You don’t know me — yet. I have an obsession.
No need to take a step back, it’s not a “stalker” kind of obsession, although it is possible to act like one in the safety business. Rather, I’m absolutely Obsessed with the positive, supportive, and productive side of all things related to safety and accident prevention.
Why is that?
I’ve been in the safety business, one way or another, for just a shade over 50 years. I’d like to make another 50. We’ll have to see how that goes. I’ve stayed in it and I’m still in it. So, what, exactly, can I do for you? Well, I propose to start that conversation with a brief trip into the 5 Whys.
Why
If you are in the safety business: Why? For me it started when I got hurt skiing when I was 15. Nothing too serious – seven stitches to a cut from a ski edge. However, it did require a little help from the ski patrol. What an amazing service! It made an impression that just developed on from there.
Why
From being treated by the ski patrol, my next step was joining the ski patrol. From the experience, I gained some advanced first aid skills and free skiing (pretty useful when you’re 16). But serving put me into contact with people that, like myself, ended up getting hurt. Some injuries were minor, some much more serious. It made me appreciate what happens when a person gets hurt. Some folks went home with their friends or parents. Some were transferred to an ambulance. My next step was clearly before me.
Why
If I thought the ski patrol was an eye opener, the ambulance service was all that times 10. The people that the ambulance was called on to help were much more seriously hurt or sick and some died before we could do anything about it. The injuries were much more serious and much more graphic! It amazed me how little a person could look like a person after they had been mangled in a major vehicle accident. And, although that was bad enough, it was the family and friends of the victims that also suffered. Was this really necessary to the scheme of life?
Why
Next was a career in industry. Did people who came to work to earn a living for themselves and their family really have to get hurt?
Why
No, and I’m not putting up with it. I’ve seen the injuries. I’ve seen the damage it does. I’ve seen the effects on friends, family, and co-workers. I’m obsessed with stopping it.
So, why am I here? Many hands make lite work. Two brains are better than one. There are probably other sayings that fit. But, the point is: There’s work to be done.
Thank you for taking the time to read this! I hope that you are, or will become, as Obsessed with safety as I am.
Bob Carmichael
MA, CSP, CHMM, CET, OHST, CHST
Questions for all of us:
- If you are a professional safety person, why are you doing it? What is your motivation? What drives you? What scares you?
- If you are not a professional safety person, what can you, what should you, do to keep yourself and others from getting hurt? Is there anything keeping you from taking the lead, from lending a hand, from being part of the solution?
- What difference does safety and accident prevention really make in the grand scheme of things?
- Do you feel that accidents only happen to other people? Is that a belief or a hope? Are you comfortable with the concept – really? Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. What is the reason for each option?
- What would happen if someone got hurt and you could have prevented it? How would you feel? What can you do today to avoid that?
Notes:
I took a few liberties with the 5 Whys. Here is a link to a site that provides information about this valuable investigation tool: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5_Whys
The National Ski Patrol offers a great public service at many ski resorts. If you’d like to know more, here is a link to their official site: http://www.nsp.org/
There are a lot of volunteer ambulance services. Here is a link to just one of them, in case you’d like more information: http://gatesems.org/
I’m still working on getting all of this blog set up. So, if you see an area that just doesn’t look finished, it’s not.