We've STOPPED!! Now what!?!

Once again, Vanilla Ice has the word....COLLABORATE, and listen.

Webster has the following definitions for collaborate: (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/collaborate)

1. -- to work jointly with others or together especially in an intellectual endeavor

2. -- to cooperate with or willingly assist an enemy of one's country and especially an occupying force

3. -- to cooperate with an agency or instrumentality with which one is not immediately connected

The first and third definitions are the ones we are concerned about.

(If you would like to cooperate with or willingly assist an enemy of our country, then you're on your own. God Bless America. :)

The great thing about stopping is the ability to THINK totally about the next steps, the issues, and the solutions without our brain being occupied by the continuation of the task. It also gives the group or individual the time to access resources, such as a more experienced person, manuals, procedures, etc. Even just a brain storm in the midst of a time out can be highly productive, leading to efficient and safe completion of the job.

It is too difficult to collaborate while continuing a work process.

One human characteristic that is counterproductive is the reluctance to ask for help. We want to be independent, prove ourselves on our own, and show off our work. We don't want to be a bother. But a very productive human characteristic is the desire TO help. People love to share their expertise. They love to give good advice. They also love to be appreciated for what they know and what they do. So don't hesitate to ask. Asking great questions let's the supervisor know that you know what you don't know.

IMPORTANT!!! The worker needs to feel like he can access this experience without repercussion, even in an initial reaction. (Refer to Reaction Blog)

Our spin on the third definition is to cooperate with other agencies or entities that can give you the most assistance. In this day and age, the internet is an amazing resource for all kinds of information. Many organizations will gladly give advice if they think they have a snowball's chance of selling you something.

TAKE ADVANTAGE!!

Collaborate with each other. Use information from experts. Read forums. Share information. Connect. COLLABORATE!

Don't just work safe...BE safe.

STOP...Collaborate and Listen....

For those of you who are younger than 25, this phrase might not mean a whole lot, but for those of us who were of teenage years in 1989, they meant a lot. Most guys would openly discredit the singer Vanilla Ice, but then get in their cars, do the side-to-side look to see if anyone was watching, and play "Ice Ice Baby" as loud as possible. Classic and genius.

Genius not only because of the marketing value of the song, genius not only because the original financing for this song was only $8000 and yielded an unbelievable percentage of return, but genius because of its application to everyday life...including workplace safety.

Excuse me? When did Vanilla Ice become an occupational health and safety guru? Well, he didn't. But the beginning of the song starts in a unique way....

STOP....Collaborate and listen...

In today's workplace, it's all about go go go, time is money, productivity is key, blah blah blah, etc, etc. In most places, the word STOP is absolutely foreign. If a production line has to stop for anything, you can see the manager mentally ticking away the potential products that are not being made multiplied by the amount they cost the company equaling the lost revenue. But what is not thought about is the time SAVED by stopping.

In the late 1970's, General Motors had a plant in Fremont, California that was a huge mess of inefficiency. The line did NOT stop...for ANYTHING!! They had repair teams at the end of the assembly line to fix all of the mistakes made in the plant, which were very many. The plant closed down, but reopened in 1984 in a joint venture with Toyota. Managers had gone to Japan to see how Toyota built quality cars efficiently. One of the major contrasts is the ability for any worker on the line to stop the process at any time for any reason. In the end, cars came out with a high standard of workmanship and did not need repairs.

The complete story is on This American Life here:
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/403/nummi

Stopping has become a workplace normality in many industries where the consequences of mistakes are huge. Surgery wards are using the Time Out before procedures to ensure that the everything is correct, the doctor knows which limb or what procedures is taking place, anesthesia is properly in place, etc. We've all heard the stories of botched surgeries and with lawyers salivating at the prospect of deep pocket hospitals with obvious liability, there is no room for error. In the highly dangerous oil field, all workers are giving the authority and responsibility for calling a Time Out for Safety when anything is amiss. As most of you have heard of the Deepwater Horizon incident in the Gulf of Mexico, the consequences of a misstep can be catastrophic.

So just STOP! That is a huge first step. Overcoming the mindset that stopping will produce a loss is a major obstacle. However, taking that time shows employees that you take them seriously, their safety seriously, and they will usually respond in a positive way.

So what then? Collaborate....and listen.  Next time.

Thanks. Don't just work safe or play safe.....BE safe.

Introduction

Greetings! If you are reading this blog, that means you are:

• an employee interested in doing your job and going home with all his fingers
• an employer who wants his employees to go home with all their fingers
• absolutely bored and have read every other blog on the internet

If you fall into the third category, please turn off the computer and go find a productive activity. However, if you are in the first two, WELCOME!! Let me tell you a little about myself.

For the first part of my career life, I worked as a paramedic. Like Jimmy Buffet says, "Some of it's magic, some of it's tragic" but it was an honorable, rewarding career field. I eventually moved into the safety side for oil drilling companies and have been doing that for many years now. I must prefer the preventive side rather than the reactive side. Working with people from all over the world (Asia, Africa, Europe and the good ol' USA), I have found a lot of common themes in my attempts to get people to work safe. 

I have found many approaches from other fields of study that make a positive impact. That is what is is really about--making a POSITIVE impact. People generally want to enjoy their work and be satisfied with their accomplishments. Making Workplace Safety a part of that enjoyment is a truly effective way of keeping workers safe.

Thank you for reading my blog and I hope you find some useful tips for keeping you and/or your employees safe. 

Christopher Smith