Safety Awakening – “There’s No Substitute For Experience”

November 21, 2014 No Comments

“When it comes to safety, there’s no substitute for experience”  

–

Many years ago I worked with a large trucking company.  They hauled grain and other products around the Midwest ( a very flat part of the USA).

They were presented with a new business opportunity that involved hauling lumber to the west coast – over the Rocky Mountains.  None of their drivers had any experience hauling dimension lumber or with mountain driving.   None-the-less, this company embarked on this new operation, thinking their drivers were up to the new challenge.

Soon after starting these new west coast runs, they began having serious vehicular accidents in the Rocky Mountains.   These accidents were caused by both their drivers unfamiliarity with driving mountain roads, and with their not knowing how to properly secure this new commodity to their flat-bed trailers.  After a few horrible accidents, the company decided that they were not qualified or equipped to drive lumber over mountains and stopped making these west coast runs.

I’ve seen this same thing happen when a company brings in a new machine, chemical or process that they are not familiar with.  For example, new hybrid gas/electric cars have powerful high-voltage electric batteries that can cause fatal shocks.  Automotive shops that I work with all send their mechanics who will be working on hybrid cars to special safety training classes.  These mechanics learn about this new hazard, the special PPE they must wear, the specialty tools and equipment they must use, how to quarantine their work area, and other procedures that must be followed to safety work on hybrid cars.

If you don’t have expertise with a new operation or piece of equipment; either bring in someone who does, or thoroughly train (and equip) all affected employees in how to safely work with the new exposures.

Awakenings