INTRODUCTION
The daily safety talk, daily operational talk or also called a five-minute talk, has gradually been adopted as usual in companies that start a plan to protect resources, control operational risk or control losses..
The talk allows to demonstrate the degree of commitment of the company to safety and workers, in it it is allowed to analyze situations that can lead to an accident. The usual thing is that the supervisor in charge of executing the work, analyzes the day's work, comments on the risks that exist in it and their forms of control.
The daily talk is an instance of participation of all workers, since it is the right time to give their opinions, experiences or contributions of the work to be done.
It is also used to analyze accidents that have occurred in the company or another company in the field, which can serve as an example and help control risks that can cause accidents with injury or damage.
THE COMMUNICATION
Never forget that a talk is a communication opportunity, a teaching opportunity, therefore we must not lose sight of the fundamental principles of communication.
Communication
It is everything we do to understand and be understood.
If we focus on this small definition of communication and we want the worker to understand and correctly retain what we are transmitting, we must bear in mind the six ways of interpreting a message, also known as the six ideas of a message:
- What the supervisor wants to say What the supervisor really says What the worker hears What the worker thinks he hears What the worker says he heard What the supervisor thinks the worker heard
These six forms of interpretation force us to ask the worker and explain to us that he understood, since on some occasions what a supervisor says is very different from what the worker understands. This also forces us to give an instruction bearing in mind the simplicity, clarity and understanding of an instruction, for no reason to leave things as obvious or assume that the worker knows them without asking.
But how much data can a worker retain when training?
A worker retains:
- 10% of what you read 20% of what you hear 30% of what you see 50% of what you see and hear 70% of what you say and discuss 90% of what you say and do
This important piece of information is already a key starting point for the supervisor, since if he wants the worker to retain most of what has been presented to him, he must involve the worker, even better if he is also the speaker of a talk. of security.
If the worker does not know what to say, the supervisor or the company's safety advisor can help prepare a talk, concentrating on: a safety rule, a problem of order and cleanliness, a substandard practice, the analysis of an accident, etc.
In general, the topic should arouse the interest of your colleagues, for which always:
Smile and be cheerful, be positive even on some unpleasant topic to discuss, make a short introduction to the topic explaining why you are going to talk about it, invite questions, emphasize the key point.
Principles of communication
The most widely used communication principle is that of:
- Frequency Intensity Duration Again
Frequency: The more often a message is repeated, the better the chances of remembering it
Intensity: The more vivid, enthusiastic, personal and positive the message, the better it will be remembered
Duration: The shorter the message, the greater the chances of gaining attention, being understood, and being withheld.
Repetition: Learning is increased and strengthened with repetition.
As safety talks should fundamentally take on issues related to the day's work, risks and their forms of control, we cannot ignore another important principle.
Application principle: the more often a message is applied, the better it will be understood and remembered.
Therefore, whenever possible we should talk about practical issues or that have application in some phase of the life of a worker. Companies that are advanced in matters of occupational safety have started training and safety activities for "outside of work" even involving the family.
PREPARE BEFORE GIVING A SAFETY TALK
Surely all the supervisors and most of the workers have attended many talks and courses in the company, therefore it is likely that at some time you have listened to a person who was not well prepared. You may recall that it was unbearable having to listen to him, he was yawning and wanted to leave. Most likely, that person was nervous, did not know what to say, made a permanent mistake, repeated some words, etc.
Have you ever thought that perhaps some of your talks are also unbearable for your workers?
You can definitely change that situation and make your workers welcome the time you spend providing them with information. All you have to do comes down to putting the following recommendations into practice.
- It is necessary that you have all the essential data on the subject you are going to talk about. Do not try to deceive your workers or co-workers with incorrect or false information because you will possibly lose their respect and they will not pay more attention to you. facts, facts,…, you need to know as much as possible about your topic, before you can speak like an authority. Remember, it is assumed that you are the one who knows the most about the topic to be presented.
Of course there will be times when you will have to say, "Well, that's a good question, but I have no information about it, I'm going to check it out with someone and I'll give the answer tomorrow." Also, if you have prepared well, have confidence in your ability to speak to workers or colleagues, recognition inspires confidence.
But the most important of all is that you have to develop a good ability to speak to your co-workers, for that practice is essential.
Generally, all good speakers need a lot of practice, practice, and more practice. If you are confident with someone in the group who listens to you, tell him to try to observe the mistakes you make when you talk to them, this will be a good source of information for you and that way you can correct them. Especially correct the "fillers" or repeated words such as: eeeehhh, aaaahhh, I mean, let's say, do you understand me?
People who prepare and train to speak in public significantly improve their presentations and are much more effective in impressing their audience. One of the points that is always mentioned as very important is to know the group. Although it is always the same work group or audience that you must address, the needs of workers continually change, as life changes. Don't assume you know those needs. From time to time, consider whether the information you plan to give them is adequate to meet these needs.
Try to make a sentimental contact with your work group in some way. This will show them that you are interested in them. This requirement is especially important in the aspect of motivation. If you show interest in the sentimental and affective needs of your work group, it will be forced to reciprocate in some way, and it will manifest itself by listening to you with more attention.
Never lose sight of your main objective when you are speaking. For this reason, from time to time, you must ask yourself, Is what I have just said or what I am about to tell you of any interest to them?
Some supervisors have a bad habit of mentioning the main point they are going to talk about at the beginning of their presentations and then they fill in something inconsistent or of little interest and end up talking about something that has nothing to do with the main objective. To avoid this common mistake, it is very convenient to keep in hand, while you are speaking, a piece of paper on which the main points to be discussed are briefly outlined. Even if you have a lot of written information, do not forget that it is a talk, not a reading.
Periodically it is advisable to ask the working group or audience if they are being clear about what is being said, and ask them if they have something that they would like me to expose in more detail, invite them to participate and give opinions. This will ensure that they understand, accept and assimilate the main points.
Many books have been written on how to speak effectively in public. Actually, the art of public speaking is a difficult art that requires a lot of practice. Very few are born with the skill required to speak effectively in public. The most famous speakers that have been and are in this world, have been forged and are forged with constant training.
These speakers pay attention to even the smallest details. They know that any interruption and any misstep can cause their audience to lose focus and continuity of exposure.
In short, you can get your workers to give satisfying comments on talks and look forward to your presentations. All you have to do is practice, practice, and if you have time, practice.
THE EFFECTIVE TALK
The most important advantage of a risk prevention talk is that it can be given at any time, anywhere and with any medium.
Anytime, it means exactly that, whenever the situation calls for it.
The supervisor can stop his routine work and give a spontaneous talk to the person concerned when he observes that he does something incorrectly and may be the cause of a loss.
This could be a new worker who is using a hand tool incorrectly, or for example, an old worker who, due to overconfidence, does not use his face shield for grinding.
Although this talk is not considered a risk prevention dissertation, it really is, since the audience is made up of one person.
The primary objective in these cases is the opportunity to tell the person what they are doing wrong at the time the occasion arises, before their conduct causes serious injury or loss to property and to the person himself. It works the same way to congratulate a worker on her performance.
Another kind of informal risk prevention talk is one that can take place when workers are putting on their work clothes, in a friendly atmosphere. This method is very effective and timely to convey a message, as it also contributes to improving working relationships and puts the supervisor on an equal footing rather than turning him into a preacher or possibly a representative of management.
It should be remembered that when it is necessary to criticize or reprimand a worker for some action, the procedure of person-to-person talk should always be followed.
Never criticize or draw attention to a worker in front of his co-workers. Conversely, praise and recognition should be presented in front of other people as this makes the compliment more meaningful to the recipient and tells other workers how to safely perform a task.
What is recommended is to analyze in the group a situation that caused a call for attention with all the workers, so that it does not repeat itself, making clear what is expected of them.
This talk is an opportunity to highlight good safety behaviors, for example when a worker has performed in a responsible, safe manner, or has timely informed the supervisor of working conditions that may cause an accident or imminent danger, it will be discussed in the Talk and the participation of other workers will be called to get involved in risk control.
In any place, the talks generally take place in the workplace or very close to it, for this they have the advantage of creating a familiar environment for the workers and also serves to demonstrate that the management of the company, is presented in the places where problems exist.
SEVEN ASPECTS TO RELIVE YOUR TALKS
As we have already said in many companies, the safety or five-minute talk is a ritual for both the supervisor and the workers who give or receive it.
The five-minute talk is usually given every day at the beginning of the shift and covers a wide variety of topics, generally related to the work to be done during the day.
According to some statistics, workers who listen to the talk generally do so with pleasure.
Undoubtedly, over time the degree of attention of the workers who listen to the talk may vary, to help remedy this situation, we are going to mention below seven aspects that they should consider carefully, and that can be of great help. if they put them into practice.
1.- Topic
Choose a topic that is of interest to all workers. In order to choose an appropriate topic, the supervisor or worker who is going to give the talk should carefully examine the work to be done during the day by each worker to see if the topic to be covered has general application. An important aspect to consider is for example talking about substandard incidents, actions or conditions that occurred the day before. There is no point in talking, for example, about the dangers of welding if the audience does not perform welding-related work.
To prepare the topic it is advisable to follow the following scheme:
- Think about the main topic of the talk Read, to learn more about the topic Write, important aspects to remember Listen, what is known or has happened regarding the topic Organize, give coherence to the talk Practice, the talk to improve the presentation, do not make mistakes or Get nervous.
2.- Attention
One of the most important parts of the talk is the first introductory sentence. Yes, for example, you start your talk with these words:
"Today I want to talk to you a little about the problem of burns, which is a very important topic, as you already know and as I have repeated to you at least ten different times…".
He must have deserved a couple of good yawns. See the effect this other introduction has on yourself:
"Last night, when I was going home, I was struck by some sirens from an ambulance…", or, I have been reading such a magazine and a publication about burns caught my attention, which seemed important to me. I want to share with you.
You can see that after saying this phrase, your level of attention has risen.
3.- Satisfaction
Now you must do something immediately with the level of interest that you have generated in your audience. They expect immediate satisfaction. Tell them, “the ambulance carried the burned bodies of three workers who died, or, in the magazine it analyzed how five workers were burned while carrying out their usual work and that it is very similar to ours, or, to try to do things faster fell off the scaffold. In this third point you have to satisfy the needs of your audience so that your words have the effect you want.
4.- Examples
This is often the easiest part of the talk if you've already gotten the audience's attention. The most practical way to present the examples is to follow an idea or to relate what is being discussed to your own work. The examples help to better record the idea you want to present, you can give examples with previous experiences, accidents or incidents, you can even ask the workers themselves if they know of any situation related to the topic of the talk.
5.- Completion
If you suddenly stop your presentation and say reluctantly, "well, I guess that's all… here I end my talk." It will give the impression that you have not prepared well and that perhaps there is something important that you should have said. The result will be suspicion, discouragement, and disgust. The effect will be very different if you end with these words: “if you put into practice what I have told you, you will not have a day to take you to the hospital in an ambulance for having suffered serious burns” or, “I invite you to participate and be involved in taking care to himself and to his colleagues ”,“ I invite you to report situations that may cause this type of accident, I promise that we will analyze together, to determine the corrective measures ”.
6.- Visual aids
If you think your talk could be more effective with visual aids, use them, but wisely. The aids should complement the words, not distract the attention. It is a very common mistake to use drawings or caricatures that are perhaps very funny, but if they are not chosen well, they distract the audience from the topic being presented.
7.- Tone of voice
If you speak in a monotonous and uneven tone, you will help the audience fall asleep. If you do that, you will have no reason to blame them, because you invited them to do so yourself. Use a tone of voice that shows energy, interest, dedication, enthusiasm, and concern, but above all conviction and security of what you are talking about. During the discussion raise and lower your voice, emphasize the important things. Speak faster and slower, change your tone of voice.
conclusion
1.- If you prepare your talks more carefully and put more life into them, in a very short time you will see how your audience will respond to you with more interest and enthusiasm.
2.- Also, you should never forget that at the end of your talk you should make a short summary of the presentation mentioning the most important aspects and making it clear what you wanted to convey to them, this is called prescribing, in which you should try to answer the questions that any worker would become, what do you want me to do? What should it mean to me?
3.- When a worker asks you a question and you don't know the answer, say it with all sincerity, but also make a commitment to find out as soon as possible. The commitment should be made in front of the entire group attending the talk.
4.- When a worker asks you a question that you know, always before answering say how good or interesting your presumed is! With that question you reminded me of something that you had not said!
5.- Always appreciate the questions because they are the main instance to be shown. If they don't ask you questions it definitely means that no one understood, or, no one was interested in your talk.
6.- When addressing a person, do so by name, if they do not know, ask them.
7.- Never read a talk, no matter how many notes you have taken, don't forget that it is a talk.
EXAMPLES OF TALKS
Talk 1: WORKERS WHO THINK AVOID ACCIDENTS
There has been a lot of talk lately about the man who thinks, his decisions and choices, and even his preferences for a certain product.
The frequency of accidents could be reduced substantially if we all thought seriously and filtered the correct answers that refer to personal protection on and off the job.
Three of the reasons given when talking about accidents are:
1.- I didn't see it
2.- I didn't think about it or I believed that
3.- I didn't know
Let's talk a little about each of these three things and measure their relationship to accidents.
The view. This is a God-given ability that most of us have, but we take as "of course" or "obvious we should have" most of the time. Consider for a moment the times when we run the risk of losing our valuable sight, when we are not wearing glasses or face shields, where there is a danger of particle projection or other danger to the eyes.
Sight is actually one of the most important organs that the human being has. Only a person who has lost her sight through an accident can tell us how valuable this sense is. Many people who have lost their sight say that they would rather have lost all of their other senses than sight.
You have two eyes to see the dangers that exist around you at work, on the street, and at home. So look around and be on the alert for dangers that may occur.
Think. Many people still think that accidents happen because yes, they are unpredictable or bad luck, or it was their time. These same people would laugh if you told them that you are superstitious. His attitude that accidents just happen, or cannot be avoided, does not even lead to an argument.
Thinking logically would lead us to the conclusion that practically all accidents can be avoided.
In the last 80 years there has been a sustained and growing improvement in statistics because governments through the laws, companies, workers, and risk prevention consultants, have been thinking about ways to make their jobs more safe while maintaining or even increasing productivity.
In addition, with time and as technology increases, some jobs have become safer but others have appeared where risk has the potential to cause disaster.
Now, if accidents happen just because, we could not explain in any way this reduction in the frequency of accidents. That simply and authoritatively proves that men who think avoid accidents.
What does that mean to us here at work or at home?
It means that you should think about how to do your job without causing injury to yourself or a co-worker or family member. It was necessary to combine the ideas of many people to develop the safest and best possible working methods.
Some of the best suggestions have come from the workers themselves, people like you can and do think of better ways to do your job safely. I would like each of you to think that way about your work as well.
Knowledge. Although knowing how to do a job correctly is very important, it is not all about knowing. You have to put that knowledge into practice. Also, do not forget that you are the examples and guide for new workers.
Part of my job is to make sure that each of you knows the right way to do your job. If you think you don't know the correct way, please ask. I am going to teach them and control their learning. In this way we can be sure, without any doubt, that we know the correct and most productive way.
Finally, if you are sure that you know all the dangers, that you know the correct way to do your job, and that you think when you are working, you can all avoid accidents. Thinking workers avoid accidents and are highly productive.
Talk 2: ACCIDENTS AS A RESULT OF INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR
Too often we have heard from our superiors, including our co-workers, about accidents as a result of substandard attitudes, disinterest, and poor performance of ourselves. That is, accidents as a result of our behavior. It is evident that our way of thinking, our way of acting and of carrying out our movements and tasks of the day, whether here at work or in our homes, greatly influences the chances of suffering accidents.
Before continuing I would like to ask you a question: What do you think is the factor that causes most accidents?. The supervisor must wait to receive the responses of the workers, he can even list the different factors that are exposed in order to provide participation. Either way, the following conclusion will be reached.
As we have seen, the number one factor causing accidents is the human factor. Most accidents are not caused by mechanical failure, neither by equipment nor by tools, but rather by carelessness and improper use of such tools and equipment.
I mean that our behavior influences the possibility of causing accidents that result in serious injury, or even death.
We are often aware of the dangers that surround us, however, we do not act accordingly, we do not take the necessary measures to prevent those dangers from becoming a sad reality.
For example, many times we forget to use our personal protective equipment knowing that we need it and knowing that we are exposed to serious injuries or damage to our health, due to the environment that surrounds us. Other times it happens that we do not obey the established prevention rules just because we think they are not important and that if the moment of an emergency comes we will know how to defend ourselves. This is precisely an attitude that sooner or later will cause an accident.
I want to list a series of human attitudes that will increase or decrease the possibility of suffering an accident. One group is positive and the other is negative. The people who show the positive attitudes are the people who will most likely never suffer accidents while the people with the negative attitudes are involved in accidents quite often and what is worse, they are the cause of accidents that not only harm their person, but to the well-being of those around him and the image of the company in front of the client and the community, and even safe or positive workers.
Among the attitudes that have been determined as negative and therefore causing accidents, we can mention the following:
- Too much confidence in what is done Avoiding responsibility with excuses Intolerance Impatience Inability to receive criticism Neglect Alcoholism Immaturity; jokes and indiscipline, among others.
These are negative attitudes that we must put aside or try to avoid. By eliminating these types of attitudes from our behavior, we will contribute to our own well-being at all times and in any place.
Among the positive attitudes that contribute to preventing accidents are the following: personal maturity, discipline, realistic and social attitude, attitude of tolerance and kindness to others, responsibility, moderation, impulse control and discretion.
In a few words, we could say that people who are concerned about accident prevention are people who realize their limitations and weaknesses and who look around realistically, with the interest of helping in what they can to reduce the factors causing accidents.
Today when we get home let's take a few minutes and do an analysis of our behavior. Let's see if we can determine which are the attitudes that we must acquire or practice more frequently to prevent accidents.
We can always eliminate negative attitudes and adopt new and positive ones that will be beneficial to both our well-being and that of our co-workers. Always remember that in most cases our inappropriate behavior is the cause of accidents.
Let us make an effort to improve our behavior in favor of accident prevention and our own well-being, both at work and at home.
Talk 3: CLIMBING BY FIXED SCALES
I have no doubt that we agree that construction workers are always on the edge of danger. Those crossbars that run the length of a tall building look very treacherous, and they are to a person who shouldn't be climbing them. But assembly workers rarely fall. They specialize in climbing carefully and moving safely when they get to the top. They do not take risks, they test and check everything that may pose a danger to them, they use a retractable and safety harness, they are always tied up.
This is the reason that most falls from high scales are suffered by those who have neither practice nor experience in climbing them. First of all, no one should climb a high scale if the height impresses them. Doing so will make you nervous and lose your confidence.
Many workers do not want to admit that they are afraid of heights, because they grew up thinking that fear is something to be ashamed of.
That is the wrong attitude. Fear is a natural reaction to a dangerous situation, or one that seems dangerous. It gives a person the strength and energy to deal with an emergency. If a person is incapable of being afraid, he is abnormal.
Brave men are afraid, like any other person, but they know how to control it.
But what does all this have to do with climbing the ladder? Very much, if you are afraid of heights, have the courage to say so and do not climb them. But if you have to, pay close attention to what I am going to tell you and remember that a fall from a ladder can be easily fatal.
Examine the ladder carefully before starting to climb if you can see anything abnormal such as bent or missing rungs, if there is grease on the rungs or side rails, the ladder shoes or support base must be perfectly supported on the floor.
If a pipe or anything else shortens space somewhere, don't forget that when you get to that place, lack of space has been the cause of many deaths; If you don't prevent this situation, you may lose your step on that rung.
Take special care with wooden ladders. The wooden steps rot and come loose. Make no assumptions, examine them. Electric wires, unless they are inside insulating tube, are very dangerous near a metal ladder, because the ladder is generally well grounded. The insulating material on the wire may not be very good, as it is exposed to all kinds of climates. In fact, the air around the wires may be all that is holding the electricity to them.
If any part of your body comes in contact with the wire, or gets too close to it, it can give the electrical current a chance to escape to ground. If the current goes through them, they will either fall to the ground or be electrocuted up there.
Temperatures below zero, watch for ice. It is best not to try to climb an icy ladder. But if you must, wear a seat belt, make sure you always keep it on while you work, and break the ice as you climb.
After examining the ladder, you can start to climb. But first move it a little to make sure it is well secured and see if there are any loose parts at each point of support. When ascending, put your foot on the step so that the heel touches it and is close to the side rail, unless the ladder is too wide and this position does not offer comfort.
Take hold of the side rails firmly. If you take a step and it breaks, you will surely fall, but if you tie yourself to the side rails, even if a step fails under your feet, you will not fall.
They should always make sure they are well supported with their hands and one foot, before attempting to step onto the next rung. This applies to both going up and down.
Finally, when you get to the place where you want to climb, make sure you put your foot down firmly as you move from the ladder to the other surface. Unless this arrangement is correct, this is the point of greatest danger. As a rule, the scale must exceed one meter above the surface where it is supported. If the scale is to be used for a long time it should be tied at the top to a solid fixed object.
When descending, make sure you put your foot firmly on the rung below before changing your hand position. Both to go up or down, you must place both hands on the beams and never carry anything in your hands.
And never rush on a scale.
Talk 4: FALLING OBJECTS
I think few of you will be surprised to hear that objects falling from structures and ladders, scaffolds, hydraulic platforms, etc., cause some of the most serious injuries and many times even death.
If I asked you what personal protection item can prevent falling object hazards, possibly most of you would answer, the safety helmet. That answer is correct, but only partially.
Another item that prevents injuries from falling objects are safety shoes.
It has been proven that most objects that fall and cause injuries do not fall from great heights, but according to this, what is meant by great heights?
When talking about objects that fall, people automatically think of a bolt, a nut, a conical centering device, a hammer that falls from a structure, but the reality is that most objects that fall and cause injuries, fall from small heights, such as when an object falls on the feet or on the person immediately behind slips or slips from the hands.
This is not to say that we should give more importance to safety shoes than to the helmet, since both I and all of you know very well that in general, the injuries that occur due to objects that fall from great heights are much more severe than those produced from objects that fall from a low height. What I want to tell you is that we do not downplay safety shoes to avoid or reduce injuries due to falling objects.
But personal protection, be it a helmet or shoes, is only part of the problem. Personal protection never prevents accidents, the first thing to do in any situation is to try to avoid the danger and the situation that can lead to an accident. There are many things that all of us can do to avoid accidents due to falling objects. Whenever you are going to climb to a height, whether using a ladder, a scaffold, a hydraulic platform, a structure, etc., put a sign around the ground level warning "Danger working at height" and / or "Danger No passing ".
Many accidents occur when someone working at the top of a ladder or other surface drops a jar of paint, a pliers, a wrench, etc. If the work to be done involves certain special hazards, they should be told. to the supervisor. The supervisor will try to provide the necessary special protection, such as barriers that isolate the area where they will work, or some other special protection.
When working on suspended platforms or scaffolding, never place objects close to the edge as they may inadvertently push them and they may fall on someone passing below, or you may lose your balance and carry an object yourself.
We must not miss this opportunity to remember that when working at height or climbing ladders, they should never carry tools in their pockets or in their hands, since when moving they can fall and injure someone who passes below.
Another common way to sustain a foot injury is when an object is dropped without following the correct lifting procedure. It would not be the first time that a worker, due to immediate severe pain in his back when trying to lift an object incorrectly, drops the object and it crushes his feet. Injuries from falling objects are not the most frequent or generally the most serious that occur in our company, but the truth is that they occur more than necessary and that with a little care and following a few rules of risk prevention we can avoid them all.
Talk 5: ALL ACCIDENTS HAVE A CAUSE
WE HAVE ALWAYS heard it said that things do not happen by themselves, but that there is always a reason that causes them. The topic of today's talk is that: the causes of accidents. To be more specific, I am talking about conditions and attitudes that will sooner or later lead to an accident.
When an event occurs that we do not want, whether someone is injured or a cup is simply broken, there is always something we ask ourselves and try to find out, "how did it happen?" However, perhaps it would be more convenient to ask ourselves' what caused the accident?
Notice I said that maybe it would be better to ask what produced it. Why? It seems to me that you know it as well as I do, accidents do not happen spontaneously, but are always produced by one or more causes. That cause may be carelessness, an undisciplined act, an insecure attitude, negligence, or a combination of these.
Suppose that you, Juan, (the supervisor must substitute this name for one of his workers), one day you fall at home and break your leg. That fall did not happen spontaneously, but simply something made you fall. It is very possible that the fall is the product of your carelessness, perhaps you were in a hurry and ran down the stairs, or you came down without grabbing the handrail; In other words, you didn't do it carefully. It is also possible that someone else inadvertently caused the fall. Maybe your child left the skates in the middle of the stairs, or maybe the carpet that covers the stairs was torn and nobody noticed before.
You can think of countless things as causes of that fall, but truly if you fall and break your leg on the stairs, it is very likely that what caused that fall is a combination of all the things I mentioned above. To be more precise, suppose that the causes that caused your fall, (repeat here the name of the worker mentioned before), were the following: You were in a hurry, you ran down the stairs without holding onto the handrails, you did not realize that you son had left the skates abandoned there, you tripped over them and fell.
This is exactly what happens with accidents at work, because most of them are caused by a combination of mistakes and carelessness. Hence the belief that has always been held, and that is a reality, that unsafe attitudes form a chain that can cause accidents.
I will give you another example. I can light a match and throw it on the floor as it usually goes out before I get to it. But suppose I throw it in a place where there are papers. The first match I threw was extinguished, I also threw it in a clean place, but the second, caused a fire because it fell on flammable material.
What is the cause of this fire? Throwing the lit match on the floor? Or someone carelessly leaving papers on the floor? The answer, of course, is that both the person who threw the papers on the floor and I who threw the lit match are responsible for the start of the fire, although I am much more responsible than he, of course.
This is how most accidents occur. Many of us have probably violated some accident prevention rules at work without causing accidents, but when we violate or ignore some rule without realizing that there are other dangerous factors, the result is that the simple violation becomes a disaster.
Not all carelessness or unsafe acts cause accidents, but no accident has ever occurred unless one or more unsafe acts were committed.
Sometimes we think "well, everything is fine, I can violate the rule because in this case it will not cause an accident." This kind of attitude is exactly what causes accidents. That is why we must always remember that we do work properly with caution and interest, according to accident prevention regulations and according to work regulations there is no possibility of becoming the cause of an accident.
Do not forget accidents do not happen by accident, there are causes that caused it.
TALK 6: SUGGESTIONS
In this talk I want to talk about the suggestions. All companies whose Managements are interested in risk prevention want to receive suggestions from workers on this issue. They constantly ask me for ideas so that the procedures and work environments are as safe as possible.
Management, when someone is injured, asks us a number of questions, such as, How is it that no one realized that it could happen? Hadn't they been taught to do it correctly? Is it that an accident had to happen to recognize the danger? And so they continue.
The basic question that is latent in all the other questions is actually.
Has each of you been concerned about getting ideas about accident prevention from workers? If not, what are you doing to control inherent and built-in risks? Management is right. No one can do a job and know it better than those who do it every day.
This should mean that he who knows his job is not injured, and in reality it means this, if he is aware of Risk prevention and always uses his head. He knows all the dangerous points of his work, he knows how to avoid them, he knows the correct practices to follow.
This is the way the company wants each of us to behave, and so do I as a supervisor and be sure that each and every one of you does too.
Each of you must study each correct form. It's something they can do themselves and bring me the ideas. Part of my job is to get as many suggestions as possible. By this I do not mean that they will all be accepted but I will study each one carefully and pass them on to Management.
I want you to understand that we do not want you to make crazy suggestions just for the sake of making them. What we want is for you to make strong suggestions and we want as many as you can think of, none is a bad suggestion, they are all analyzed.
So get down to thinking and transmitting your ideas to me. Don't just limit yourself to the work you do. Look at all the workplaces where they walk or work.
I want to emphasize one thing. Whoever presents an idea that has value will be recognized. I have heard comments that in some companies it is the supervisor who is recognized for the ideas of their workers. We don't work like that here. Neither I nor anyone will attribute ideas that do not correspond to you, so do not be afraid to present them and have them stolen.
Another important point is that if a suggestion is not accepted, it will explain why and you will have the right to an explanation. Also if a suggestion is accepted and its implementation is delayed, they will be told why. Some modifications require more planning and changes than others.
Getting accident prevention tips can help you avoid accidents, and it's easy to see why. If they really try to find things to suggest they will find more suitable ways of doing the job. They will also find easier ways to do it. This will also help them to do a better job and consequently for the company to have a better concept of its workers and therefore the company's customer.
When someone says, Juan is a good worker but at the same time adds that he is also aware of safety, of himself, of his colleagues and of the other resources of the company, it is a good compliment. Therefore, provide suggestions, give them to me, we review them and you will see how this simple practice helps make this place the best place to work.
Talk 7: THE GOOD EXAMPLE
In today's talk I am not going to refer to new workers. I am not going to refer to them because they do not yet know very well what is happening in our company and they have not acquired enough experience.
I am going to refer to you, experienced workers, who generally know your work very well.
You, whether you admit it or not, are leaders for new workers. You may not want to be, but you have no choice. Since you are old in the company, you have a lot of experience, the new workers consider you in a certain way as their guides, since in one way or another they ask you to proceed and follow you. I don't mean they are running after you for advice and information.
I simply mean that they continually observe you, observe how you work, and deduce from this what is right or wrong.
Have you ever thought about that?
You did the same when you started working in this or another company. You look at an older worker, with more experience and more skill, and you followed him.
The respect you get from a less experienced worker produces some pride and satisfaction, in a way. It is a nice feeling to know that others are watching you and trying to do your job the way you do.
But along with this pleasant feeling goes a feeling of responsibility, since new workers are not always alive enough to differentiate between the right habits and your wrong habits. They know only that you know how to work better than they, in this way they consider that everything you do is correct.
Where you can do the most good or cause the most evil is in the example that you can set in terms of safety.
New workers are usually a bit scared when they start their new job, even because they feel like they're on trial in a way and may lose it at any moment. Everything is new, they do not know how the company works, and they have not been sufficiently alerted about certain dangers, therefore they are not sure how to avoid them. That is why they look at you, so that in this way you can fix and accommodate your behavior and seek the solution to your problem.
If they see in you people who do their jobs with precision and at the same time are very cautious, they will try to do the same and there is a good chance that they will soon be as well as you.
But imagine that they see in you someone who does not give the minimum importance to security, who ignores the instructions on this subject, before this they deduce that they have tried to instill security simply because there was no other better way to fill that time. They will imagine that you really know what you are doing and that they can afford to act in the same way that you do without taking any danger.
Perhaps you are too exposed to risks and come out of them without any injury; But when a new worker pretends to do the same as you, he will surely be injured, as he is less experienced than you in avoiding a specific hazard.
If you destroy your faith in the ways and in the instructions that we try to instill in all of our talks, you cut a vital line and leave you in a way helpless and lost.
Many old workers in our company say that they are not the guardians of the new workers. Perhaps many also think that if the company wants them to be guardians or teachers, they should be paid something in an extraordinary way. Our company does not pretend that you are teachers, simply that you take a little more care to act correctly, in other words do things well, as you know and should do them, nothing more than that.
In this world we live in, everything we do has an influence on those around us, and the more a person admires and respects us, we have more obligation to act with care knowing that our influence will be greater and greater. positive time.
I know that in our company many of you put into practice all of this that I have referred to in this talk, but there are others, however, who frequently forget it and set a bad example.
I hope that from now on we will all keep this important problem in mind.
In closing, I want all the old workers to shake hands with the new workers, welcoming them and saying, I am a good example for you.
Talk 8: QUESTIONS SHOW INTELLIGENCE
Many times there is talk of the need to do things safely; but what if one does not know how? Then you should ask who knows. That may be the partner next door or the supervisor. Since the company holds the supervisor responsible if any of the workers are injured, they should have the answer to any questions they may have about risk prevention. If I don't know the answer and can't find it, I'll ask the risk prevention advisor. But I assure you that you will have the answer as soon as possible.
Some people don't like to ask questions. They think it makes them look ignorant, stupid, or something similar. Whoever thinks this way is wrong.
If you don't know, common sense tells you to ask. This denotes that the person has an active mind.
This raises the question of what an intelligent question is, how does the person who asks it know? I don't think anyone can give an answer that is perfect. But it seems to me that the first thing is not to ask something that one can easily answer for herself and that she can verify. Verification is important, when it comes to security you have to be sure that you are correct. If you are not sure that you are correct you have to think carefully, check the facts and use your head. If you are still not sure, ask.
Asking the question precisely and clearly, the person to whom the question is asked must grasp the exact meaning, since otherwise it may give an incorrect or incomplete answer.
Here is an example, a mechanic's assistant wanted to know if the product used to clean the grease from the hands of the old workers of the workshop, could burn his hands. So he asked one of them, Do you think that if I clean my hands with carbon tetrachloride it will burn them? The answer, of course, was no. He then filled a bottle with the product and kept it in his closet to store his work clothes.
At lunchtime he went out a few minutes early to wash up. He placed the bottle on the edge of the sink while brushing, but inadvertently pushed the bottle, which fell apart and the carbon tetrachloride spilled on the floor and began to evaporate very quickly. Knowing the dangers of broken glass, he bent down to clean up. What he did do was absorb so much steam that he began to feel dizzy. A few minutes later when his companions arrived they found him passed out.
If we started doing the analysis of this accident, two things were wrong here, he must have asked Is it safe to use carbon tetrachloride to get the grease off my hands? On the other hand, the person to whom you asked must have suspected something and asked why you wanted to know.
Finally, when you ask a question and get the answer, you have to be sure that it is understood and that all the information you need is obtained. You also have to make sure that it agrees with the information you already have on the subject. If not, something is wrong: it could be that you had information that was not correct or vice versa. Either way it is better to clarify. Your safety may depend on it.
Ignorance or lack of maturity is not shown when questions are asked, on the contrary it is denoted that one is astute and that one is aware of the importance of risk prevention.
So when you don't know or are unsure, it is best to ask.
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