Safety Awakening – Is The Safety Occupation A “Career” Or A “Calling”?

December 19, 2014 No Comments

Is The Safety Occupation A “Career” Or A “Calling”?

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Some choose a safety career because in college, safety is one of those degrees that does not require the completion of higher mathematics classes.  Many an aspiring engineer who couldn’t handle the math requirements chose safety instead.  A safety degree is easier to get then an engineering degree, and it will still allow the graduate to get a good paying job with a  manufacturing or construction company.

Others, just “fell into” a safety career by default.  It was a job that happened to be available when the applicant was looking for work.

Safety professionals who fall into one of the above categories are “career” safety professionals.  They work hard, punch the clock, but are not particularly passionate about their profession.  They often place themselves and their careers above the well-being of others.

In my lifetime, I’ve met a handful of truly fervent safety professionals who stood high above the rest.  For these “safety superstars”, safety was a calling and not just a paycheck.  Four safety icons who inspired me include –

• Bob always wanted to be a minister.  His family did not have the means to send him to college, so he went to work for the local factory.  Seeing work related injuries at this factory greatly disturbed this man of God.  Bob could not stand by and watch these injuries continue, so he initiated a safety program at that location.   His passion for protecting his fellow worker was recognized and Bob moved up the corporate ladder to eventually lead the safety program at this giant international company.
• As a military man, Ed was in plenty of combat.  Sometimes he did some things that he was not proud of.  Soon after being discharged from the military, Ed found religion.  He then embarked on a life long crusade to make up for the harm he had done to his fellow-man while in the military.  Ed chose the safety profession as the vehicle for him to give back to the world and atone for his past.
• Dennis was a compassionate and deeply caring person.  He joined the military when a major war broke out.  Dennis volunteered to be a medic and ambulance driver because of his deep devotion to saving lives and helping people.  After the war, Dennis got into the safety profession as his way of continuing to serve and protect his fellow-man.
• Don grew up in a working class family.  He worked in a factory when very young.  One Saturday young Don saw a friend and co-worker lose a leg in a machinery accident.   Later, Don’s father was severely hurt in a work related accident and missed one year of work.  During that year, Don’s family ate road kill.  Don chose safety as his career because he wanted to prevent other families from having to suffer as his had.

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There’s nothing wrong with being a “career” safety person.   But please realize that there’s so much more to it then that.  Work in the “trenches” for a few years.  See first hand the devastating effects accidents have on workers and their families.  In time, you too may be elevated to the higher spiritual “calling” of this righteous profession.

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Awakenings