Who Is Responsible?

Weekly Safety Talks: No. 2 Who Is Responsible?

Objective: To give everyone the opportunity to speak up and state their responsibilities in ensuring safety.

Responsibility is a subjective obligation to be accountable for one's actions and deeds, as well as their consequences. People often like to shift responsibility onto others but are very reluctant to take it upon themselves. When involved in a traffic accident, a person starts blaming the other driver, the road surface, the sun being too bright, and so on. This is because admitting one's responsibility for what happened is very difficult — it requires a person to admit to themselves that they made a mistake, got distracted, or failed to take all necessary measures to prevent the accident.

We all clearly know that the company management's responsibility is to provide the conditions for safe work performance. However, coming to work with the confidence that everything has already been thought out and provided for you is a big mistake. Rules and procedures will not protect us from an incident if we do not start following them ourselves. Training is not a guarantee of our safety if we do not use the information we received.

Responsibility is an understanding of the consequences that a person's own decisions or actions can entail. Will you take responsibility for an incident that occurred because of an unsafe situation you did not report? Will you take responsibility for an injury sustained by a colleague whose actions you did not intervene in? What is your responsibility for ensuring safe work at your workplace, for the lives and health of your colleagues, and for the loved ones waiting for you at home?

Every person directly performing the work becomes the last barrier that can prevent an accident or incident. It is important to remember that each of us carries this responsibility.

Compliance with all rules and requirements is never easy — it implies strong self-discipline and strict self-control — especially when you think that someone else is responsible. But in those moments, we need to remember why we introduce rules and requirements and why each of us must always follow them without exception — for the sake of the most precious thing we have: our health. Because even if disciplinary measures are avoided, violating safety rules and requirements will inevitably lead to sad consequences for our health.

Discussion Questions:

?Who is responsible for your safety at work?

?What is your duty in ensuring safety at this site?