Work Safe Play Safe!

Work Safe Play Safe!

While reading the newspaper a while back, I couldn’t help but notice the number of articles on tragic accidents.  You know the ones, a kid on a bike gets hit by a car, a boating accident, a drowning, etc.   Evidently, all the promotion corporations do to promote safety at work must be having an impact because it’s rare you read about an industrial accident.  Certainly at-work accidents that warrant a newspaper article or firsthand report from a TV station seem to be few and scattered.

On the other hand, it seems what we do on the weekend, at home, our recreations seem to be where we get hurt the most.  In our local area, a man was trimming a tree when he dropped his chain saw on his wife.  Yes, she died.  Another man was badly burned when he doused brush with gasoline.  His young daughter who had run up behind him also received second degree burns over 50% of her body.

We first read about the accidents, and then over the next day or so, as more details come out, we may learn more about what caused them.  We rarely get to read about the aftermath.  The…”where are they now” type of article.  How are they dealing with insurance and medical bills?  Are they back at work?  How do you function at work after someone in your family has been badly injured or killed?  How would your company be impacted if one of your star employees suffered a tragic accident?

I was sharing my thoughts on this subject with a client when he nodded in agreement.  He went on to tell me about a salesman in his company who had had a record sales period.  After receiving his commission check, he went out and bought a small pool for the backyard.  While it was filling, he went to buy a fence.  In the meantime, his two year old son had managed to get in to the pool.  You know the ending.  My client said, “That guy was dead to the company for almost a year.”

Encouraging your employees to be safe at work makes good sense, and keeps your insurance costs down.  Encouraging your employees to be safe ‘at play’ may save you more.

Work Safe Play Safe!

Do you have a story to share?  Please omit company names.