Shake Hands With Danger

Caterpillar opened its newest plant in Texas today, expecting to employ about 800 workers in the manufacture of hydraulic-lift equipment. Exciting news! Of course, thinking about Caterpillar makes me think of one of my favorite safety films, "Shake Hands With Danger," released in 1970 by Caterpillar (now in the public domain) to illustrate the importance of following safe work practices at job sites and in the shop (also one of my favorite shorts at RiffTrax). It features a kicky country soundtrack, "Three-Finger Joe," by a Johnny Cash soundalike, and two or three scenes which I would categorize as gruesome (sensitive viewers beware). I don't know how many of you have witnessed first-hand someone losing skin, scalp or digits in industrial accidents, but I can assure you it's something you do not want to see.

My employer (whom I shall simply call The Company to avoid confusion over whether they endorse my commentaries or not) holds safety as their number-one priority in all their facilities. Plenty of places where I have worked have had comprehensive safety policies, but there was never any active enforcement. The safety rules were just there probably so they could legally fire you if you did get hurt. However, at The Company, we actually have floor inspections and audits to ensure that all safety rules are, in fact, being followed. Everything from proper placement of materials to safe lifting practices are scrutinized and included in reports, and the scores affect our monthly bonuses. Get caught violating any safety rule and you can be subject to disciplinary action; however, it usually just results in a coaching. Associates are encouraged to coach one another if they see any violations, to ensure nobody gets hurt.

Getting hurt on the job is a very costly occurrence. Just last week, I skinned my knee and spent 45 minutes at the health station getting treated and filling out reports. That's 45 minutes I could have spent working. In addition to that lost time, for which The Company had to pay me even though I wasn't working, it cost my manager an hour and a half of his time. There is also the cost of the first aid materials (a bandage, icepack and antibiotic ointment) and a ding on the safety report, which could affect my bonus (and everyone else's). But it goes way beyond that. The associates in my assigned work area had to work that much harder to make up for my absence, increasing their risk of injury. And enough injuries at a particular site could raise The Company's insurance premiums, which cuts into raises and bonuses, so there's that risk as well. All because I wasn't watching where I was going.

Safe work practices are nothing to sneer at. If you watch the video linked above, you can see what happens when you don't. A few of the men in the video just got badly shaken up. One lost a finger, another lost a hand, and two lost their lives. According to OSHA, 4,690 workers lost their lives on the job in 2010. According to the American Society of Safety Engineers, in 2004 alone workplace deaths and injuries directly cost companies over $142 billion and about 120 million days in lost productivity. That's some serious money we're talking about. Even getting injured while not working can be costly. The ASSE link above states that 165 million days of productivity were lost in 2004 from off-the-job injuries.

That's entirely aside from the pain and indignity associated with getting injured. A bad back or knee could put you out of work permanently.

There are plenty of sites on the Web which list tips for staying safe at work and at home, so I won't go into that here. I just want to make you all aware that safety is important. Avoid shortcuts, be aware of your surroundings, treat every situation as a potential injury, and speak up if you see your neighbors or coworkers doing something dangerous.