XMAS Safety Messages–Fear Has Priority Over Fun

XMAS Safety Messages – Fear Has Priority Over Fun

Well its that time of year again when everyone is looking forward to a few parties, having fun, celebrating with family and friends and perhaps some well-earned time off work to forget about dumb down safety for a little while………. But, of course the regulator and some safety crusaders have other ideas about what is a priority! Someone told me that they had to sign a waiver if they wanted to attend their work Xmas function – of course they aren’t going now!

Here’s a thought: ‘Show genuine care for your workers, treat them like responsible, intelligent adults and they may just behave that way’. Surely that trumps any mythical legal obligation or ‘duty of care’ to warn about the pitfalls of having fun at Christmas time and to ‘be careful or else’ – what are the by-products of doing that? Did I hear someone say “rebellion”?

Some of the inspirational gems I have read today on how to instill fear, treat people like imbeciles and show your obvious superiority:

• “One fatality is one too many. So the fact that 24 families will spend Christmas grieving for a loved one who died at work this year is devastating,”……“We’re asking everyone to think about safety. Don’t become a Christmas statistic. For the sake of your family and friends, make workplace safety your number one priority. “People should be looking forward to Christmas with their families, not witnessing a tragedy or attending a workmate’s funeral. (My personal favorite)
• VWA inspectors have begun visiting retail stores across the state to talk to managers and staff about the risks associated with this busy time of year. “As a result, VWA inspectors will be focusing closely on proper housekeeping, ladder safety, stock storage and management, and the importance of staff training.”
• Employers can help prevent workplace injuries by remaining vigilant about injury prevention and even increasing safety measures in the lead up to the holiday season.
• Employers can also encourage their workers to stay safe over the holiday season by reminding them to: drive safely, consume alcohol in moderation, avoid overindulging in rich foods, spend some time relaxing; and try to get some physical exercise.

• Taking a few simple steps, allows you to better manage your workers over the busy Christmas period and minimise the risk of workplace injuries. Encourage your workers to report all injuries as per your company procedure and you create a safe and happy workplace for all to enjoy.
• Making sure all your workers stay safe this Christmas is the most important thing employers should focus on in the lead up to the festive season. Whether you’re planning an end of year work function or employing temporary workers to cover for people on annual leave, ensuring a safe workplace is a duty of care all employers share. This means reminding workers to finish their last shift without incident, safely travel home or to a holiday destination, or encouraging workers to drink responsibly at your end of year party.
• As the silly season ensues, it is a given that employee self-awareness and concentration is affected by the plethora of issues that arise, as shown through the spike in notifiable fatalities experienced in the lead up to Christmas.
• As many businesses throughout the region prepare to hold end of year celebrations, SafeWork NSW has issued a reminder that safety at these events is everyone’s responsibility……“Also ensure plenty of food and non-alcoholic drinks are available and encourage workers to look out for their workmates. If they are concerned someone is under the influence, they should speak to their manager to keep them safe.

Some more important xmas safety messages from our safety crusader pages:

OMG–We Must Ban Christmas–For Safety Reasons

OMG! – We Must Ban Christmas – For Safety Reasons In anticipation of your Xmas celebrations at home – have you prepared risk assessments, work method statements, first aid kits, emergency procedures, competency based training for all presents and guest induction packages for your celebrations?? This little collection of articles and quotes from the web implies that …… Enjoy the rest of the article >>>>>

A Special Christmas Message From Barry Spud

A Special Christmas Message From Barry Spud BE CAREFUL! Christmas is an accident waiting to happen – it really should be banned! We all know that Safety = Zero Harm. It therefore follows that Love = Zero Hate. So show your lack of hate by giving the gift of ZERO, the gift you give when you have …… Enjoy the rest of the article >>>>>