Many of us in the American fire service have been placing a great deal of emphasis on safety for many years now; witness most recently the now-annual Stand Down for Safety, Dr. Burt Clark’s campaigns for firefighter mayday procedures and the National Fire Service Seat Belt Pledge. We all have an appreciation for the physiological and psychological impact of on-the-job injuries, not to mention the financial impact of accidents and injuries in the workplace, for both the individual and the organization. But how many of us think about safety away from the job?
One of my colleagues, Bttn. Chief Jim Fitch, recently published the following in our daily e-mail newsletter that goes out to our organization:
This weekend I was wrapping the trim on my garage with aluminum. I was trying to get as much done as time would allow until I had to take my son to a baseball game. All was going well until I managed to slice my finger open with the edge of the aluminum. Later in the day, it occurred to me that my accident occurred for two reasons. First, had I been wearing a pair of gloves, the accident would have never occurred. Second, I was rushing to do something that required more time than I allowed. I did not respect the potential hazards of the situation; I failed to operate with the proper attitude toward safety.
Think back to an accident you have experienced or witnessed. Were you respecting the potential hazards, were you wearing your PPE, or did you have the right attitude? I bet you can place yourself in one of these situations during some accident in your past. You know, you have control over these conditions. We are issued some of the best PPE available, we just have to use it. Every time! You have the ability to embrace a safe approach to your job. You control your attitude and actions.
Safety is our responsibility, not the [Tactical Safety Officer]’s, not your supervisor’s, not the Fire Chief’s. Everyone in our department makes contributions to our safety. Training and Safety provides excellent training, Plans Review ensures fire protection systems are properly designed and functioning, Logistics keeps us supplied so we can perform our job &hellip everyone’s efforts can be linked to our safety and well-being.
Our organization has long embraced and emphasized safety through training, equipment, and operating procedures all of which assist us in the performance of our duties. So regardless of your rank or job function, if you see an unsafe action, show your respect for that person’s safety and address the situation. If someone addresses a safety issue with you, don’t get miffed; thank them for showing their concern. We have to watch each other’s back.
Have a safe day!
JEF
Good stuff, eh? How many of us take our safety attitude home with us when our tour of duty is complete? Perhaps we would all profit by doing our best to make safety a 24/7/365 behavior, not just a work behavior that we leave at the fire station or office. What do you think?
