Bringing Safety Home

For 8-12 hours a day we are bombarded with safety talk and rules at work. Yet when we come home, it’s goes out the window. I know I’ve been guilty of loading on the PPE at work…respirator, boots, gloves, ear plugs, hard hat, etc. etc…. and then coming home and mowing my lawn in flip flops and shorts. How does that make any sense? If we want safety to be our culture, it needs to be at home too.

When doing a task at home, think about what safety precautions you would use at work and follow suit. Use the correct PPE. If you’re mowing the lawn, wear long pants, work boots, ear plugs and safety glasses. If your painting or working in a dusty area, wear a respirator. If you’re cleaning with hazardous chemicals, wear gloves and goggles. Make sure to store and dispose of hazardous materials properly including household cleaners. Do regular inspections of your fire alarms. If you have small children, make sure to anchor tall or unstable furniture like dressers or TVs.

Yes, at times it can feel like safety overload at work… So I get it. You want to come home and forget all about work. But bringing safety home isn’t just about reducing the hazards we face at home, it’s also about teaching our children to put Safety First… And that’s a true safety culture.