Last week it was good to have some of the Managers and Assistant Managers come up for a meeting about the company's new safety and HR reporting system. 

We are serious about our staff and our safety and this new system is a way to create some accountability and responsibility between the two.

The staff need to be responsible for their actions to be safe, "The company has a duty of care to their staff" a sign only protects the business, a toolbox meeting is the same, day to day people have to keep their eye on what is going on ... "They need to be aware, on the ball!"

Don't work on a tractor with the loader up but not blocked off!

Don't ride on the side of a forklift or the back of a yard ute!

Check the machines that are blocked up before you work on them to make sure they are stable!

This is all no brain stuff but I can assure you I have seen it happen in the past.  Safety is common sense, without common sense safety goes out the window.

If you are truly wanting a safe workplace you won't hide behind a hand book of procedures or blame PPE gear or signage, you'll use those things to help you achieve your goal, and that is "A safe workplace".

I have seen this business and many others change over the years because of industries like the mining and gas industry.  The mining and gas industry have a need for massive numbers of people, to get the job done quickly and cost effectively.  These large numbers of people are to fill  numerous roles and usually in blocks,  this creates a couple of real basic issues .. highly inflated rates to attract them, and people that have little to no experience in the industry but are attracted to the rates alone.

This is where common sense should be at the forefront and hand in hand with induction and training.  But sadly usually it's not and strict training, bulk signage, overkill on PPE and many other things come in to try to replace the worker actually standing on their own two feet and using their head.

Normally if someone comes into your business they have an interest in what you do, that helps with the common sense side.  The passion for what you do helps you retain the training you receive or helps you in the pursuit to gain that knowledge.  Common sense also comes with age but is not always a trait of every person, that being said we all make mistakes and if we can make safety "Everyone's" responsibility it is at the forefront of your mind.

When you talk to anyone about safety usually is a negative thing, some people would rather not discuss it at all because the cost can kill you and in the end kill the business but on the other side putting your head in the sand can do the same, but on a physical sense.

I never want to see someone hurt at work, accidents happen but are preventable ....

Do we really believe TV ads stop people taking drugs or alcohol and driving a vehicle???? Common sense tells the majority of people not to do it, but some will do it anyway regardless.

Do speed signs make you do the speed limit?

Do signs at work stop people hopping in an excavator bucket and swinging around in a dam???? Obviously not it's on youtube.

If we have the PPE and the sign does that mean the worker is wearing it?

Safety is up to you the individual first but ultimately it's up to everyone, I'm happy to say we have had "0" major injuries at Neil's and we plan to keep it that way and our new reporting system on top of all the Hi-Vis, Signs, Procedures and PPE is there to help, but like I said, all of this money spent is as only as good as the person on a daily basis using it and using their head ... responsibility, accountability and common sense.

The aim of the game for us is to get the parts off, cleaned, checked, packed and shipped as quickly as possible and there is no reason why doing it safely should hinder the time to do it.  Safety only becomes an issue when it is so complicated to get the job done that it's no longer worth doing it, or it takes away the ability for the worker to think and becomes part of the reason they get hurt.

Safety procedures should not be enforced to protect someone from legal action, they are there to protect you from harm.

This is no different in your truck or on your farm, use your head, common sense, and do some risk assessment first ... it's not usually worth dying for.

Thanks for doing business with Neil's, myself and our staff appreciate being part of your communities and your lives!