OTA Dispatch Fall 2015

Fall | 2015

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Two rules of safety exist: daily routine and accountability.

Without accountability, without breaking from “accidents

happen” or “he did something stupid,” we may never

cross into the true understanding that we control our

own destiny. With strong leadership which includes

modeling safe behavior, establishing rules, monitoring

work practices—and when needed—coaching and positive

re-enforcement, we are truly at the helm.

Myth #2: An incident is a happening of little importance.

Every incident reflects the potential for the exact scenario

that could result in an accident. In our example, the

driver could have jumped, felt a pain in his ankle and

remedied with Tylenol and ice for a few days. But this

incident is no less important than what could have

resulted in an accident. The only difference was that the

ankle was only tender and not broken. Chance? Luck?

I’d prefer not to place my bet again.

I’m not going to bridge into progressive discipline, driver

shortage and every other factor that could come into play.

I am, however, going to come back to the basic tenet of

the issue, which is: “You control your own destiny.”

And controlling your own destiny begins with

understanding and discarding the myth that an

accident is unforeseen.

I challenge you to spend a few minutes to reflect

on your culture. What model has been set? Do the

managers and supervisors have the authority to

compel best practices? How about fellow employees?

Are we looking too quickly for the reason or looking

for the root cause? In a land ruled by safety scores,

I urge you to search for your own destiny, your

mindset, your culture. In a fully functioning, myth

debunking structure, employees not only feel

responsible for their own safety, they feel responsible

for the safety of their coworkers, and the organization

as a whole. This is when you are controlling your own

destiny and building a safe and healthy culture.

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Jennifer King is an account executive at WHA Insurance. She

can be reached at 541-284-5835 or

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