As human beings, we instinctively seek to avoid pain and death. And yet, we may behave in a manner that is a threat to our well-being. There are a couple of reasons why this occurs. The first is lack of knowledge. What you do not know, can hurt you! The second is that we may act in a risky manner is attitude. Now might be a good time to do a quick self-analysis. What is your attitude toward safety?

When asked, some may say they are all for it. Others may complain about any safety effort being made. The difference between the two is one of attitude. Your attitude affects almost all that you do and how you do it.

Have you ever noticed that people who are successful in life, or are just happy, tend to have a positive attitude? And so it is with safety. Look at it this way, safety rules and procedures are written to protect you from harm. They are not written to make your work life more uncomfortable or inconvenient. After all, safety equipment and training costs your employer additional up front money. It takes time out of the day to do safety briefs, inspections and stand-downs. These may be lost hours of production but these actions could bring you home safely to your family at the end of the day.

We are not perfect. Even the best of us can forget or make errors in judgment. To maximize our safety efforts, we must look out for one another. If someone tells you that you are not working in a safe manner, don't take it personally and get upset. If you didn't know you were doing something wrong, be thankful your errors were noted before someone got hurt. If you simply forgot or got a little careless, be grateful that someone cares enough to get you back on track. If you see someone doing something unsafe, speak up, but do so diplomatically. Treat others just as you would like to be treated in the same situation. Work together to keep each other safe!

Remember, attitude affects behavior. If you have a positive attitude, odds are you will exhibit safe behavior. Be positive, be safe and take care of each other!