In my previous column, I shared some advice for making the most of safety conferences. Based on the positive feedback I received, it seems many of you can appreciate the need to make safety personal.
That got me thinking about some of my own experiences with safety.
Back in 2019, I was working in a drafty building. It was so cold that the office manager ordered personal heaters for any employee who wanted one. I got a personal heater but had to move some things around so that I could plug the space heater directly into a wall outlet.
Once I did, I started walking around cubicles and instructing my colleagues to do the same. I was surprised that no one else had seen the videos of fires caused by space heaters plugged into power strips, extension cords or outlet extenders. I mentioned it to my friends, and one taught me that electric blankets and electric mattress toppers need to be plugged into the wall as well.
It can seem like a minor detail. It can even seem like an inconvenience to rearrange furniture and dedicate precious electrical wall outlet space to these devices. But now, I recognize what’s at stake, and I realize I have a responsibility to do better and help others, too.
I am embarrassed to think about how I didn’t always practice electrical safety when I was a college student living in the dorms. My alma mater, as I imagine happens at other universities, had strict requirements about what you could and couldn’t bring into the dorms. Some of those restrictions were common courtesies or for hygienic purposes, such as no amps to play loud music or housepets, but the majority were focused on electrical safety.
Our dorms came with mini fridges and microwaves. We could bring blenders, coffee makers and toasters but not George Foreman grills or hot plates. My roommates and I brought them anyway—and hid them when not in use to avoid confiscation during a random inspection.
From our student perspective, we wanted a way to quickly and easily prepare food in our rooms. We didn’t always want to go to the cafeteria or even the dormitory kitchen, which required both time and equipment that we either didn’t have or didn’t want to bother with. Never mind the fact that those kitchens often had strange stains and lingering smells despite housekeeping’s best efforts.
I calculated the risks and determined the benefit of illicitly using a George Foreman to make a panini was worth it. I did, at least, unplug it immediately after use. Now that I’m older (and perhaps a little wiser), I understand that the university imposed those rules keep us safe.
I also remember how the residence hall fire alarms were so sensitive that microwave popcorn often prompted evacuations and a visit from the local fire department. It was an annoying disruption at the time, but fortunately there was never a fire in my dorm.
Once, there was an actual fire in another dormitory hall. Several students lost their belongings, either because of the blaze or the water used to douse it.
The fire was the result of a floor lamp. According to reports, the lamp was knocked onto a beanbag and covered by clothing while turned on and caught flame. It was an accident, but it also opened my eyes to electrical hazards.
I probably shouldn’t admit my past safety transgressions to a bunch of experienced professionals, though I suspect you see them on a daily basis. You might even feel like you could turn blue in the face for all the educating you do to prevent or avoid accidents. It may seem an impossible task, but please don’t give up. We desperately need you, even if we don’t realize it or express our gratitude (at least, not in the moment).
I hope you’re able to help protect colleagues, friends and family from the many hazards out there. One way to help your message resonate is to bravely share your own bad examples, as I have done above.
Sometimes, the rules are sufficient. Sometimes, the rewards and incentives are enough to change behaviors. Other times, we need to hear others’ mistakes.
We owe it to others, and ourselves, to never stop trying to make safety personal—even if that means admitting our own faults—in order to make the workplace better for all.
