Stop the DROPs – Preventable Accidents
Mistakes will happen, but most accidents are preventable.
Every single day people are injured at work, at home, and on the road. Tragically, many lives are lost or drastically changed because of lapses of attention or inconsistency. The key to developing a safer workplace and culture of safety lies in shifting from hindsight to foresight. When we anticipate in advance the elements that can cause us to make mistakes, we can recognize them and prevent them from causing us harm.
Four of the most common causes of preventable accidents can be remembered by the acronym DROP: Distractions, Rushing, Overload, and Panic. We will address each of these factors individually in subsequent blogs, as well as the keys to
Stop Before you DROP
As a professional juggler, I’ve spent thousands of hours perfecting my craft. Yet the truth is that ALL jugglers of all skill levels drop. Including me. Mistakes happen and are necessary in order to improve your skills. But in delivering a successful performance when it matters, under the constraints of time and pressure, the key is to “Stop before you drop.” That is, you must get to the end of your show, routine, or day without making costly mistakes.
Working among hazards require the same discipline and mantra. Stop before you DROP. You must get to the end of your shift, your day, your year, your career without making critical mistakes that lead to a preventable accident. The mindset of a safety professional is that this is not only possible, it is absolutely achievable. Otherwise, you are simply playing the odds, hoping or falsely believing that accidents won’t happen to you. When you recognize the risks and understand them completely, you begin to develop the awareness and discipline to take control of your circumstances.
Just like the expert juggler, the challenge AND the solution are in your hands.
