After the upsetting incident of finding my grad student in hazardous working conditions, I have started thinking about safety training in general. I've noticed that quite a few people are not only cavalier about safety; they are actually cynical and sarcastic about it. When folks are told to go to this or that safety training, they roll their eyes. Managers even sigh and say, "Hey guys, I know it's annoying and a waste of time, but we gotta follow the rules if we want our department not to get in trouble, okay?" Or even "Look, it's just a stupid online class; click through the slides, check the box and the end, and that's all it takes." I have to admit that I have been guilty of this attitude when it comes to other Human Resources trainings. Not in anything safety-related, but in HR-matters that I found mundane. No more! I am firmly pro-training and will never, ever, ever roll my eyes at it again!
I have actually learned things at safety trainings! Also... new information about human physiology is being learned all the time! Chemicals that were regarded as safe for handling in the 1970's are not so today. Certain positions to sit and stand that were considered acceptable in the 80's are now known to cause long-term joint damage and injury. The maximum safe exposure levels to chemicals are being lowered all the time. The level of noise exposure that is known to cause hearing damage is much lower today than it was even a decade ago. Here are some specific things I have learned:
* The maximum weight one should carry without assistance (20 lbs)
* How to handle a mysterious liquid found spilled on the floor (assume the worst and call the Haz Mat team)
* The proper position to sit long-term (shoulders, arms, and elbows neutral, head neutral)
etc
I'm 40 now! I'm doing more thinking about the person that I Am and the person that I want to Be. That person that I want to be is not sarcastic, or cynical. She doesn't roll her eyes at HR trainings! The next time we have one coming up, I'm not going to roll my eyes and tell my coworkers how to cheat on the test at the end. I'm going to say it was a good use of time.
How about you, dear readers? The next time you remind someone to put on safety glasses or earplugs how about saying, "Put these on! They may save you from becoming blind!" instead of sighing and saying "I know this is silly, but you have to follow the rules."
Cynicism is a cop-out. Sincerity takes courage. Even if it's just the courage to appear uncool. Let us try together!
1 comment:
Well said! After years of working for a multi-national financial services firm I too have had my share of HR trainings worthy of a few eye rolls! In the last few years though, I have found training with respect to cyber security particularly useful, especially learning to detect it. (Happy was the client I was able to alert that he had been hacked!)It has become more prevalent than ever, though sadly, too many are still indifferent -until it happens to them. I too try encouraging the eye-rollers to take interest, it's important & worth their time:)
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