carola Mittag
Consultant and Editor for Mentor Safety Consultants Inc.