Workplace Safety
Lesson Six
Workplace Safety
1. In Lesson Six we’re going to talk about some truths which may be hard to, or difficult for you to hear, but they must be discussed all the same. However, before we get to that, we need to talk about something else first. Regardless of how old you are or what job you have, you should always have an emergency kit with you. I’ve carried mine, a cool little backpack for years, for some reason I’m the guy who always needed one. When I actively participated in martial arts and power-lifting I needed one to carry all sorts of things besides homework or whatever. Because of the amount of calories I burned my backpack usually had fruit, water, snacks, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or two, and whatever else I might need for the day until I could get home and eat dinner.
2. Over time, the contents of my backpack changed, but the reason for carrying it did not. While working I found it advantageous to always have stuff; stuff I choose to have in order to make my interactions with the customer or the performance of my mission just that much better or easier. Well, (you ask) what’s in this backpack you keep talking about? I’ll tell you. I always carried a comb and brush; a small bottle of lotion; a small toothbrush and toothpaste; a small sewing kit that contained scissors, different colors of thread, safety pins and buttons, and patch material. The backpack itself was just like any other backpack you’ve seen, sometimes made from nylon or leather and found in any store for just a few dollars. I preferred black because that color matches anything you’re wearing and does not attract attention.
3. Depending upon what type of job you have, your survival kit does not have to be a backpack. It can be a briefcase with a small portion of it set aside for whatever you need; or a purse based upon what you ladies need to carry. But why would you need to carry that stuff? You asked the question so I’ll give you the answer. To be prepared! With few exceptions, there is no reason for you not to remain as fresh and motivated towards the end of your workday as you were when you initially showed up for work. The items I carried allowed me to brush my teeth and freshen my breath after eating lunch. The contents also allowed me repair clothing items if something happened and I had a small tear in something I was wearing (and it does happen). Remember, you can’t ask the boss to let you go for something as minor as a small tear in your clothing or food stuck in your teeth. That’s the kind of thing you need to take care of on your own.
4. But again, why? Remember, most bosses are not in the workplace to hold your hand. They are there for one thing, and that’s to make money for someone and maintain the financial health of the company. The last thing they’re concerned about are your problems. Remember P.O.W.E.R? (Know Yourself paragraph 7) It is your job to be first, which means to always be ahead of the game, thinking, planning, and ensuring you’re ready to work. Remember in this life you are responsible for you and at times others. It’s up to you to leave your problems at home, protect yourself as well as the company’s financial bottom line, and interact with the customer in a manner that makes them return. And you do this by always being well groomed, fresh, prepared, responsive, and ready to go.
5. To do the things we just mentioned at the end of Paragraph Four you need tools, hence the survival kit, hence the backpack (briefcase or purse with your ‘stuff’). The items I carried in my backpack were specific to what I needed to be prepared for. Yours needs to be the same. You may have a very carefully folded work shirt or deodorant, maybe even stockings stored inside a small plastic sandwich bag. It all depends on your situation and what you cannot go without in an emergency. Should we put this in perspective to make it easier to work with?… We’ll do that, but I need to cite an example first. The other day I walked into a popular pizza place to get a large ‘pie’ with extra pepperoni and cheese. As I walked up to order, the first thing I noticed was the uniform blouse or shirt the guy behind the counter was wearing. I’ve seen a lot, and done a lot, but that was the dirtiest and possibly the nastiest work shirt I’ve ever seen on a restaurant worker. There was no excuse for him to be in it. Now had he a backpack with an extra shirt, he would have been good-to-go. Of course his manager should not have let this happen, but he was the manager and a nasty one at that.
6. So, let’s use the food service industry and you as the next example. Let’s say you’re working at fast food place ‘A’ and the boss tells you: “Look tough guy, it’s your turn to clean the bathroom— get to it.” You’ve already had some training so you know where the mop and bucket is, so you…get to it. You get in there and start mopping and cleaning right? C’mon now, you’ve seen the sign that says “CAUTION, wet floor” and the unlucky guy or gal working up a sweat with that dank and smelly mop giving the bathroom a good going over. Well now, that person is you and you have to protect yourself. You’re working in an environment that contains or contained by-products of the human waste removal system and you need to know a few things.
7. There are all types of laws, guidelines, and rules about what bosses can and cannot do with employees and what safety procedures they must follow. Most bosses obey them but there are some that don’t, either through ignorance or just plain spite. The last group is the group you need to be concerned about because they are most probably the ones that will fire you, if you confront them about their poor management skills. Now here comes the part that may be difficult for you to hear. If you find yourself in this type of environment, you must decide how much this job and paycheck mean to you. If you understand the tenants of P.O.W.E.R, and you can afford to walk away from the job in favor of something else; then do it. If you cannot afford to walk away until you get some money saved, then P.O.W.E.R still applies and you must take care of yourself.
8. Remember, that backpack we talked about, that survival kit? In this particular instance let’s say you’ve asked the boss about some protective gear to wear while cleaning the bathroom and his or her response was not positive. Then you need to get your own, and in this particular instance, that’s what will be in your backpack. Wal-Mart and other stores, sell reasonably priced rubber and or vinyl disposable gloves, as well as disposable protective masks, and safety glasses. If your boss does not provide these things, then you need to use part of your earnings to purchase and use this ‘stuff.’ You also need to purchase disposable aprons too. Why? There are those questions again. Think about it. Think about that lucky or unlucky guy or gal we talked about earlier. They’re in the bathrooms cleaning out receptacles which contain dirty water that will ultimately end up being splashed (no matter how small the splash) onto their clothes. Then they’re going right back to the food service line to make your order. And no one ever questions this…hmmm! So, since the bathroom guy or gal is you and you understand what the ‘W’ stands for in P.O.W.E.R then you have amassed some knowledge about the transference of germs (even if your boss has not) and you want no part of it. So you protect yourself through the purchase and use of your own disposable sanitation gear.
9. The use of your brain to take care of yourself when others won’t or can’t does not have to stop there. What happens if your boss makes you sweep sections of the parking lot at night? You know what I’m talking about; picking up cigarette butts and trash…that stuff. Even though the street lights are on you need to take care of yourself. As we said before Wal-Mart and other stores sell safety gear, so check and see if you can purchase a reflective vest and a small flashlight, if they don’t have them in the store, you can order them. Before you ask why, those items are so people can see you…and you can see things. They don’t cost much money and may even save your life. And when you’re done with them, they can go right back into your backpack. If you can’t find what you want at local stores and you have access to the internet or know someone who does, here’s a website that sells all kinds of safety ‘stuff’: http://www.northerntool.com
10. Now let’s just say for the sake of discussion that this same boss approaches you and say’s something like: “Look, I need you to take this ladder, set it on top of that box so it will reach, and then get on up there and switch those lights bulbs out.” Now you can tell this is not going to work and it’s dangerous, not to mention you’ve seen people change out these particular light bulbs before and they were outside contactors with special lift equipment. So what are your options? You can ask the boss for a demonstration in order to get an idea of what he’s talking about; which he or she will probably refuse to do. You can always quit or stack the ladder on top of that box, climb it, and then start fooling with those light bulbs, hoping you don’t fall. Before you get too far into using the OODA Loop to make your decision, let me say this first. Young people, NO job is worth your life or any of your limbs.
11. With that said, the decision you make is entirely on your shoulders, make it using common sense, the OODA Loop and some logic, not because of some ignoramus who happens to be wearing a boss hat. This next part is important, so please listen. Your ‘survival’ kit is just that. A container that holds your job ‘stuff’ not a little smoke, dope, crank, meth, or anything else of that nature. As a young person, people often think you’re up to something when you’re doing nothing but minding your own business. So don’t get caught doing the wrong thing when deep down you know better. Be sure and keep your bag locked and don’t forget to check through it before you leave the workplace to ensure no one put something in there that does not belong. As we said before…at times people can act strange and jealousy can make them even stranger. Never allow yourself to become the unwitting victim of another person’s drama and foolishness.
Conclusion: You are your best advocate for common sense safety issues. Never allow yourself to be put into a compromising safety situation on the job by someone in a position of authority. There are lots of managers out there who call themselves leaders that could not pour water out of a boot with the instructions written on the heel. If you find yourself working for this person, be respectful and disciplined but above all else take care of yourself! Please let me know if this lesson helped by leaving your comments or complaints on this website. Very Respectfully Ronald Peeler Back to: Professional Development